CALGARY -- Officials at WestJet are asking passengers who are not scheduled to travel within the next 72 hours to refrain from contacting the airline as attempts are being made to assist passengers with pressing travel concerns.
As of Friday at 10 a.m., the current wait time to speak with a customer service representative was 39 minutes. Earlier this week the wait time neared six hours.
In a statement sent to CTV News Friday morning, WestJet officials asked guests to be patient during the influx of COVID-19-related requests .
"Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), we’re experiencing very high volumes for our phone, email and social media support channels. We are fully staffed and our WestJetters are working hard to take care of our guests as quickly as possible."
In the effort to assist guests with imminent travel plans, we are asking all other guests to refrain from contacting us until 72 hours in advance of their flight to ensure we are able to prioritize our queue."
The airline implores guests not to visit WestJet desks at airports in an attempt to change or cancel future flights as the additional strain on resources could prove detrimental to airport operations and potentially delay guests who are departing on flights.
"We appreciate and thank our guests for their patience and understanding during this time."
Guests who booked flights through a travel agent or another airline are being encouraged to contact the agency they made their reservation with.
For details on WestJet's policy on itinerary changes and cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic visit WestJet – Coronavirus.
