WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.300 We've heard from a lot of Westjet passengers 00:00:02.301 --> 00:00:04.061 who've had their flights cancelled. 00:00:04.062 --> 00:00:07.021 They've arrived hours, sometimes days later, 00:00:07.022 --> 00:00:08.821 but were denied compensation. 00:00:08.822 --> 00:00:10.381 So we did some digging 00:00:10.382 --> 00:00:14.401 and found what looks like some tricky maneuvering by the airline. 00:00:14.420 --> 00:00:16.420 The beaches were empty a lot of the time. 00:00:16.421 --> 00:00:19.421 Brad Vanderwilk enjoyed his recent vacation in Los Angeles, 00:00:19.422 --> 00:00:21.541 Mexico, until the last night 00:00:21.542 --> 00:00:25.221 when he and his girlfriend got an email from Westjet during dinner 00:00:25.222 --> 00:00:26.941 canceling their flight home. 00:00:26.942 --> 00:00:28.021 We stopped eating cause we're like, 00:00:28.022 --> 00:00:28.741 how are we gonna get home? 00:00:28.742 --> 00:00:29.621 We've got our kids at home. 00:00:29.622 --> 00:00:33.221 We've got both have to work and into a bit of a tizzy. 00:00:33.222 --> 00:00:34.801 We had to try and get through to Westjet. 00:00:35.340 --> 00:00:38.220 He arrived home about 16 hours late. 00:00:38.221 --> 00:00:40.761 So Vanderbilt filed for compensation. 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:42.700 Under Canada's passenger rights rules, 00:00:42.701 --> 00:00:46.761 he could get $1,000. Westjet denied his claim, 00:00:46.780 --> 00:00:50.740 citing unplanned aircraft maintenance required for safety, 00:00:50.741 --> 00:00:53.601 a category where they don't have to pay for a delay. 00:00:53.660 --> 00:00:55.660 But flight records we reviewed 00:00:55.661 --> 00:00:59.101 show Westjet swapped in a different aircraft, 00:00:59.102 --> 00:01:01.581 one that hadn't flown for two days, 00:01:01.582 --> 00:01:05.021 and then cancelled the flight the very same minute. 00:01:05.022 --> 00:01:08.261 The original plane, it was used for a different flight. 00:01:08.262 --> 00:01:09.681 They're lied, they're sneaky. 00:01:09.860 --> 00:01:13.200 They're just trying to do what they can to not pay anybody anything. 00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:16.080 Recently, Go Public reported two similar cases. 00:01:16.100 --> 00:01:18.640 Now more passengers have come forward. 00:01:18.660 --> 00:01:19.860 We checked flight data 00:01:19.861 --> 00:01:24.521 and found 34 cases where passengers were denied compensation 00:01:24.540 --> 00:01:28.280 after Westjet swapped in planes that needed maintenance. 00:01:28.440 --> 00:01:30.380 Then Cancelled the flights, 00:01:30.381 --> 00:01:33.261 sometimes within minutes. In every case, 00:01:33.262 --> 00:01:36.321 Westjet claimed safety related maintenance. 00:01:36.380 --> 00:01:37.900 When you make business decisions, 00:01:37.901 --> 00:01:40.101 the passengers should be made whole for 00:01:40.102 --> 00:01:41.581 the inconvenience caused to them. 00:01:41.582 --> 00:01:43.101 An air passenger advocate says 00:01:43.102 --> 00:01:45.541 the flight records show a disturbing pattern, 00:01:45.542 --> 00:01:48.801 swapping planes to avoid paying compensation. 00:01:48.880 --> 00:01:50.940 That's fraudulent. He estimates 00:01:50.941 --> 00:01:54.421 Westjet is saving tens of thousands of dollars per cancelled flight 00:01:54.422 --> 00:01:56.041 by denying compensation, 00:01:56.060 --> 00:02:00.140 about 200,000 when delays stretch beyond nine hours. 00:02:00.141 --> 00:02:02.241 It is not a one off situation. 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:05.720 The masterminds behind this fraud need to face accountability. 00:02:05.740 --> 00:02:07.300 Go public asked Westjet 00:02:07.301 --> 00:02:10.561 why planes were being swapped just before cancellations. 00:02:10.860 --> 00:02:14.040 The airline declined an interview and wouldn't address our questions, 00:02:14.060 --> 00:02:14.660 but said 00:02:14.661 --> 00:02:18.921 planes are sometimes reassigned to minimize the effect of disruptions. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:23.060 Meantime, Canada's airline regulator has confirmed it's investigating 00:02:23.061 --> 00:02:26.901 and Brad van der Wille, he's taking Westjet to small claims court. 00:02:26.902 --> 00:02:28.821 If you've got a story you want investigated, 00:02:28.822 --> 00:02:32.114 send an email to go public at CBC dot c a.