WestJet’s Lethbridge flight changes a disservice to travellers
By Lethbridge Herald on September 28, 2024.
Editor:
Re: WestJet’s changing schedule for Lethbridge.
It’s nice to see a positive spin put on WestJet’s schedule changes in a recent Lethbridge Herald article. Not!
Rather than renew their contract with Pacific Coastal Airlines, WestJet has opted to transition to a different aircraft to better serve the people of Lethbridge.
I ask you how can having only one early morning flight out and returning after midnight possibly be helpful to most people.Times that other communities would be envious of? Really, and just who would that be?
When it comes to air travel and departure and arrival times, Lethbridge hasn’t won the lottery! Convenience, it seems, is definitely out the window!
After Oct. 27, if you wish to depart from the Lethbridge airport you need to get up at the crack of stupid!
Then you get to return just after midnight. How fun! Winter is coming, who are they kidding.
It seems there won’t be much need for employees at the airport with their new improved schedule.A couple of hours pre-dawn and an hour after midnight should do it.
I know from previous experience that if a flight is cancelled last minute you might get a bus ride to Lethbridge. The airport certainly isn’t open at 2:30 a.m. Then you can find yourself waiting for up to 45 minutes for a cab!
I have company coming for Christmas – arriving after midnight and departing in the early morning dark! One can only hope it’s not -30 outside! If WestJet doesn’t change its schedule to be more people-friendly, this will be the last Christmas my company plans to spend in Lethbridge. Thanks WestJet!
A couple of years prior to 2022 the grand sum of $25 million (of which the City of Lethbridge contributed 2.6 million) was spent to upgrade YQL and to what end? Departure times at 7 a.m. and arrivals after midnight!
After Nov. 5, WestJet passengers will leave Lethbridge at 7 a.m. and arrive in Calgary at 7:30 a.m.
The return flight will leave Calgary at 11:40 p.m. and arrive in Lethbridge at 12:26 am! How can this possibly equate to better or enviable service?
It would appear that the money could have been better spent! One wonders if such abysmal service will ultimately lead to discontinued air service to our city.
Come on WestJet, you can do a better job of serving the citizens of Lethbridge and the surrounding area!
Elaine Sorgard
Lethbridge
19-18
You are absolutely, 100% correct Elaine. This schedule change by West Jet is a slap in the face. It will do more to shift loyalty then build business for the airline. Most travellers will, I suspect, opt for more convenience through ground transportation, and this may be a golden opportunity for an enterprising business to step in. This is a bitter pill to swallow and the damage WestJet has caused to themselves in Lethbridge will take a long time to heal. Shame on you WestJet.
Westjet just put lipstick on a pig with their flight changes. Hopefully our council which approved spending millions of taxpayers dollars taking over and improving the airport had a serious discussion with Westjet how these times were unacceptable. Don’t get me started on the millions spent upgrading the airport based on an airlines lie that they would be coming to Lethbridge. I’m worried what next money pit our leaders will throw taxpayer dollars onto then proceed to raise our taxes again to cover their mismanagement.
Did ANYONE ever believe that the “tooted” Flair Airlines with a direct flight to Tuson, Arizona ( or what ever US destination they proposed ) would ever happen? Firstly, Lethbridge lost our Canada Customs over 20 years ago, ero Canada Customs would have to send staff of at least a minimum of 6 Custom Officers and at least 1 Immigration Officer from Coutts to process the arriving flight(s)…
AND there is absolutely no area(s) to process the travellers. Even if the Flair aircraft carried 100 passengers, the Lethbridge airport (complete with recent upgrades) could not handle this amont of travellerd!
Who fooled who on this one? Surely the tax payers were fooled by the arbitrary City decision to take over and run the airport, leaving the previous operator, Lethbridge County, wiping their brow having dumped it on the City!
It was never going to happen for a couple of reasons. The argument that there were no airstairs was a canard and just a tip of the hat at the incompetence at City Hall. The reality was the lack of the other terminal services that would make boarding and deplaning 173 passenger aircraft with their luggage in the middle of winter completely impractical. This bird was DOA.
I disagree , I believe they dirtied the pig.
Elaine, please see the new, upcoming schedule of Westjet flight to Lethbridge from Calgary, there will only be ONE flight daily and that is at 1:50PM!
If you want to grab this flight, it will ONLY cost you $366.93!
Better hurry to get your seat, I am sure they are selling out fast!
I agree with most of Elaine’s points.
What does winter have to do with midnight flights? Midnight doesn’t exist all year round?
Thanks for the laugh
The biggest part of the problem is the City has nobody with a freaking clue how to run a business, nevermind anything as complicated as an airport. The City needs to disgorge itself of ownership and transfer the admistration over to a professional, regional, airport authority with an interest in serving all of Southern Alberta. Unfortunately, as we have seen so often with this Council and those that have come before, politicians prioritize ego over policy
Yes,it really is that simple.
Simply put, Lethbridge in and of itself, is NOT a destination point. Logistically we are positioned approximately 2-1/2 hours between to major international airports (Calgary and Great Falls).
Does Lethbridge even need a public transportation air port? Should have the “rescue” from closure, when Transport Canada divested from the operation of the facility, not have been undertaken by the County and after time (when the “money pit” was deemed unmanagable) assumed (at great taxpayer expense – ongoing) by the City of Lethbridge?