Kelowna senior, household fighting for refund on $12K WestJet getaway deal cancelled by weather conditions – Kelowna Information

A Kelowna senior is exasperated following being unable to get hold of a $12,000 refund from WestJet for a holiday vacation package deal derailed by very last month’s winter temperature.

Elisabeth Peltenburg, her spouse, daughter and son-in-regulation pooled their cash to purchase in August 2022 a trip to Orlando, Fl., bringing alongside her 4 grandchildren.

The deal such as flights and lodges, acquired specifically from WestJet Holidays, was meant to rejoice Peltenburg’s 83rd birthday and the marriage of her daughter and son in law.

The few had gotten married about a 7 days prior to scheduling the vacation and utilized their marriage gift money to pay back for their part. The full price tag for the eight passengers and lodge room came to just around $12,000.

The immediate flight was scheduled to depart Vancouver International Airport on Dec. 24, 2022, but was canceled due to a winter storm that introduced Canada’s aviation sector to its knees.

After months of preparing and anticipation—purchasing every thing from travel insurance policies to DisneyWorld tickets—Peltenburg states they ended up particularly upset when their outgoing flight was canceled.

“There are no phrases,” she mentioned.

Peltenburg claims WestJet offered to rebook them on a flight in Dec. 29, which did not get the job done for them simply because her daughter experienced to be back at work as a instructor when faculty resumed on Jan. 3. The initial journey experienced a return date of Dec. 31.

Considering the fact that then, Peltenburg says they have been unable to be reimbursed for the undelivered vacation package deal.

Peltenburg explained her daughter used 5.5 hours on maintain with WestJet, and the moment she was able to converse with an agent, she was informed to connect with the identical quantity that she was on keep for.

Peltenburg went to the WestJet desk at the Kelowna airport, in which staff members were being not able to assistance and inspired her to get in touch with the purchaser service line. Peltenburg went as much as mailing her criticism and ask for in creating to WestJet’s headquarters in Calgary, but has been given no reaction.

Canadian rules involve airways to provide a refund in just 30 days for flights that can’t be rebooked within 48 hours of the primary departure.

Castanet requested WestJet media relations about the problem on Friday and was informed by a spokesperson the file would be “escalated” for assessment. As of Monday afternoon, Peltenburg suggests she has heard nothing at all from the airline.

Peltenburg claims her daughter is in the approach of proclaiming a chargeback through her credit card for the flights.

“WestJet only would like to converse about the flight,” reported Gerardus Mass, Peltenburg’s spouse. “And not none in anyway about the rest of the deal.”

The few delivered an invoice to Castanet exhibiting the deal was fully obtained as a result of WestJet Vacations, with the airline’s head business office listed as the company site.

Peltenburg claims the circumstance has been specially tough on her daughter.

“Just devastating,” she said “She has cried… both of them (daughter and associate) are in instructing, and they get the job done so hard. And this is lots of dollars, just taken absent from them.”