Travel alerts

We wish to inform our clients that a light to moderate snowfall is expected in Montreal and Quebec City this weekend, with potential accumulations of 4 to 5 cm. There is also a risk of freezing rain that could persist until Monday, March 31.Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers' travel plans.

Montreal and Québec City are expected to receive approximately 10-15 cm of heavy snowfall over the next 24 hours. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers' travel plans.

We would like to provide our customers with an important update on flight disruptions following recent winter weather events, our recovery efforts and subsequent resumption of regular operations.

The extreme weather conditions experienced nationwide brought tremendous operational challenges for air carriers across the country, including Sunwing Airlines. This severely limited Sunwing Airlines’ ability to reposition aircraft and crew to other airports to help alleviate the backlog in flights, and the ability to reprotect passengers on alternate carriers given widespread cancellations. Toronto Pearson’s temporary airport and runway closures, crew restraints and extremely limited hotel capacity brought on additional operational complexities. This confluence of unfortunate circumstances contributed to ongoing flight delays, plus the cancellation of several southbound Sunwing Airlines flights to prioritize the return of our customers delayed in destination. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by these disruptions.

WestJet Vacations Québec teams both locally and in destination have worked around the clock to recover operations following these events. We can confirm that all scheduled repatriation flights are complete, and regular flight operations have now resumed. Any further scheduling changes are unrelated to the disruptions experienced over the past two weeks.

Eligible passengers may submit a claim for compensation or a refund through our website at www.sunwing.ca/en/sunwing-airlines/delay-claim for assessment, however we are experiencing a high volume of claim submissions and may not be able to confirm compensation eligibility within 48 hours. We thank you for your patience. Receipts for related expenses can be sent to WestJet Vacations Québec Support at www.vacanceswestjetquebec.com/en/support-at-westjet-vacations-quebec for review.

We understand how frustrating the past couple weeks have been for many of our customers, those whose southbound travel was impacted and those delayed in destination awaiting their return home. We sincerely thank our customers for their patience as our teams worked tirelessly to restore regular operations.

Sunwing Airlines has made the necessary decision to cancel all southbound flights that will be departing from Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 19 and February 20, and all southbound flights departing from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on February 20, to prioritize the safe return of customers currently delayed in destinations due to recent weather disruptions, crew availability constraints and extremely limited hotel capacity. Please note that southbound flights from Montreal-Trudeau that have been delayed from February 20 to depart February 21 are not cancelled and will be protected.

All affected customers will receive a full refund for their vacation packages to their original form of payment within 21 business days, with no further action required. This difficult but essential operational decision allows us to redirect our resources toward bringing delayed customers home as quickly and safely as possible.

We understand this decision impacts our customers' vacation plans and sincerely apologize for the disruption. Our team continues to work diligently to minimize further impact on our operations and support affected passengers.

As a result of the extreme winter weather events recently experienced in regions across Canada, coupled with the temporary closure of Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 17, 2025 due to a runway incident, in which several air carriers were required to divert to other eastern Canada gateways during the closure, WestJet Vacations Québec customers with Sunwing Airlines flights scheduled to depart between February 13 and February 23, 2025, that have experienced flight delays of more than 24 hours, are provided the following options:

Option 1: Travel as planned

Customers with departure dates originally scheduled during this period may choose to travel on the rescheduled Sunwing Airlines flight. Travellers should be reminded to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status prior to departing home and allow extra time for travel to the airport.

Option 2: Change departure date

Customers may make a one-time change to their departure date to commence travel on or before June 20, 2025. The change fee will be waived, however, if the change involves a higher holiday price, the higher amount will be applicable. A cash refund will not be offered if the price is lower, and the customer will receive a travel voucher for the price difference (valid for one year, have no cash value and are non-refundable and non-transferable). Changes to travel dates after June 20, 2025, will incur standard fees and system rates will apply. Customers calling into the Sales Centre are advised that wait times may be longer due to the high volume of calls at this time.

Option 3: Cancel

Customers with Sunwing Airlines flights scheduled to depart between February 13-23, 2025, that have experienced flight delays of more than 24 hours, may cancel with a full refund in the form of a WestJet Vacations Québec travel voucher with a one-year validity. Customers can cancel in Manage My Booking, and a voucher will be processed within 7-10 business days. No further action is required. If a customer has booked with their travel advisor, the travel advisor can cancel on their behalf in their booking system, and WestJet Vacations Québec will process the voucher in 7-10 business days, with no further action required.

Customers with group bookings should connect with their Groups Coordinator or travel advisor who managed the booking for any changes or cancellations to their travel plans.

We encourage customers to sign up for flight alerts and refer to their flight status for more information on revised flight times.

We sincerely thank our customers for their patience and understanding while we work to overcome challenges as a result of the ongoing winter weather events, and restore regular operations as quickly and as safely as possible.

Please be advised that Toronto Pearson International Airport was closed for part of this afternoon due to a runway incident. The airport has since reopened with extremely limited operations and will be running at a significantly reduced capacity for the remainder of the evening.

As a result, Sunwing Airlines flights to and from Toronto will be delayed for the next 24-48 hours. We encourage customers to sign up for flight alerts and refer to their flight status for more information on revised flight times. For those customers calling into our Sales Centre, please note that we are currently experiencing a high volume of calls and longer wait times are to be expected, so we encourage customers to refer to our website for the most up-to-date information. In addition, as several air carriers were required to divert to other eastern gateways during the closure, we anticipate that we may also have flight delays to and from other airports in Ontario and Quebec for the next 24-48 hours. The airport closure earlier today, coupled with recent winter weather events across Canada, may result in some flights being cancelled to and from Ontario and Quebec gateways in the days ahead.

We thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this unforeseen airport closure, and while we work to get them to their intended destination.

As a result of the extreme winter weather events we continue to experience in regions across eastern Canada, WestJet Vacations Québec will be extending options to customers with Sunwing Airlines flights scheduled to depart from Montreal and Quebec City on February 13, 14 ,15, 16 and 17, that have experienced flight delays of more than 24 hours. Customers and travel advisors are to contact the Sales Centre at 1-877-665-6045 to learn more about the options available.

We sincerely thank our customers for their patience and understanding while we work to overcome challenges as a result of the ongoing winter weather events, and restore regular operations as quickly and as safely as possible.

Heavy snowfall is expected to continue in Montreal and Quebec City over the next 24-48 hours, with the majority of snow expected on Sunday, February 16. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and appreciate our customers' patience as we do all that we can to minimize disruptions to their travel plans.

Heavy snowfall is expected in Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, London, Windsor, Moncton and Halifax commencing on February 12, 2025 and is expected to continue into February 14, 2025. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers' travel plans.

Heavy snowfall is expected in Quebec City, Ottawa and Montreal over the next 24 hours. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers' travel plans.

Heavy snowfall is expected in Montreal, Québec City and Saguenay-Bagotville areas over the next 24-48 hours, with a total potential accumulation of 5-10 cm of snow. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers' travel plans.

Heavy snowfall, strong winds and potential freezing rain continues to be expected in Montreal and Québec City over the next 24 hours, with a total potential accumulation of 5-10 cm of snow. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers' travel plans.

Heavy snowfall, strong winds and potential freezing rain is expected in Montreal and Québec City over the next 24-48 hours, with a total potential accumulation of 5-20 cm of snow. Travellers with flight departures during this period are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling, and should allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. We are monitoring the weather forecast closely and will do all that we can to minimize disruptions to customers' travel plans.

We are pleased to share that power has been restored to the Cuban regions of Varadero and Holguín. While most hotels in the affected areas continued to operate on backup generators yesterday, as of this morning most properties have been reconnected to the national power grid. As a result, regular terms and conditions have been reinstated for WestJet Vacations Québec customers with upcoming travel to Varadero and Holguín. We thank our customers for their patience and understanding as Cuban officials worked to ensure power grid access was restored over the past 24 hours.

For WestJet Vacations Québec customers with upcoming travel to the Cuban regions of Varadero and Holguín, we can confirm that we are aware of intermittent power outages. Most hotels are operating on backup generators and remain unaffected. WestJet Vacations Québec will continue regular operations as planned and extend flexible booking options to customers with departures on December 5th and 6th to either Varadero or Holguín. WestJet Vacations Québec customers with flights on Sunwing Airlines can contact the Sales Centre to make changes to their travel plans. For customers traveling on other airlines, please verify policies directly with the respective airline.

We were informed this morning that the closure of Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Costa Rica, due to runway damage stemming from heavy rains in recent days, has been extended until at least Thursday, November 21, 2024 to ensure runway conditions are safe for takeoff and landing.

As a result, and to ensure we can bring our customers home as soon as possible, northbound flights on board Sunwing Airlines originally scheduled for November 15 and November 18 have been changed to now depart from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José, Costa Rica at the following times:

• Friday, November 15, 2024 flight WG725 LIR-YYZ is now scheduled to depart Tuesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. local from SJO.

• Monday, November 18, 2024 flight WG7125 LIR-YYZ is now scheduled to depart Tuesday, November 19 at 10:00 p.m. local from SJO.

• Monday, November 18, 2024 flight WG729 LIR-YUL is now scheduled to depart Wednesday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m. local from SJO.

NexusTours.com, WestJet Vacations Québec's trusted partner in Costa Rica, has been hard at work securing hotel accommodations for our customers and coordinating ground transfers from their hotels to the airport in San José on their revised departure dates. The transfer will take approximately five hours and will be escorted by WestJet Vacations Québec's local representatives. Our customers are asked to please refer to the WestJet Vacations Québec App for their transfer departure time or see the WestJet Vacations Québec representative (supported by NexusTours.com) at the hotel.

We regret the inconvenience this has caused but our customers can rest assured knowing that their safety is our top priority.

We sincerely thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we work to prioritize the safety of our crew and all those impacted, and return our customers home.

Customers with travel plans to Liberia, Costa Rica over the next 24 hours are advised that Liberia and Guanacaste regions are currently experiencing heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides, which has impacted roads and other public infrastructure. As a result, Liberia International Airport is temporarily closed for operations and is anticipated to reopen on November 17, 2024.

We encourage our customers with travel plans during this time to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status for the most up-to-date information.

Customers with scheduled travel to Liberia on November 15, 2024 are provided the following options if travelling on board Sunwing Airlines:

Option 1: Travel as planned

Option 2: Change departure date

Customers may change their departure date to commence travel on or before December 15, 2024. If the change involves a higher holiday price, the higher amount will be applicable. A cash refund will not be offered if the price is lower. Instead, the customer will receive a travel voucher for the price difference (valid for one year and have no cash value and are non-refundable and non-transferable). Changes to travel dates after December 15, 2024, will incur standard fees and system rates will apply.

Option 3: Change destination

Customers may change their destination to another WestJet Vacations Québec destination where Sunwing Airlines is the air carrier, scheduled to depart on or before December 15, 2024. If the change involves a higher holiday price, the higher amount will be applicable. A cash refund will not be offered if the price is lower. Instead, the customer will receive a travel voucher for the price difference (valid for one year and have no cash value and are non-refundable and non-transferable). Changes to travel dates after December 15, 2024, will incur standard fees and system rates will apply.

Option 4: Cancel

Customers may cancel with a full refund in the form of a travel voucher with a 1-year validity.

We thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we closely monitor the weather forecast. We will provide further updates as they become available.

Customers with travel plans to Liberia, Costa Rica over the next 24 hours are advised that Liberia and Guanacaste regions are currently experiencing heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides, which has impacted roads and other public infrastructure. As a result, Liberia International Airport is temporarily closed for operations and is anticipated to reopen on November 16, 2024.

We encourage our customers with travel plans during this time to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status for the most up-to-date information.

Customers with scheduled travel to Liberia on November 15, 2024 are provided the following options if travelling on board Sunwing Airlines:

Option 1: Travel as planned

Option 2: Change departure date

Customers may change their departure date to commence travel on or before December 15, 2024. If the change involves a higher holiday price, the higher amount will be applicable. A cash refund will not be offered if the price is lower. Instead, the customer will receive a travel voucher for the price difference (valid for one year and have no cash value and are non-refundable and non-transferable). Changes to travel dates after December 15, 2024, will incur standard fees and system rates will apply.

Option 3: Change destination

Customers may change their destination to another WestJet Vacations Québec destination where Sunwing Airlines is the air carrier, scheduled to depart on or before December 15, 2024. If the change involves a higher holiday price, the higher amount will be applicable. A cash refund will not be offered if the price is lower. Instead, the customer will receive a travel voucher for the price difference (valid for one year and have no cash value and are non-refundable and non-transferable). Changes to travel dates after December 15, 2024, will incur standard fees and system rates will apply.

Option 4: Cancel

Customers may cancel with a full refund in the form of a travel voucher with a 1-year validity.

We thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we closely monitor the weather forecast. We will provide further updates as they become available.