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WestJet: A further discussion on refunds 28 January 2021Canadian Aviation News 27 January 2021 | WestJet Blog As WestJet and other airlines across Canada continue to struggle through the pandemic, much has been said and written on our response to COVID-19, particularly when it comes to refunds. As the executive in charge of WestJet’s government relations portfolio, I am hoping I can answer some questions and help set the record straight. WestJet sells different fares for different needs Like most airlines, WestJet sells different kinds of fares for the same flight including Econo, Premium and Business, each of which offers unique features and benefits to the travelling public. To keep our prices as low as possible, we provide a variety of fare choices that best meet the needs of the guest, some of whom value things such as extra flexibility, a business pod or priority boarding and some of whom value the lowest price possible. When booking a ticket with us either through our website or a travel agent, guests are given the option to buy a refundable ticket which is available with our PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex fares. These fares give nearly complete flexibility to change or cancel the guest’s travel and still receive a refund to original form of payment. For those guests who are reasonably confident they won’t need to change their travel plans and are looking for a lower fare, many choose a more affordable option such as Basic, Econo, Premium or Business without the “flex”. It’s worth noting that basic fares are not for everyone due to their lack of flexibility, which is why we advise our guests of the fare restrictions along with alternative fare options through multiple prompts at the time of booking. In normal circumstances, this means the ticket may be forfeited on a basic fare or a voucher will be provided on other non-refundable fares if the trip is cancelled by the guest. In these cases, the price of the ticket is more important than flexibility. How has the pandemic impacted your tickets? The speed and breadth of the impact of COVID-19 was impossible to predict and had no reference point in the history of commercial aviation. WestJet has been impacted by COVID-19 as much as any enterprise and when the pandemic hit, our guest bookings dropped by 95 per cent, while cancellations outstripped the numbers of bookings. At no other time have we had to ground two-thirds of our fleet, furlough 9,000 of 14,000 employees, repatriate thousands of citizens and shut down most of our network aside from domestic flying. These were massive changes, implemented swiftly in the name of safety and protecting our business in a short period of time. A lot changed overnight due to the pandemic. What did not change were our guests’ tickets. Guests who had purchased refundable tickets like PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex were immediately entitled to refunds. In jurisdictions like the UK, the European Union and the U.S., WestJet was required to provide refunds to guests when we cancelled their flights. It is worth noting that in each of the jurisdictions where refunds were required by law, those governments had provided some measure of financial support to their home airlines. Canada remains the exception where no sector-specific funding has yet been provided to the aviation industry. In Canada, many of our guests were not eligible for refunds because of the fare class of the ticket they purchased, and some guests would have entirely forfeited their tickets because of the Econo basic fare they had purchased. WestJet made the decision to provide all of our domestic guests vouchers for the full price of the ticket so they could use this voucher for future travel. I am not your lawyer and I cannot provide you with legal advice, however, I would encourage you to review the guidance provided by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on March 25, 2020 stating that airline tariffs do not always provide for cash refunds especially in cases beyond an airline’s control, such as the pandemic. WestJet did not provide vouchers because were required to provide them – WestJet provided vouchers because we believed it was the right thing to do and we hope that our guests will fly with us as soon as circumstances permit. We have always been the airline that has put the interests of our guests first and this was far from a perfect solution. We heard from many guests whose lives have been impacted, many dealing with financial hardship and it’s why, as soon as it was possible, we decided to go one step further. On October 21, 2020, we unilaterally began processing refunds to all guests whose flights had been cancelled by WestJet no matter the fare class they had purchased, including those who had purchased our Econo Basic fare. We remain the only national airline in Canada to have undertaken refunds in this manner and to-date, more than $450 million is eligible for refunding or has already been refunded to our guests. The process is a bit slower than would otherwise be the case, but our workforce remains a fraction of what it once was, and we are working through the backlog as quickly as we can. Vouchers – not perfect but will be there when you need them As we work through our refund process, we do have many guests who are asking to keep their refunds in the form of the travel bank vouchers. And for this, we thank you. Vouchers for future travel can help protect our guests from losing the full value of their flights, and improve the odds that over the longer term, consumer choice and diverse service offerings will remain in Canada’s air transportation sector. As a result of this long-term crisis, we have also extended the vouchers so that they can be used for up to 24 months. We know it is possible that many of our guests may need a little more time before they can use them, and we are committed to honouring these when the time is right for you. It’s been a bumpy road and almost a year after the pandemic took hold in Canada, we continue to proactively and responsibly manage our business through this crisis so that we can hasten our return to service and let our guests utilize these vouchers as soon as safely possible. As noted above, and worth repeating, Canada is now the only country with a major airline industry where the federal government has not provided sector specific support. Every country where there are refunds to original form of payment, there has been support beyond wage subsidies from the federal government. To those of you directly affected, thank you for your patience. We remain as committed as we have ever been to keeping Canadian air fares fair, and to ensuring you will always have competition and choice. We look forward to welcoming you on board when the time is right. Share this:

Southwest Plans 737 MAX Return For Mid-March byJoanna Bailey Southwest Plans 737 MAX Return For Mid-March - Simple Flying January 28, 2021 AD Southwest Airlines has today joined the throng of airlines reporting their earnings for 2020. The carrier posted a loss of $3.1 billion for the whole of 2020, $761 million of which was accrued in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, Southwest has firmed up the date for the return of its beleaguered MAX aircraft, and will begin revenue service on March 11th.

CAA Follows EASA’s Lead By Ungrounding The 737 MAX In The UK byTom Boon January 27, 2021 The Civil Aviation Authority in the United Kingdom has followed EASA’s lead and approved the Boeing 737 MAX…

PATHY FAMILY FOUNDATION/FONDATION DE LA FAMILLE PATHY - Charity Data

I guess he may have the surplus cash to buy the adventure, others of us use our surplus cash to satisfy our more limited desires: car, bikes, trips, boats etc. I guess we could all be faulted for not taking the money used for those unecessary expenses and donating it all to those more unfortunate but.........

Flair Airlines Grows with Addition of 13 New Boeing 737 MAX 8 Aircraft Flair Airlines Grows with Addition of 13 New Boeing 737 MAX 8 Aircraft – Canadian Aviation News (wordpress.com)

Boeing's 737 Max plane is safe to return to service in Europe, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) has said. Boeing 737 Max cleared to fly in Europe after crashes - BBC News Former senior manager says: Boeing 737 Max cleared to fly again 'too early' - BBC News

If you got the cash.... 1st private space crew paying $55M each to fly to station By MARCIA DUNNyesterday 1st private space crew paying $55M each to fly to station (apnews.com)

The real risk is not understanding the facts around the MAX 26 January 2021Canadian Aviation News By Scott Wilson | January 24, 2021 The real risk is not understanding the facts around the MAX – Canadian Aviation News (wordpress.com)

There is of course a very open question, if the 14 day hotel stay becomes reality, who pays for it and of course are the hotels set up to enforce the quarantine or ??????

Some light ? reading material for MAX pilots: FAA Updates on Boeing 737 MAX Draft MMEL B‑737 MAX Rev 3 (faa.gov)

Some interesting articles . The BBC item is Boeing 737 Max cleared to fly again 'too early' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55751150 Ed Pierson testifying before the U.S. Congress https://edpierson.com/ Which contains a link to 737 MAX - STILL NOT FIXED (pdf)https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/ec1...=1611532831723

Amplifire To Launch New MAX 737 Return to Service Course 25 January 2021Canadian Aviation News BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 25, 2021 /CNW/ — Amplifire is proud to announce it has worked with Canadian airline WestJet to develop a B737 MAX Return to Service course. The course will be used as a part of the training to help pilots prepare for the MAX return to Canadian skies. It is being distributed to WestJet pilots between December 2020 and March 2021. (PRNewsfoto/Amplifire) The new course consists of two modules; one on Ground Operations and the other on Flight Operations which focus on the recent changes to the MCAS function. The Amplifire course is layered in between Boeing’s CBT modules and learning literature to act as a knowledge check and provide evidence of learning. Once pilots have mastered the course, they will receive simulator training to put their knowledge into practice and demonstrate proficiency. “Utilization of the Amplifire software tool provides user training using unique brain science-based learning and is a powerful tool for Evidence Based Training (EBT) that will use actual WestJet Pilot data to help Flight Operations shape dedicated areas of focus,” said Jimmy Dean Porter, WestJet’s Chief Pilot and co-developer of the course. Built on the latest cognitive science principles, the platform’s algorithms adapt to fill each individual’s unique learning needs. Learner analytics provide valuable managerial insights into learner progress, mastery, struggle, and precision guidance for personalized coaching. “We are honored to work with WestJet in deploying this course,” said Dan Morley, VP of Amplifire. “The platform is another tool that ensures the safety of WestJet’s guests and crews as they return their MAX aircraft to service.” “The work by Transport Canada and other independent regulators around the globe, in combination with our own preparation, processes and due diligence, gives us confidence in safely returning these aircraft to service,” continued Porter.

Sadly there is, it is called "READERSHIP".

Just proves that people who litter are still stupid

Boeing Now Has Commitments For More Than 150 Converted 737s byPranjal Pande January 20, 2021 As cargo demand rises globally, Boeing has successfully secured 150 commitments for its 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter). The news comes after lessor BBAM increased its orders by up to 12 more planes. Here’s why air freight demand is rising and how Boeing leads the race. Link to story. Boeing Now Has Commitments For More Than 150 Converted 737s - Simple Flying

The plane was returned to the gate and the 35 passengers flying to Toronto disembarked and boarded a Boeing 787 that took off within an hour, WestJet said. WestJet 737 Max flight cancelled before takeoff due to cockpit warning light – Canadian Aviation News (wordpress.com)

As suspected, every hiccup, no matter how minor, will be reported by the media. WestJet halts Boeing 737 Max jet before takeoff after warning light in cockpit Plane has already been serviced and is ready to go, says airline CBC News · Posted: Jan 22, 2021 3:34 PM ET | Last Updated: 20 minutes ago A WestJet flight from Calgary to Toronto was cancelled on Friday when a warning light came on in the cockpit. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press) WestJet temporarily grounded a Boeing 737 Max jet that was supposed to fly from Calgary to Toronto on Friday after a warning light came on in the cockpit prior to takeoff. Flight 658 was boarded and preparing to take off when a warning light came on. "After a normal engine start, a standard function of the health monitoring system indicated a potential fault that needed to be verified and reset," WestJet spokeperson Lauren Stewart told CBC News. "This process takes time and requires a subsequent engine run, which we do not perform with guests on board [so] in the interest of our guests' time, we cancelled Flight 658 and its return 665 (Toronto/Calgary), and we rebooked them on the next available flight to ensure a timely arrival in Toronto." The airline says passengers were boarded onto a 787 jet and flew as planned within the hour. The jet in question has already been cleared and is on track for its next flight on Sunday. The Calgary-based airline's fleet of Max jets were grounded for almost two years until earlier this month, when flight authorities cleared the jets for takeoff again. The flight would have been only the third passenger flight at WestJet in the Max jets since the plane was approved for use again. More to come

I wonder how many other carriers will adopt this policy. Lufthansa Set To Ban Cloth Masks Onboard From February - Simple Flying

I don't have a subscription and this link worked: Opinion: The Boeing 737 MAX remains a risky ride - The Globe and Mail

West Wind Aviation, Transwest Air to fly under new name 22 January 2021Canadian Aviation News From Saskatoon StarPhoenix – link to source story The two carriers will rebrand themselves under a single banner as Rise Air. Saskatoon StarPhoenix • Jan 22, 2021 A member of the ground crew personnel readies a West Wind Aviation plane at the Shell Aero Centre for a flight to Saskatoon. PHOTO BY DON HEALY /Regina Leader-Post The two air carriers that serve northern Saskatchewan will take on a new name and logo amid a consolidation of their businesses. West Wind Aviation and Transwest Air already shared a parent company in West Wind Aviation Group. A media release from Transwest Air announced that the two companies will rebrand as Rise Air, pending regulatory approvals, and will no longer have separate operating certificates. Outgoing President and CEO Stephen Smith was quoted in the media release announcing the rebrand saying the new name was picked from employee submissions, with the new logo also drawn up by a worker at the company. The company previously announced that Smith would be replaced as President and CEO by Derek Nice effective Feb. 1. Smith will stay on as chairman of the company’s board of directors. Nice will take over as CEO, having previously served in high-level positions with air carriers based in Quebec, and having most recently served as managing director and CEO of Air Vanuatu. The rebranding of West Wind and Transwest planes and other equipment to the new Rise Air colours and logo is expected to happen gradually. In the release, Smith said the company wants to keep costs down, so expects to swap out the logos “organically” as things need replacing.

Six things to know about NASA's Mars helicopter on its way to Mars by Staff Writers Pasadena CA (JPL) Jan 22, 2021 illustration only Ingenuity, a technology experiment, is preparing to attempt the first powered, controlled flight on the Red Planet. When NASA's Perseverance rover lands on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021, it will be carrying a small but mighty passenger: Ingenuity, the Mars Helicopter. The helicopter, which weighs about 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) on Earth and has a fuselage about the size of a tissue box, started out six years ago as an implausible prospect. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California knew it was theoretically possible to fly in Mars' thin atmosphere, but no one was sure whether they could build a vehicle powerful enough to fly, communicate, and survive autonomously with the extreme restrictions on its mass. Then the team had to prove in Earthbound tests that it could fly in a Mars-like environment. Now that they've checked off those objectives, the team is preparing to test Ingenuity in the actual environment of Mars. "Our Mars Helicopter team has been doing things that have never been done before - that no one at the outset could be sure could even be done," said MiMi Aung, the Ingenuity project manager at JPL "We faced many challenges along the way that could have stopped us in our tracks. We are thrilled that we are now so close to demonstrating - on Mars - what Ingenuity can really do." Ingenuity survived the intense vibrations of launch on July 30, 2020, and has passed its health checks as it waits to plunge with Perseverance through the Martian atmosphere. But the helicopter won't attempt its first flight for more than a month after landing: Engineers for the rover and helicopter need time to make sure both robots are ready. Here are the key things to know about Ingenuity as the anticipation builds: 1. Ingenuity is an experimental flight test. The Mars Helicopter is what is known as a technology demonstration - a narrowly focused project that seeks to test a new capability for the first time. Previous groundbreaking technology demonstrations include the first Mars rover, Sojourner, and the Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats that flew by Mars. The helicopter doesn't carry science instruments and isn't part of Perseverance's science mission. Ingenuity's objective is an engineering one: to demonstrate rotorcraft flight in Mars' the extremely thin atmosphere, which has just around 1% of the density of our atmosphere on Earth. Ingenuity will attempt up to five test flights within a 30-Martian-day (31-Earth-day) demonstration window. Its pioneering aspirations are similar to those of the Wright brothers' Flyer, which achieved the first powered, controlled flight on Earth. 2. Mars won't make it easy for Ingenuity to attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. Because the Mars atmosphere is so thin, Ingenuity is designed to be light, with rotor blades that are much larger and spin much faster than what would be required for a helicopter of Ingenuity's mass on Earth. The Red Planet also has beyond bone-chilling temperatures, with nights as cold as minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius) at Jezero Crater, the rover and helicopter's landing site. These temperatures will push the original design limits of the off-the-shelf parts used in Ingenuity. Tests on Earth at the predicted temperatures indicate Ingenuity's parts should work as designed, but the team is looking forward to the real test on Mars. "Mars isn't exactly pulling out the welcome mat," said Tim Canham, Ingenuity's operations lead at JPL. "One of the first things Ingenuity has to do when it gets to Mars is just survive its first night." 3. Ingenuity relies on the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission for safe passage to Mars and for operations on the Red Planet's surface. Ingenuity is nestled sideways under the belly of the Perseverance rover with a cover to protect it from debris kicked up during landing. Both the rover and the helicopter are safely ensconced inside a clamshell-like spacecraft entry capsule during the 293-million-mile (471-million-kilometer) journey to Mars. The power system on the Mars 2020 spacecraft periodically charges Ingenuity's batteries on the way there. To reach the Martian surface, Ingenuity rides along with Perseverance as it lands. The rover's entry, descent, and landing system features a supersonic parachute, new "brains" for avoiding hazards autonomously, and components for the sky crane maneuver, which lowers the rover onto Mars from a descent vehicle. Only about 50% of the attempts to land on Mars, by any space agency, have been successful. Once a suitable site to deploy the helicopter is found, the rover's Mars Helicopter Delivery System will shed the landing cover, rotate the helicopter to a legs-down configuration, and gently drop Ingenuity on the surface in the first few months after landing. Throughout the helicopter's commissioning and flight test campaign, the rover will assist with the communications back-and-forth from Earth. The rover team also plans to collect images of Ingenuity. 4. Ingenuity is smart for a small robot. Delays are an inherent part of communicating with spacecraft across interplanetary distances, which means Ingenuity's flight controllers at JPL won't be able to control the helicopter with a joystick. In fact, they won't be able to look at engineering data or images from each flight until well after the flight takes place. So Ingenuity will make some of its own decisions based on parameters set by its engineers on Earth. The helicopter has a kind of programmable thermostat, for instance, that will keep it warm on Mars. During flight, Ingenuity will analyze sensor data and images of the terrain to ensure it stays on the flight path designed by project engineers. 5. The Ingenuity team counts success one step at a time. Given Ingenuity's experimental nature, the team has a long list of milestones the helicopter must reach before it can take off and land in the spring of 2021. The team will celebrate each milestone: + Surviving the cruise to Mars and landing on the Red Planet + Safely deploying to the surface from Perseverance's belly + Autonomously keeping warm through the intensely cold Martian nights + Autonomously charging itself with the solar panel atop its rotors + Successfully communicating to and from the helicopter via a subsystem known as the Mars Helicopter Base Station on the rover If the first experimental flight test on another planet succeeds, the Ingenuity team will attempt more test flights. 6. If Ingenuity succeeds, future Mars exploration could include an ambitious aerial dimension. Ingenuity is intended to demonstrate technologies and first-of-its-kind operations needed for flying in the Martian atmosphere. If successful, these technologies and the experience with flying a helicopter on another planet could enable other advanced robotic flying vehicles that might be part of future robotic and human missions to Mars. Possible uses of a future helicopter on Mars include offering a unique viewpoint not provided by current orbiters high overhead or by rovers and landers on the ground; high-definition images and reconnaissance for robots or humans; and access to terrain that is difficult for rovers to reach. A future helicopter could even help carry light but vital payloads from one site to another.

Government of Canada announces agreement with Government of Ontario to support essential air access to remote communities 21 January 2021Canadian Aviation News OTTAWA, Jan. 21, 2021 /CNW/ – The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on remote communities that depend on small air carriers for essential goods, services, and for access in and out of the community. As the pandemic continues to evolve, the Government of Canada is working with partners, including provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners, and the air industry to address the unique needs of these communities. Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced a new agreement with the Government of Ontario to support essential air access to remote communities. The Government of Canada is contributing up to $11,134,000 for air services to remote communities to cover the period of July 1 to December 31, 2020. The Government of Ontario is investing $14.2 million to operate remote airports in 2020/21, including an additional $4 million this year to ensure continued safe operations during the pandemic. Under this agreement, the Government of Ontario will allocate funding to air operators to ensure the continued supply of food, medical supplies, and other essential goods and services to these communities. Quotes “While we continue to work together to limit the spread of COVID-19, we must also ensure remote communities continue to have the air connectivity they need for essential goods and services, travel and business. This agreement with the Government of Ontario will allow for reliable air services to keep remote communities in Ontario connected to the rest of the country.” The Honourable Omar Alghabra Minister of Transport “Ontario’s small air carriers play an essential role in connecting northern and remote communities with goods and critical services. Today’s announcement builds on our government’s ongoing investment and support through our remote and northern airports program, demonstrating our continued commitment to supporting communities in Northern Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.” The Honourable Caroline Mulroney Minister of Transportation Government of Ontario “Small air carriers provide remote northern First Nations communities with a vital connection to critical supplies and essential services, including health care. This funding will help ensure the unique and immediate needs of these communities are continuously met during COVID-19.” The Honourable Greg Rickford Minister of Indigenous Affairs Government of Ontario Quick facts Additional funding could be provided and will depend on the needs of communities and the pace of recovery of air travel into remote communities. Remote communities are those that rely on air service as the only year-round mode of transportation. There are 34 remote communities in Northern Ontario, 28 of which do not have year-round road access and rely on small commercial air carriers for essential services and goods.. Some communities may have limited access to seasonal ice roads or long and unreliable gravel roads. Associated Links Government of Canada announces new measures to support essential air access to remote communities COVID-19 measures, updates, and guidance issued by Transport Canada Share this: