Calgarians aid Ukrainian refugees using WestJet buddy passes; company says no more

Michael Garnett, a former pro hockey player in the NHL and more recently a goaltender of 10 years in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, says he is devastated to see the destruction caused to Ukraine by Russia.

“My wife and I have been inside Ukraine during the war and we’ve heard the air-raid sirens and that changes you,” said Garnett from his Calgary home.

Garnett and his wife, Rebecca Rider, who is a pilot with WestJet, say their charity, Help from Canada, aids in alleviating poverty and helping resettle refugees from Ukraine.

“Europe is completely saturated with Ukrainian refugees and I feel a moral responsibility ... to take some of that burden off of Europe,” said Garnett.

The couple have asked WestJet colleagues to donate buddy passes to help bring refugees from parts of Europe to Canada. So far, 198 have been flown by the charity on those passes. But the company says it goes against their guidelines.

“We thought we were complying with their policies. That is still our position,” said Garnett.

WestJet spokesperson April Crane says the passes are for personal leisure travel only for friends and families of employees.

“(Buddy passes) are standby travel, it is not guaranteed,” said Crane.

“At any point, you can not make the flight, you can be removed during a segment, you could even be asked to get up and give up a seat if there's a revenue-paying guest before the doors close.”

She says employee travel privileges are not designed to support charitable or not-for-profit efforts.

“When WestJetters transfer their buddy passes to their friends and family, the obligation is on us to make sure that those people understand all of those risks and all of the things that go around buddy pass use,” said Crane.

Garnett says he has had to stop accepting requests from refugees looking to come to Canada, due to WestJet’s policy.

Twenty-nine people are expected in the coming weeks.

Garnett says he and his wife will honour that demand, not booking refugees with buddy passes, but hopes to work with the airline or others.

“I will personally guarantee, we will get these people over here. If it's out of my own money, we are not going to leave anyone hanging,” he said.

“We would love to find a way to fit within (WestJet’s) policies within their charitable arm to continue and bring as many people over, Ukrainian refugees, as we can.”

Garnett says late Monday, WestJet responded to his email seeking clarification.

In it, the company is offering 50 per cent off promo codes for Ukrainian refugees, if flights and travel are booked and completed by Sept. 30.

The codes are only available on WestJet flights from Europe to Canada and they must have proof of receiving their visa to enter Canada through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) program.