Printer issue causes Winnipeg couple to miss flight, vacation rebooked
A Winnipeg couple was supposed to be flying off on a vacation to the Caribbean Wednesday morning, but they went nowhere, all because of a printer issue.
Debbie and Tom Glenewinkel should be on the beaches of Antigua enjoying their three-week vacation but instead, they're unpacking.
"We could not print our baggage tags. And this was the issue. The baggage tags were not printing," said Debbie.
She and her husband, along with other passengers with international connections were not allowed to board their WestJet flight. Then, two hours after arriving at the airport, the plane left without them.
The couple said they are angry and upset by what happened.
In a statement to CTV News Winnipeg, a spokesperson for WestJet said, "This morning we experienced a system-wide advanced passenger information system (APIS) issue.
"All inbound guests to the U.S. were affected and this was not an issue exclusive to WestJet but was experienced by all airlines travelling to the U.S. from Canada. Guests travelling on WS520, connecting through Toronto, en route to the U.S. were denied boarding in an effort to ensure they were not stranded in their connecting destination, as at the time they would not have been able to make it to their final destination," the statement said.
Passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs says he believes the current regulations need to be strengthened. He says there is a lack of enforcement of the current rules and they're too complex.
"It takes an unreasonable amount of resources and evidence to determine whether a passenger is or isn't entitled to compensation," said Lukacs.
Debbie and Tom were able to rebook their flight for Sunday and adjusted their accommodation plans in Antigua.
"We're very fortunate that friends are already down there, staying where we're going to be staying. So it isn't an issue for us to get a place," said Debbie.
WestJet told CTV News Winnipeg that all guests who were affected by the issue have now been re-accommodated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Security Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
BREAKING Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
'Wild, wild west.' Families say organs of deceased Alabama inmates have been removed without their consent
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.