Travelers Michael and Patricia Baers of Calgary wait in line at WestJet for another hotel voucher after staying at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, July 2. Tiana Martin/The Globe and Mail
Dressed in clothes from the day before, Michael and Patricia Bears stood in a long, winding line among other passengers waiting to check in at Pearson International Airport on Saturday — except they had no plans to fly that day.
The couple, who live in Calgary, were in line to pick up a second hotel voucher after they were bumped from their WestJet flight home while connecting through Toronto from Charlottetown.
“We had a gong show coming and going,” said Ms. Beers, 65. The delay meant Mr. Beers had to cancel an MRI scan of his back in Calgary and he will have to wait another three months for another appointment.
The setbacks were constant during their trip to Primorye: their luggage arrived two days later. On their way home, their flight from Prince Edward Island was delayed. And even though they were “running like hell” to make their connecting flight, when they got to the gate, their seats had already been assigned.
“It’s crazy,” Ms. Beers said. “We should be home right now.”
The Pearson delays caused Air Canada to cut back on summer flights
The Canada Day long weekend saw a continuation of the summer travel chaos at Canada’s major airports, which were hit by a wave of passengers and a shortage of airlines, security and customs officials. Some of the worst delays were in Montreal and Toronto, where check-in lines stretched to terminal entrances.
South of the border, the long Fourth of July weekend saw U.S. airports jammed with their biggest crowds since the pandemic began in 2020.
Due to continued disruptions at the airport, Air Canada last week canceled roughly 10 to 15 percent of its flight schedule for July and August, a key period when airlines make much of their profit.
Air Canada said some of the problems were beyond its control as understaffed airports struggle to deal with huge amounts of luggage sitting in terminals. Canadian airlines and airport operators have also blamed the federal government for a shortage of security personnel that has created bottlenecks at checkpoints.
Passengers wait in line for WestJet at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail
WestJet spokeswoman Madison Krueger said the airline tried to ease the strain on its system by consolidating some flights.
“Despite our consistent and proactive efforts, there remain significant operational challenges in the Canadian aviation ecosystem that are beyond our control, contributing to significant delays and sometimes cancellations,” she said.
Neither the airline nor the Toronto Airport Authority, which operates Pearson Airport, had statistics on the number of canceled flights and delays over the Canada Day weekend.
Air Canada also said summer storms in the northeastern United States and Florida caused some delays.
Canada’s three largest airports in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal lost a combined $1.8 billion during the pandemic and were forced to cut capital spending. In May, the federal government committed $330 million to address the delays and lineups, but problems persist. Airlines regularly ask customers to arrive at airports earlier than usual to avoid missing their flights.
The Pearson delays caused Air Canada to cut back on summer flights
McGill University aviation lecturer John Gradek said Air Canada is prioritizing its premium-priced transatlantic flights as part of its strategy to serve U.S. travelers. The airline transports American customers from Chicago or other American cities to Toronto or Montreal, where they transfer to a transoceanic flight.
Passengers on those flights were also caught up in the chaos at Canadian airports over the weekend.
Colleen Barry, an American living in Italy and traveling to San Diego, said her Air Canada flight was delayed in Venice due to a lack of cleaning crews, causing her and her family to miss their connection in Montreal.
Ms. Barry described having no idea what would happen next when she got off the plane in Montreal because there was no information about alternative plans. They ended up spending the night in Montreal in a hotel they paid for themselves before being diverted to California via Vancouver.
“There was nothing posted, there was no one to meet us and let us know what was going on, so we just had to find our way on our own with a lot of other people doing the same thing,” she said.
Ms Barry said she thought it was smart to book her flight through Canada months ago, after a previous terrible experience connecting through New York during the pandemic.
“We thought we were going to go through Canada, what could go wrong?” she said.
The family tried to make the most of it by walking around downtown Montreal and leaving the airport to sightsee in Vancouver during another nine-hour layover.
“We’re about to see two of the most beautiful cities in Canada, so we’re looking on the bright side,” she said.
A woman helps her sister search for missing luggage among the rows of unclaimed luggage after arriving at Pearson International Airport. Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail
Others at the crowded Montreal airport were more united, like Line Odette, 59, who waited for her husband to return with news of their luggage.
The couple returned from a trip to the Azores more than a week ago after a delayed connecting flight with Air Canada via Toronto. Her suitcases don’t.
Now Madame Odette wonders if she will ever see her luggage again. She said the experience left her powerless and she still doesn’t even know which city her suitcases are in.
“Last Saturday when we landed we waited in line for an hour and a half only to be told we couldn’t find our luggage,” she said. “We managed to have a nice trip but there were big delays everywhere, long queues and it’s a bit disappointing.”
Despite being the second-busiest in Canada, Vancouver International Airport managed to avoid unusual delays this long weekend, according to Alyssa Smith, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Airport Authority. Pearson serves many more connections, while more flights use Vancouver as an origin or end point, she said.
As Ms. Barry waited for her last flight to San Diego, she hoped that the relative calm in Vancouver meant she would soon arrive at her destination.
Her concern now is when she will fly back through Canada on her way home to Italy in three weeks.
“Hopefully we won’t have any delays like that as we have to get back to work at this point,” she said.
With reporting by Eric Atkins and the Associated Press
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