We have flown West Jet quite a bit and generally they are almost efficient, (better than most) and courteous. They do seem to be getting some black eyes over their application of new rules, laws and policies though.
They have handed out vouchers to passengers whose flights have been cancelled and demand a substantial payment for anyone who asks for their money back. That isn't a big deal if you have only paid eight or nine hundred for a flight but there was one family who had made an eighteen thousand dollar booking whose flight was cancelled and WJ demanded they accept a $3,500 deduction from their refund. After a news reporter intervention they were still obliged to accept a deduction of $2,700.
We all know airlines are getting screwed every which way over Covid and we don't know if vouchers or refunds are an existential choice but it leaves a bad taste.
Another bad taste is left by the vouchers only being valid for two years. It is six months already since our cancelled flight and we have no idea whether we will want, or even be able, to travel in the next eighteen months to a destination served by WJ.
I feel disappointed for all those staff who have worked for so long to make WJ one of the best to fly with but for now, for us at least, they are no longer our "preferred" airline.