Westjet strands flyers in Moncton during March break
CBC News
Posted: Mar 2, 2013 8:12 PM AT
Last Updated: Mar 2, 2013 8:14 PM AT
WestJet has cancelled several of its flights in and out of Moncton. (The Canadian Press)
WestJet has cancelled several of its flights in and out of Moncton for the last few days because of winter storm warnings, despite no official warning from Environment Canada.
WestJet is the only airline in Moncton that issued a cancellation warning, stranding travellers just as March break swings into high gear. Some WestJet flights headed to the United States were also delayed or cancelled.
Now many travellers are stuck, while others are taking extreme measures to deal with the cancellations.
Krista-Lee Jardine and her husband were scheduled to leave Fort McMurray, Alta on Thursday. The couple was headed for New Brunswick to visit their new granddaughter, but they only arrived in New Brunswick on Saturday after deciding to rent a car.
“Last night they decided to cancel the one they rebooked for us," she said. "My husband rented a car and we drove... from Toronto to Moncton, non-stop. [We're] very tired, very rundown.”
Jardine said they were told the cancellations were due to poor weather, but when they called their family in New Brunswick, they were told the weather was fine.
University student Matthew Britton hitched a ride with the couple after he too was stranded.
"Everybody was frustrated," he said. "It was just the same thing over and over. You go through security, you wait in the airport for eight hours, then at the very last minute you're told your flight is cancelled. You get your luggage, go to a low-level motel and stay there, and then do the whole thing over again."
A woman working at the Air Canada desk in Moncton's airport told CBC News that she’s booked several WestJet passengers hoping to salvage some of their vacations.
Share Tools
Latest New Brunswick News Headlines
- Fredericton SPCA under cat quarantine
- The Fredericton SPCA is under a cat quarantine for the next two weeks after a fostered kitten died from the contagious virus panleukopenia. more »
- 14-year-old girl missing in Moncton
- Codiac RCMP are asking for the public's help in locating a missing 14-year-old girl from Moncton who may be a runaway. more »
- Drunk driving victim shares story to discourage teens
- A Baie-Sainte-Anne woman who was struck and dragged by a drunk driver while out walking 11 years ago is sharing her story to discourage young people from drinking and driving. more »
- RCMP probe arson at Moncton’s Old Cosmo nightclub
- The Moncton Fire Department and Codiac Regional RCMP are investigating a case of arson at the Old Cosmo nightclub in the city's downtown. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Sopranos star James Gandolfini dies in Italy
- Actor James Gandolfini, best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of a conflicted New Jersey mob boss in the acclaimed HBO cable television series The Sopranos, has died while vacationing in Rome, the network said on Wednesday. more »
- Canada buys rare War of 1812 collection for $573K
- The government of Canada was the winning bidder for a large collection of letters, maps and other papers that once belonged to Sir John Sherbrooke, the lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia who conquered Maine for the British during the War of 1812. The collection sold for $573,000 at auction in London. more »
- Caregiving dads pay steep penalties at work, study says
- Fathers who participate in child rearing and housework are likely to be labeled slackers and "failed men" at work, according to a study spearheaded by researchers at the University of Toronto and Long Island University. Are active dads the norm at your workplace? more »
- Dozens of children seized from Manitoba Mennonite community
- Child welfare authorities have removed all but one child from a small Mennonite community in rural Manitoba. more »
- Liberals demand Jody Carr fired over Trudeau email
- Moncton couple has identity stolen, bank account drained
- Fredericton teen attends prom despite serious allergies
- Grace Foundation dodges Trudeau questions
- 14-year-old girl missing in Moncton
- Drunk driving victim shares story to discourage teens
- New Brunswickers split over shale gas, poll finds
- Dieppe woman arrested after 3 women robbed at knifepoint
- Missing terns on Machias Seal Island baffle researchers

