The Omicron variant is wreaking havoc with Canadian airlines. A day after Air Canada Vacations said it was trimming flights and packages to a dozen or so sun destinations, Transat A.T. said it’s slashing its winter routes by 30%, and Porter Airlines said they’ll likely have to make cuts of their own.
A Canadian Press story on the Global News site today said Transat blamed “the ongoing impact of the Omicron variant and the federal government’s Dec. 15 recommendation against non-essential travel abroad have triggered a wave of trip cancellations.”
The cuts are due to stay in place until February 25, 2002, but there could be more flight reductions, CP said.
PAX News said Transat spokesperson Pierre Tessier confirmed the update in an email today, explaining that customer cancellations have led to low load factors, which is impacting the airline’s profitability.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and, depending on how it evolves, we will determine if further adjustments will be necessary on the rest of our winter schedule,” Tessier wrote. “We are aware that this exceptional situation may cause inconvenience to some of our customers. We are contacting those affected by these changes and refunding the full amount of the cancelled trip. Where possible, we offer to rebook or cancel their reservation for a refund.”
Canadian Press said Transat did not indicate which flights will be cancelled.
In an email to jimbyerstravel.com, Porter spokesman Brad Cicero said the Toronto-based airline is “currently assessing changes to the winter flight schedule from January 10 into February based on the evolving progression of the virus and its effects on staff availability. Some flights will be removed from the schedule as part of this review.”
“This is always a seasonally low period for flights, but we are ensuring that a presence is maintained in every market that normally has service during this time period,” he said.
“Passengers will be contacted and rescheduled to the new flight times. Where necessary, they will receive flight credits or refunds based on the specific circumstances. We expect minimal disruptions to planned travel.
“We are ensuring that no layoffs occur as a result of these schedule changes,” Cicero added. “New team members are also being hired to support expected strong spring and summer demand, and to prepare for delivery of our new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft this summer.”
Citing staff shortages brought on by the Omicron variant, WestJet last week sliced 15% of its scheduled flights through the end of January.
