Air Transat customers are concerned about a possible strike by flight attendants

Fearing that their plane would remain grounded due to a possible strike by Air Transat flight attendants, hundreds of people stormed the airline's social networks on Wednesday.

The previous day, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced that Air Transat's 2,100 flight attendants almost unanimously (98.1%) rejected the agreement in principle negotiated with their employer.

In the hours that followed, the airline was reassuring on social media, stressing that “there is no notice of strike and [qu’elle] It continues its operations as planned.

Questions are flying

However, the news has caused a lot of anxiety among those preparing to travel in the coming days and weeks.

The comments section of the post in question is full of questions about what would happen in the event of a strike.

Sandrine Charpentier, from Vaudroy-sur-le-Lac, in Montérégie, is one of the travelers who fear their vacation will be ruined.

For Christmas, she and her partner invited their daughters, ages three and six, on a trip to Disney World, after years of saving. Their departure is scheduled for the end of January.

“We thought the matter was settled when they reached a preliminary agreement before the holiday,” she points out. […] It is alarming to know that they can only warn 72 hours in advance. This does not leave us much time to adapt, knowing that it is the type of trip in which we must respect a specific timetable.”

Carrier's responsibility

Air Transat asserts that in the event of “a formal 72-hour strike notice being issued” and “the subsequent cancellation of certain flights”, it will accommodate its passengers to the best of its ability, while respecting its obligations.

“This will include offering a new ticket on the next available flight or partner flight if this option exists within 48 hours of the original departure time,” the Communications Director explains in writing.

The Montreal-based company can also compensate customers for whom an immediate solution is impossible.

As a health worker and member of the common front, Ms.^I Charpentier sincerely hopes that the conflict between the airline and the cabin crew will not continue.

“I think the company will want to settle quickly, because it will be really expensive to find other flights or get a refund.”

For those whose stay must be extended due to the cancellation of their return flight, the company pledges to cover all additional accommodation costs as well as finding a flight on the wings of another carrier for a safe return.