WestJet was ordered to compensate a BC passenger for expenses the airline called “excessive” after cancelling her flight, which led to a significant delay in her travel plans.
In a case made public by the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal, Laura Prinz asked the tribunal for compensation totalling $1,394.12 for hotel costs, clothes, airport lounge passes, and toiletries.
WestJet said that Prinz didn’t submit an “acceptable” receipt for hotel costs, so she wasn’t reimbursed. It added that her hotel costs were excessive.
The airline also claimed it was not obligated to reimburse Prinz for clothes, lounge passes or toiletries.
Prinz booked a trip within the province from Vancouver to Terrace for November 6, 2022. While in the airport that day, WestJet cancelled her flight. She was rescheduled on a flight that would leave Vancouver three days later, on November 9, 2022.
She was delayed 67 hours and 22 minutes in total.
WestJet paid Prinz $1,000 as compensation for the delay under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
Prinz claimed WestJet didn’t reimburse her for “reasonable costs” that stemmed from the delay.
For the hotel, Prinz submitted a receipt for three nights at a downtown Vancouver hotel. While WestJet didn’t deny that it had to compensate Prinz for reasonable accommodation costs, it added that she could’ve stayed at a less expensive hotel but “elected not to.”
WestJet claimed that her reimbursement for hotel costs should’ve been limited to $750.
Meanwhile, the tribunal said WestJet’s claim that she could’ve found a cheaper hotel was unproven. The tribunal determined that her hotel costs weren’t unreasonable.
However, the tribunal did agree that WestJet didn’t need to compensate Prinz for the clothes, toiletries or lounge expenses.
The BC tribunal ordered WestJet to pay Prinz a total of $1,144.81, which included $937.18 for hotel costs and the rest in tribunal fees.