2023
19
July
Various places in B.C. to England, France, or Ireland - $170 to $343 CAD roundtrip including taxes
19
July
WestJet is showing what appears to be mistake fares from various places in B.C. to Dublin, Ireland or London, England or Paris, France for between $170 and $343 CAD roundtrip including taxes..
The flights have 1 stop each way, in Calgary.
They are available from...
Comox
Fort St. John
Kamloops
Kelowna
Nanaimo
Penticton
Prince George
Victoria
Basically, from nearly every airport in Alberta, B.C., or Saskatchewan except Calgary or Vancouver or Abbotsford.
It's always tough to know if tickets will be issued in a situation like this, so proceed with caution. If you do attempt to book these, do not book anything non-refundable for at least 48 hours.
WestJet's mistake fares to Europe seem to pop up every few years. Sometimes they've worked out, other times they haven't.
Update Wednesday
Well, this story has made it into the National Post.
On Twitter, WestJet has been shifting the blame to FlightHub.
But for some reason FlightHub's account was suspended. Not sure what they said to cause that, or if it's related...
In the Calgary Herald article "WestJet told Postmedia it became aware of the issue last Friday, saying it originated from an update to the airline’s computer system that caused fares to display incorrectly on some third-party websites."
Depending on the numbers, one would think WestJet could swoop in and play the hero here and parlay this into some positive media exposure and word of mouth at a cost that would be relatively small compared to a typical advertising campaign. Especially considering the smaller markets around B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg that were involved and are typically harder to reach when it comes to marketing flights to Europe. I know for a fact that people love to tell others about a ridiculous deal they got even 10-15 years later.
Update Tuesday @ 4:40 PM PST
It's becoming clear that what happened this Friday is nearly identical to the SellOffVacations / WestJet incident in 2020. WestJet went on to eventually honour the fares.
It all relates to a company named Farelogix that WestJet uses for posting fares to third party sellers.
Here's a comment from the 2020 incident:
"WestJet just called to say they will be cancelling all the flights and blaming it on a company named Farelogix (a company that WestJet uses to post their fares to third party sellers such as Sell Off Vacations) saying that they distributed prices where the taxes weren't calculated correctly. Even after WestJet clearly told us if a price is posted online there is nothing they can do about it and it is illegal to not honor it. We should all work together on social media to make some noise..."
And here we are in 2023..
"Friends of mine who work at Westjet have screen shot and sent me what their supervisors told them to tell customers. WestJet claims that surcharges were not being applied correctly due to a FareLogix system error. Farelogix is an IT Provider whose singular focus is to build and deliver innovative and cost efficient NDC-aligned, airline-controlled offer and order management distribution technology as a result, guests were temporarily able to book low fares"
Link to the blog post of the 2020 incident.
Global News Edmonton is apparently running a segment about this story tonight.
Update Sunday @ 1:30 PM PST
Sorry that I could not update earlier. The fallout happened just as I was leaving for a camping trip, and I did not have Internet during the weekend.
On Friday evening, WestJet cancelled these tickets, despite the fact that tickets had already been issued.
Personally, I think either WestJet or one of their data providers is to blame here (they are blaming each other). FlightHub is just caught in the middle. I was seeing similar price errors coming from WestJet on EasyJet's website during the same period of time, which FlightHub has no involvement with.
About the only thing that can help in this situation is media coverage. Some of you may recall WestJet changing their mind and deciding to honour the fares they cancelled during the SellOffVacations / WestJet error fares in February of 2020. But then of course the pandemic hit, and most didn't get a chance to use them anyways.
Tchadas Leo of CHEK News is one reporter interested in interviewing people for this story. He can be reached at: [email protected]
If anyone has any other media contacts that might be interested, comment below or shoot them an e-mail.
Update @ 9:27 AM PST
Receiving reports of WestJet confirmation numbers and eTickets (13 digit numbers) being issued, which is the best case scenario...
Still, keep the expectations low until the dust settles. It typically takes 24-48 hours for things to play out in these situations.
Update @ 10:20 AM PST
FlightHub has gone down for the count...
Update @ 10:35 AM PST
FlightHub is back up, but trying from Victoria (YYJ) I haven't seen any cheap ones in my last 10-15 searches trying various dates.
But trying from other origins, such as Kelowna or Comox, I'm still seeing them. So they are still in the system. They might just be getting tougher to find from Victoria. ?
Update @ 10:45 AM MST
This looks to be over. I haven't seen any cheap ones from any origins in a while. If you still do, comment below!
Tip for those who booked this
- If your confirmation code contains a mix of letters and numbers, it won't work on the WestJet site. That's not a WestJet confirmation code. WestJet's codes are all letters. Some have received an e-mail from ACCELYA with their 'letters only' code. Others have been contacting FlightHub through the live chat function to ask for their 'all letters' WestJet confirmation code and can log into the WestJet site to see their reservation.
Availability for travel
September, October, November 2023
How to find and book this deal
1. Start with one of the following FlightHub searches:
Victoria to...
Dublin, Ireland
^^ $170 roundtrip
London, England
^^ $261 roundtrip
^^ $343 roundtrip
2. Try other origins and dates in September, October, and November.
A lot of the layover times will be terrible on certain dates from some of these origins.
You can try adjusting the dates by a day or two to see if it makes a difference.
The cheapest dates you see on Google Flights should correlate to the cheapest fares you can find on FlightHub. (The price on Google Flights will be much higher)
screenshot from FlightHub
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We got a confirmation number with numbers but WestJet says only letters are allowed. We were issued ticket numbers though.
Got $128.75 if departing YYJ and returning YVR thanks Chris! Waiting for Westjet confirmation.
Hi Chris, the tickets are non-refundable, what happens if Westjet notices the mistake?
FlightHub server crashed. not available for booking
The tickets are non-refundable, what happens if they realize their mistake? Can they charge you more than what you initially paid?
I got YYJ to LGW return, with ticket numbers and alpha confirmation code, but it seems like all the prices are back to normal now.
$382 Victoria - London return in November for 10 days
Yeah it looks like flights are back up over $800 now.
Thank you soooooooooooo much Chris! Booked a trip for partner and I - Oct 4-13 to Ireland at 9:20 AM PST! $467.50 all in! Received Flighthub booking number as well as Westjet confirmation number.
Bought 2 tickets - first is 6 digit alpha only and shows good on Westjet. Second is alphanumeric and Wesjet says letters only - what should I do?
Ok right after I posted my comment, I went to add my trip on Westjet app with the Westjet confirmation number Flighthub gave me but it doesn't work... fingers crossed the system is just slow with processing...
It’s showing 1100$ to london on these dates
Having the same issue, Westjet code is alphanumeric and cannot be found by westjet...
Amy and echo, wait for another email soon from ACCELYA. Looks like Flighthub booked throuhg ACCCELYA and the new alpha only code will come.
Ah, thanks Derek! Appreciate the heads up.
If you speak to a Flighthub live chat agent, they will give you the correct alpha booking code
Must have just missed out on this one. Started looking at 10:15 and was only able to find single tickets. Hopefully something similar will come up again! What a deal for those who got it.
Have also been seeing people mention they contacted FlightHub for their 'all letters' confirmation code.
I had the 170 option open but hesitated because I had an appointment and dates weren't perfect. Checked again 40 min later and all gone. Doh! Next time for me, I hope! :)
It's over :(
I just got an email from FlightHub saying my reservation got cancelled.
I was never issued a WestJet ticket though, just the FlightHub confirmation code.
Booked at 09.53AM PST - Victioria - Gatwick return in October. Bummer! But congrats to all who got tickets issued.
I booked YYJ to LHR in January 2024 for $362, received WJ code but comes up with an error message when I try to add to WJ app.
Claire, is your code all letters? Or a mix of numbers and letters. WestJet's codes are all letters. Some have been contacting FlightHub (live chat agent) for their 'all letters' confirmation code.
Others have been using their 13 digit ticket number on the WestJet site. Google WestJet check in, select 'Ticket number option'. It will give a message about being too early to check in (but an indicator that your ticket number is valid and in WestJet's system).
Update for anyone that cares/experiencing the same: I contacted Flighthub via live chat (phone takes forever) and they were able to provide it within a minute! I see it on my Westjet app now. Thanks Chris again!!! :)
I tried it just now and it is high again, but still low compared to other times at Victoria to France. Paris is at 754 from October 16.
Hey Chris, thanks for finding this! I booked a London trip and it’s in my westjet app. Does that mean I’m good to go? Or could it still be cancelled by westjet?
Also booked tickets this morning from YEG to CDG (around 8:30 a.m.) for $125 / ticket in late November. Received the Westjet reservation code (all letters) and ticket number but haven’t been able to see it in my bookings or on the Westjet app yet. Currently waiting for live chat with flighthub to see if they can provide any help / confirmation.
I got $170 round trip from Victoria to Ireland!! Confirmation email looks approved and legit!! Thank you so much Chris! My friend JUST missed it though - website caught on before she could buy hers. She might just buy a regular priced ticket and we'll split the difference; so we'll both still come out on top!!
Thanks Chris, my WJ code is a mix of letters and numbers. I tried the WJ check in and entered the 13 digit number, it said too early to check in. Tried calling flighthub but on hold forever and the online chat is not human! Credit card payment is still pending, so guess time will tell. Fingers crossed.
Got the all lettered code now which confirms my trip to LHR. Round trip for $362. So happy! Thanks Chris
I booked Victoria to London for $460 round trip. Thank you. I got the westjet code after calling flight hub and can see the flight on Westjet website.
GRATITUDE
I booked a week trip Sept 29-Oct 7 Victoria to Paris for $350.
Got the lettered code, and I am good to go.
Been hoping for a YVR deal for this route, and you didn't let me down!
I manged to book two tickets to ireland with email conversation this morning. Tried to get my all "letters" code but just got contacted that my booking didn't go through and I will be refunded.... I wonder if others will have the same issue
Just had everything refunded (10pm) and the ticket removed from my west jet app..after I had purchased seats and got confirmation. I knew it was too good to be true.
Annnnnnnnnd WJ refunded my ticket. Wahhhhhh!
“Our apologies for the difficulty. We took a closer look, and, due to an error with the third-party company's booking system, the fares were mistakenly advertised. The reservation was cancelled by the original booking source and will be refunded to the original form of payment. If you need help with making a new reservation, please call our contact centre at 1-888-937-8538. We appreciate your understanding.”
Just got an email that Westjet will not be honouring the bookings that was mistakenly advertised by Flighthub
Just got an email that Westjet will not be honouring the bookings that was mistakenly advertised by Flighthub
I just received the same "Third party error" message. My question is who is this 3rd party and how can we file a complaint?
My flight was cancelled as well.
My flight was cancelled as well.
My flight was cancelled as well.
Dear Customer,
We regret to inform you that WestJet has requested us to cancel your reservation as result of a third-party error that occurred during the booking process. A full refund will be processed back to the original form of payment within the next few business days.
Please find below an official statement provided by WestJet regarding the cancellation of your reservation.
Hello,
We regret to inform you that we are unable to honor your recent booking.
As a result of a third-party error, WestJet fares were mistakenly advertised and cannot be honoured. As such, we are canceling your booking.
We apologize for this inconvenience.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.
WestJet
can this be disputed since we got confirmation?????
We booked 5 tickets @ $216.05/piece for us and the kids and just got the cancellation email from Westjet as well. It was a Westjet mess up as they had the outbound and inbound YYC CDG aircraft listed as a Dash 8. I spoke to Westjet earlier today and they even waived the seat selection fee so the kids could sit with us. When I checked our seats and saw the aircraft I called my wife and told her this would likely get canceled. It seems to be an internal aircraft type/mileage entry mistake that affected the booking fees. I have a bunch of screenshots and our itinerary email from Westjet. We were hoping for the best but planning for the worst!
The question is Can they legally cancel a confirmed reservation and ticket that was issued because of price error? I mean if that's the case, they could cancel on you anytime with a similar reason, can they not?
I even bought marriot points and used it to redeem for hotel in Ireland. That purchase is non-refundable. WTH?
This is completely illegal.
The store keeper runs out and grabs your bacon and tells you it was not meant to be sold to you...
It's actually your bacon now.
Booked YEG-LGW for Oct 3 to 10, 2023. Confirmed on Flighthub, Used Flighthub’s Chat to get 6-letter Westjet code. It worked on WJ site and I can see the reservation on WJ website. I checked my credit card activities, says pending $232.85. This was in the afternoon.
In the evening, when I visited WJ site and entered my code, trip not found. Also no charges showing up on my credit card activities.
WJ basically did not honor anything, frustrating!
On Jul 13, 2023 evening, I booked YEG-NRT for May 3 to 16, 2024. Confirmed on Flighthub. On Jul 14 afternoon, used Flighthub’s Chat to get 6-letter Westjet code. It worked on WJ site and I can see the reservation on WJ website. I checked my credit card activities, says pending $687.45.
Today evening (Jul 14, 2023), when I visited WJ site and entered my code, trip not found. Also no charges showing up on my credit card activities.
WJ basically did not honor anything, frustrating!
Very disappointed with Westjet lately. Had a $430 credit from last year (2022) due to couple of refunds for cancellation from July 2022. They put this credit in my “Travel Bank”. I knew I had 1 year to use it. I just missed it by few days, I tried to book a WJ flight, and noticed $0 in my “Travel Bank”. I know it was my fault that I did not use it within 365 days, but there was NO warning email, that this $430 credit will disappear in 1 month on 1 week. When I called them, they said there is nothing in the “Travel Bank” for them to work on. Again, I agree, that it was my mistake, I should have called them before 365 days to get an extension. But, please, in these days of high-tech IT, atleast please send a reminder email before the credit amount disappears from their customers’s so-called “Travel Bank”. Very disappointed with Westjet lately! They have to do something about warning customers before the credits become invalid. It’s like silent stealing.
Can we file a complaint against westjet? Can they cancel a confirmed ticket?
Even though I had a correct west jet code mine was cancelled too. Too good to be true! We were warned!
Oh wellll
Also cancelled this morning by WestJet.
I'm surprised they can cancel a confirmed reservation which is in essence a contract.
As consumers we aren't allowed to cancel without penalty.
Also cancelled this morning by WestJet.
I'm surprised they can cancel a confirmed reservation which is in essence a contract.
As consumers we aren't allowed to cancel without penalty.
Who wants to go to start a complaint to Westjet or go to the media on all of ours’ behalf? ????????
I contacted flight hub and west jet about getting compensation or a code towards a future flight and neither would offer anything. They blamed Global access hub or whatever it is called. Pretty weird to buy something and have to taken back afterwards.
Guys, error fares like this are very hit and miss. Chris clearly states “It's always tough to know if tickets will be issued in a situation like this, so proceed with caution. If you do attempt to book these, do not book anything non-refundable for at least 48 hours.”
I called both WestJet and FlightHub and asked them straight up, which company made the error? Who is the "third party" that is outlined in FlightHub's email?
FlightHub is emphatic that the "third party" is WestJet and WestJet made the error.
WestJet is emphatic that the "third party" is FlightHub and FlightHub made the error. One of them is lying.
Basically, neither will own up to making the pricing error and thus neither is offering to make amends in any form.
Disappointing granted, however, Chris clearly states that it 'appears to be mistake fares' and not to book anything non refundable for at least a couple of days as tickets may not be granted. All this complaining is quite frankly a little amusing.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Flighthub/comments/we5lsj/tired_of_flighthub_ripping_you_off_submit_a/
Upset about your reissued flight? Complain to the competition bureau.
If anyone is interested in talking to Chek news about this, this reporter contacted me asking for an on camera interview. I don't have interest in it though. Just send hi. An email.
Tchadas Leo - [email protected]
HEy YVR deals,
Chek news interviewed my wife Taylor and I (re: Japan deal). I understand WestJet and Flighthub made a mistake here, but consumers do have protections and rights. Please do email Tchadas Leo - [email protected]. We believe that prices and confirmed reservations should be honored. I am willing to stand up as our family had 4 tickets cancelled - it cost us an extra ~$4k to re-book. Call it a mistake, but that is a textbook bait-and-switch.
Big thanks to Chris for hosting the blog, we use the deals he posts on nearly all our vacations.
-Kevin
Sorry that I could not update earlier. The fallout happened just as I was leaving for a camping trip, and I did not have Internet during the weekend. Thanks to everyone for the level-headed comments. I know how disappointing this outcome can be and the anger that comes with it. I was a little scared to see what the comments would be today.
As you all know, on Friday evening, WestJet cancelled these tickets, despite the fact that tickets had already been issued.
Personally, I think either WestJet or one of their data providers is to blame here (they are blaming each other). FlightHub is just caught in the middle. I was seeing similar price errors coming from WestJet on EasyJet's website during the same period of time, which FlightHub has no involvement with.
About the only thing that can help in this situation is media coverage. Some of you may recall WestJet changing their mind and deciding to honour the fares they cancelled during the SellOffVacations - WestJet error fares in February of 2020. But then of course the pandemic hit, and most didn't get a chance to use them anyways.
As Simon mentioned, Tchadas Leo of CHEK News is one reporter interested in interviewing people for this story. He can be reached at: [email protected]
If anyone has any other media contacts that might be interested, let us know or shoot them an e-mail.
Booked 2 tickets Victoria to Paris Oct 3-13 for $730CAD only to have FlightHub email to say WestJet reached out and will be cancelling the tickets. The booking had shown up on my WestJet app with an all letter Confirmation but I guess that wasn't enough. By Saturday morning it was gone.
Article is out:
https://www.cheknews.ca/someone-needs-to-be-held-accountable-flighthub-cancels-victoria-travellers-tickets-after-pricing-mistake-1160765/
Update: I have filed a complaint with the competition bureau and my group is contemplating a small claim court case.
I will keep everyone updated as this progresses.
Hey Kevin,
I'd like to file a complaint as well- same thing here, family of 4, tickets confirmed, issued, then cancelled.
Any chance you'd be willing to share with us the info you input into the claim form, to make it easier for us all to file ours? If not, no problem, we can go ahead and look up WestJet and flight hubs addresses etc etc.
Here is what I ended up sending to the Competition Bureau
On July 14, 2023 I booked 4 return air tickets, Medicine Hat to Dublin, Ireland.
I was given a WestJet booking number.
I was issued 4 WestJet E tickets:
***names redacted ***
I paid by Mastercard and my flights were all charged to my card. I was able to login into my passenger account on the WestJet website and view my flights and itinerary.
The next day I woke up to find an email stating that WestJet has cancelled my flights due to " a third party error that occurred during the booking process". "Westjet fares were mistakenly advertised and cannot be honoured. As such we are cancelling your booking".
I booked through FlightHub, who blames WestJet, WestJet blames Flighthub. Friends of mine who work at Westjet have screen shot and sent me what their supervisors told them to tell customers. WestJet claims that surcharges were not being applied correctly due to a FareLogix system error.
"Farelogix is an IT Provider whose singular focus is to build and deliver innovative and cost efficient NDC-aligned, airline-controlled offer and order management distribution technology" as a result, guests were temporarily able to book low fares. WestJet will not honor the fares, so the 3rd party (FlightHub) won't pay more to honor what they sold so the tickets were recalled and refunded.
Either WestJet or one of their data providers is to blame for this, FlightHub was caught in the middle. Similar pricing errors were coming from WestJet on EasyJet's website during the same period of time that I made my booking, which FlightHub has no involvement with.
As a customer, if I walk into Canadian Tire, pick a wrench off the shelf that is advertised for 9.99, it scans at the checkout for 9.99, I pay 9.99, and I walk out of the store - the Canadian Tire manager cannot run out after me, grab it from my hand, throw me 9.99 and say "sorry, I sold it to you for the wrong price, my data provider made a mistake". They can however, realize their error and go fix it, both on the shelf and in their computer system, if the wrench was supposed to be 19.99, or 29.99- but they cannot grab it out of my hand and force me to return it after I have left the store.
This is what happened to me. I paid for the tickets. I was ISSUED the tickets. WestJet- via their FareLogix date provider- made a mistake, they keyed in the price wrong. It is not right to steal back something I have already bought and paid for.
I would like my tickets to be re-issued exactly the way I purchased them. No other business would be able to get away with this. Airlines are no different. This is not some small store where their error would financial decimate them if they did not recall the item and refund payment. Even if it was, they still wouldn't be able to take back what was legally purchased. What prevents WestJet from doing the same in the future? I buy tickets, they are issued to me, they are mine. Then WestJet decides they wished they had charged me a different price for those tickets. What protects me from having those tickets randomly recalled? How could I ever make a ticket purchase and then plan a trip wondering if at any time WestJet could just steal back my tickets?
I have included attachments showing the booking, confirmation, and cancellation.
JD, excellent write up. I have already posted in my complaint with the check news article linked. We have a very similar story. I encourage everyone to file a complaint also.
https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/frm-eng/GH%C3%89T-7TDNA5
Thanks for the Competition Bureau write up and link, complaint filed!
FWIW I also filed a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency. They've previously sided with airlines in mistake fare matters, and they have an 18 month backlog, but all it costs is time...
https://rppa-appr.ca/eng/air-travel-complaints
Sorry folks, the CTA has already made a decision on this kind of thing back in 2014, in Decision No. 202-C-A-2014:
“the Agency finds that Swiss has made convincing arguments relating to whether, at the time of purchase, the complainants knew or ought to have known that the fares were a mistake. The fact that none of the complainants raised the mistake with the carrier leads the Agency to conclude that they intended to benefit from it. As a result of the foregoing, the Agency accepts that this is analogous to the First City Capital case where Chief Justice McLachlin referred to situations where a party “knows or ought to have known of another’s mistake in a fundamental term, remains silent and snaps at the offer, seeking to take advantage of the other’s mistake.” Therefore the Agency finds that no valid contract was entered into between Swiss and each of the complainants as there was no meeting of the minds.”
It is unlikely they would find that anyone who purchased a ticket entered into a valid contract given it was obviously a mistake fare and we all know it, and the blog post even mentions this.
The decision goes on:
“The Agency realizes that mistaken fares are an ongoing issue and finds it appropriate at this time to convey what it expects from carriers. The Agency is of the opinion that a carrier should, as a practice, when all or any portion of a ticketed itinerary is cancelled due to an erroneous fare, at a minimum:
1. Notify the passenger:
a) no later than 72 hours after the carrier becomes aware of the publishing of a fare, that all or any portion of their ticketed itinerary has been cancelled; or,
b) at least 24 hours prior to the passenger’s scheduled departure from the point of origin issued on the ticket, that all or any portion of their ticketed itinerary has been cancelled, if the ticket was purchased less than 72 hours before their scheduled departure from the point of origin; and,
2. Provide a refund of the total cost of the ticket.”
Sounds like WestJet did exactly what the CTA expects of them.
https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/ruling/202-c-a-2014
Thanks for pooping on the party. It's good to know the cta has some precident. Id like to know what the difference was in 2020 when WestJet did honor the prices
$711 to Japan is not a situation where I should have known it was an error.
Flew in 2018 for $900 return.
"the complainants knew or ought to have known that the fares were a mistake"
I purchased on FlightHub for the first time. I've never been to London, Paris, or Dublin. The onus should be on them to prove how the heck would I know these fares were "a mistake". I purchased on the basis it was a "deal" not a "steal".
There's all other kinds of wrong with that precedent case ruling.
"The fact that none of the complainants raised the mistake with the carrier leads the Agency to conclude that they intended to benefit from it."
Yes, I intend to benefit from a good ticket sale. In what world am I going to reach out to the airlines to say "are you really sure this is the price?" Let me just call in, be placed on hold for 20 minutes, maybe get a call back in 3 hours, only to alert them of the pricing. All the while the tickets get snapped up and I miss the deal.
Confirmation numbers were issued, credit card charges went through or at least pending. There should be enough to argue a valid contract was entered.
These would seem like valid points, RJ, except the first line of the post on YVR Deals post literally says “WestJet is showing what appears to be mistake fares from various places”, so it’s likely you know it was a mistake fare when you booked it. It’s also reasonable to expect that you know a normal fare for a flight from a regional airport to a transatlantic destination is not $200 return. Contracts are not valid if one party is taking an unreasonable advantage of an error in the contract and does not disclose this error to the other party.
Keep pursuing it all you want, but you haven’t been wronged here at all. You saw an error, hoped the other party in the contract wouldn’t notice the error, took advantage of the deal specifically because of the error, and now you’re back at square one with your money refunded in a manner the CTA expects carriers to rectify such an error. You got caught out, move on.
There is also an assumption that everyone who booked the deal came in from this blog page had a warning first. There is a very good chance that since it's now in the news, folks came here via Google after the fact to put two and two together.
The fares to Japan, did in fact not contain a warning when originally published.
Ultimately it wouldn't matter if the post had pretended these weren't an error (I wasn't sure what to make of the Japan fares at first, the price was certainly a lot lower than usual, but not in the realm of being a mistake). The outcome of this type of event is rarely ever decided by anything to do with law or precedent or contractual obligation or the wording of how it was presented, especially in Canada. It just comes down to whether the tradeoffs of bad PR vs good PR vs the financial impact are worth it or not for the airline.
Depending on the numbers, one would think WestJet could have parlayed this into some positive media exposure at a cost that would be relatively small compared to a typical media campaign. Especially considering the smaller markets around B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg that were involved and are typically harder to reach when it comes to marketing flights to Europe.
Sounds like WestJet could use your PR skills.
Flight hub recently called my mother in law and squarely placed blame on WestJet.
What is really frustrating to me is if in the case that we cancel a flight for whatever reason, we are on the hook for the cost and are penalized (unless we pay extra for the option of cancellation etc), however, if the airline cancels like they just did, there are no repercussions for them...how is that ok?
I booked the mistake fare to London in 2020 which they honoured, but that we didn't get to take because they cancelled it due to Covid, and it has taken nearly 3 years to try and get compensation for that, yet they cancelled this current mistake fare, no penalty for them, and not to mention, it took them less than 24 hours to refund a mistake fare (insert eye roll here).
Typically, if the error prices were coming from the booking agent themselves (FlightHub in this case) you would not see actual tickets (13 digit ticket numbers) issued by the airline. People might still be able to 'book' the flight (or think they have), but the airline has not actually issued the ticket yet (a booking confirmation means nothing until you see that 13 digit ticket number) and the ticket has very little chance of ever being issued. I wouldn't ever post something where I know that to be the case, as there's no chance of it ever working out.
But in cases like this, where there's a strong chance the ticket actually gets issued by the airline, there is a chance it can work out. In this case, on the same day I was also seeing similar prices on EasyJet's website involving WestJet to destinations throughout Europe, which FlightHub has no affiliation with. I doubt it was a coincidence. The prices would show up, but did not verify. It suggests that the prices were coming from WestJet, or someone they work with for fare distribution.
May have found a loophole in FlightHub's Terms and Conditions:
"12. PRICING ERRORS: We reserve the right to cancel, terminate or not process an Order (including an accepted Order) if the price or any other material information on this website is inaccurate. If we do not process an order for this reason, we will advise you that the Order has been canceled and undertake either not to charge you for the amount of the Order, or to credit you for the Order, depending on the payment method used."
OUR FLIGHTS MOVED BEYOND BEING ACCEPTED, AND WERE CONFIRMED, an important distinction.
I am sending this to FH, if you all want to bombard FH with emails/support chat, here is a template:
Dear Flighthub Customer Service,
I am writing as a passenger in relation to a recent issue I encountered with a flight booking made through your platform. I purchased a flight to INSERT DESTINATION (Flighthub reference: INSERT YOUR REF # HERE) and received confirmation from both Flighthub and WestJet. However, this confirmed booking was subsequently cancelled due to a claimed fare pricing mistake.
Under common law principles of contract that govern transactions in Canada, a contract becomes legally binding when an offer is accepted and consideration is exchanged. Upon making the booking on your platform and receiving confirmation, a contract was formed. The subsequent cancellation of this confirmed booking could arguably be seen as a breach of this contract.
Additionally, while Flighthub's Terms and Conditions state that you reserve the right not to process an order (even if it is accepted) in the event of inaccurate pricing or other material information under section 12 of your terms and conditions, it is my understanding that this order moved beyond being accepted, but also confirmed. This is an important distinction that affects the applicability of this term.
Moreover, pursuant to section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act (2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. A), unfair practices by a supplier are prohibited when soliciting, negotiating or performing a consumer agreement. The abrupt cancellation of my flight due to a fare mistake, particularly after confirming my booking, could be construed as an unfair practice under this Act.
Given these circumstances, I am urging Flighthub to take immediate steps to resolve this matter satisfactorily. This could involve honouring the original fare price, or offering a suitable alternative flight.
I kindly request detailed information on the measures you plan to take to rectify this situation, in accordance with Canadian contract law, your own Terms and Conditions, and the Consumer Protection Act.
I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your timely response.
Matt, this is exactly what we will need if we end up filing a claim in BC.
Thank you, sir!
[email protected]
[email protected]
Has anyone filed a claim in BC yet?
It's becoming clear that what happened this Friday is nearly identical to the SellOffVacations / WestJet incident in 2020.
It all relates to a company named Farelogix that WestJet uses for posting fares to third party sellers.
Here's a comment from the 2020 incident:
"WestJet just called to say they will be cancelling all the flights and blaming it on a company named Farelogix (a company that WestJet uses to post their fares to third party sellers such as Sell Off Vacations) saying that they distributed prices where the taxes weren't calculated correctly. Even after WestJet clearly told us if a price is posted online there is nothing they can do about it and it is illegal to not honor it. We should all work together on social media to make some noise..."
And here we are in 2023..
"Friends of mine who work at Westjet have screen shot and sent me what their supervisors told them to tell customers. WestJet claims that surcharges were not being applied correctly due to a FareLogix system error. Farelogix is an IT Provider whose singular focus is to build and deliver innovative and cost efficient NDC-aligned, airline-controlled offer and order management distribution technology as a result, guests were temporarily able to book low fares"
Link to the blog post of the 2020 incident.
Nearly identical, except last time they didn’t seem to come to a decision within 3 days from my understanding, so were more or less obligated to honour the pricing. This time they rectified it within the 3 days suggested in the CTA ruling I posted earlier, and I assume have made operational changes since the last time for this type of event. All parties seemed very confused last time. They seemed very well in-tune with things this time.
You think they are well in tune this time??! I’m laughing. Just this morning I chat with westjet- they say it’s a FlightHub issue so call them. Call FlightHub, they say it’s westjet that cancelled the flights so call them.
Westjet blames FlightHub.
It was WestJets FareLogix program that made the error.
Westjet made an agreement with FlightHub management to not blame FlightHub (we can see how well that’s going).
Yesterday westjet told me the problem was the taxes were calculated incorrectly and that’s why they cancelled my ticket. I have screen shots of all of this.
Has anyone seen an actual refund yet? I'd obviously prefer to see the tickets go through, but so far still waiting for my refund. Getting close to that "5 business day" window soon.
No reverse of authorization yet.
My competition complaint file # is R737642
My response from the competition bureau:
"Thank you for the information you provided to the Competition Bureau regarding Westjet and FlightHub.
The role of the Competition Bureau ("Bureau"), as an independent law enforcement agency, is to ensure that Canadian businesses and consumers prosper in a competitive and innovative marketplace. In carrying out our mandate, information brought to our attention by consumers, businesses and other market participants is very important as it contributes to the identification and analysis of potentially anti-competitive practices in the marketplace.
The Bureau will treat the information you have provided in accordance with the confidentiality provisions of the Competition Act ("Act"), and the Bureau's Information Bulletin on the Communication of Confidential Information Under the Competition Act.
The Bureau takes all allegations of anti-competitive conduct and deceptive marketing practices seriously. The information you have provided will be recorded and entered into our database and it may be used to develop or support future enforcement activities under the laws we enforce. As a law enforcement agency, the Bureau is required to conduct its work in private. A Bureau representative may contact you if further information is needed.
You may also wish to contact the following organization which may be in a position to address your concerns:
Consumer Protection BC
P.O. Box 9244
Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 9J2
Telephone: 604-320-1667
Toll-free telephone: 1-888-564-9963
Fax: 250-920-7181
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.consumerprotectionbc.ca
&
Canadian Transportation Agency
Air Travel Complaints Directorate
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N9
Toll-free telephone: 1-888-222-2592
Fax: 819-997-6727
TTY: 1-800-669-5575
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.otc-cta.gc.ca
We invite you to visit our Web site, www.competitionbureau.gc.ca, to learn more about the work of the Bureau and to access public information on case developments and general information about our programs and activities.
Thank you again for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention."
To JD - Yes, they are much more in-tune this time. People booked flights on Friday and received communication on the same day that the booking would not be honoured. This is in contrast to the previous time where nothing happened for a number of days with a lot of confusion, and by the time they worked it out they had gone past the 72h window expected by the CTA.
Today WestJet told me that "we apologize for the mistake in pricing and the incorrect application of YQ surcharges". so much for blaming FlightHub, finally admitting they screwed up.
YQ surcharges started out as fuel surcharges but are now an unregulated cash grab, essentially a " we charge whatever we want to make more money" tax. This is NOT a federally mandated tax that by law needed to be applied to the fare.
WestJet didn't apply their misc "gouging you and calling it a tax" tax.
boo hoo for them.
Then WestJet blocked me from chatting with them via their Insta app - twice. I have been professional and courteous. They just want us to go away. Fat chance of that.
There was a point in time where Westjet would have turned this into something positive and enhance their reputation. It is difficult to remember now, but there was actually a day when western Canadians viewed WestJet as the 'good' airline, and AC as the so-called bad guys. I think those days ended once WestJet went private and were sold to the equity fund Onex. Even with national attention on the matter, there isn't really a reputation left to defend.
Chris - please delete my prior post if you can. I made some edits here.
FlightHub's legal team has reached out to me and specifically quoted section 12 EXCEPT they have modified the terms - specifically around "(this includes an accepted/confirmed Order)".
Our Section 12 of FlightHub's Terms and Conditions, states that we retain the right to cancel, terminate, or process an Order (this includes an accepted/confirmed Order) if the price listed on our website is inaccurate. In the given situation, the obvious pricing error by the third-party provider, resulting in unrealistic prices for the invalid fares, falls under FlightHub's Terms and Conditions, and this error invalidated our consent to offer the affected tickets. We would never have agreed to sell the ticket in question at the erroneous advertised price had we known about the technological error at the time of the price display.
The original reads:
We reserve the right to cancel, terminate or not process an Order (including an accepted Order) if the price or any other material information on this website is inaccurate. If we do not process an Order for this reason, we will advise you that the Order has been canceled and undertake either not to charge you for the amount of the Order, or to credit you for the order, depending on the payment method used.
This leads me to believe that accepted orders are not confirmed orders in the eyes of FlightHub. Why would they modify that important bit?
FlightHub legal has also said that I should have known the flights to Japan were errors and because I didn't reach out to them to confirm, it was my intent to take advantage of FlightHub/WestJet. The gall of these folks ;)
I have copied relevant T?
Sneaky sneaky, FlightHub, you still can do better!
Kevin -- you'll see on my July 18 post about section 12. Legally, accepted vs confirmed is different. I think they are realizing this, and have been hassling them about this on my free time. Not to worry though, when we booked we agreed to their terms and conditions on that date (which I have a copy of).
"Additionally, while Flighthub's Terms and Conditions state that you reserve the right not to process an order (even if it is accepted) in the event of inaccurate pricing or other material information under section 12 of your terms and conditions, it is my understanding that this order moved beyond being accepted, but also confirmed. This is an important distinction that affects the applicability of this term."
Looks like they are trying to cover themselves for future issues like this. But if a class action lawsuit evolves, then we would be using the terms and conditions of the contract the date we booked (which just says accepted, no mention of cancelling confirmed orders).
I received a very nicely written personalized email from FlightHub.
In part it says
“While we cannot make promises at this stage, we are actively reaching out to WestJet to assess the possibilities of rebooking your trip in an acceptable way for both parties. Our team is committed to finding a solution that brings you and your family the comfort and peace of mind you deserve.
Thank you for your understanding and patience throughout this process. We will do our best to provide updates as soon as possible.”.
Just to add- this response was a whole lot nicer than WestJet- who told fib after fib and then told me to go pound sand.
JD - that's good to know! In the end honoring the bookings will be better for these companies in the long run. Less hassle and cost. I've already complained to all agencies who take complaints! That can't be cheap for them to answer and try to explain.
"Thank you for contacting WestJet.
Please review the following channel for support:
Third-Party Reservations
If your reservation was made through a third party, such as a travel agent or third-party booking service (Travel agent, Expedia, Airmiles, other airline etc), please contact them directly for rebooking, reservation assistance, purchase information and more. We are unable to assist with third-party bookings through our call centre or email channels.
We appreciate the opportunity to respond."
WestJet still blaming Flighthub
It’s terrible direction from WestJet- since THEY cancelled the booking - not FlightHub. What does WestJet expect FlightHub to do???? It’s a very terrible look on WestJets part- they are creating a dumpster fire of PR for themselves.
So far I have sent my complaint to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Competition Bureau -opened a complaint file
Better Business Bureau- opened a file
CTA- opened a compaint file with APP
Emailed [email protected]
[email protected]. Also sent DM via his instagram
DM WestJet’s instagram. Commented on their latest posts
Contacted Westjet on Facebook
Commented on Air Passenger rights Facebook pages
If I’ve missed anything let me know
Has anyone actually gotten their refunds? I have only received $4 back, which does not match any of the actual charges on my CC...
@Helene: I was confirmed by WJ and had my e-tickets etc but the charges only showed up on my CC as temporary authorizations by WJ. The small fees ($87.48) charged by FH were all reversed. You may want to confirm if your charges were listed as 'Temporary' or if they are listed on your statement as being charged
@JD - would be great to hear if you have any success with FH.
No further response yet from Flight Hub legal. I did however receive an email from WestJet’s CEO’ personal secretary.
Very nicely worded- but essentially said- go pound sand.
Same baloney “call the third party blah blah blah”.
No response from either party on my end...
What grinds my gears is that FlightHub is still sending emails titled "You're flying soon!" "Buy some travel insurance now" type of emails. Way to go FlightHub.
Westjet, flighthub, we've not forgotten about this! ????