Experts say the sun may set on Sunwing as the airline struggles to keep its operations afloat
Sunwing cuts half of winter flights from Saskatoon and all winter flights from Regina
Lindsay May always wanted a destination wedding.
She and her fiancé originally had it planned for February 2022, but postponed to January of this year due to the pandemic.
"I got my pedicure and had my hair and dress ready to go, but four days before we were supposed to depart on Jan. 2 of 2023, I found out through social media that Sunwing cancelled absolutely everything from Regina," she said.
"I went through the seven stages of grief in one day and had a couple of panic attacks, but we rebooked our flight for March 13."
On Tuesday, the Regina couple learned Sunwing had once again cancelled their flight out of Regina.
"Why did you even allow us to rebook and give us hope?" she asked.
Now, she and her guests are trying to rebook for a fourth time, this time through WestJet, as the $16,000 she paid for a wedding at a resort in Mexico is non-refundable.
"What I really want from Sunwing is for them to compensate for the time and effort of everyone having to go through this," she said.
"Sunwing has completely lost my faith in them. I never had a problem with them before but I will never fly with them again. Certainly I don't see anyone in Saskatchewan having faith and trust in them anymore."
May was offered an alternative of flying out of Saskatoon when her March 13 flight was cancelled, but she opted against it. That was a wise decision, as on Wednesday Saskatoon's airport confirmed that Sunwing would be cancelling half of its flights out of Saskatoon for the rest of the winter season.
Lisa Adams-Krahenbil was ready to go to Cuba with her kids after the pandemic delayed earlier plans, but a day before their departure the Sunwing flight out of Regina was cancelled.
"I don't understand why they have to cancel now. Sunwing is the only flight [from Regina] that flies directly to Cuba," she said, noting they are now flying out of Winnipeg.
"It was upsetting and frustrating. It's unfair that Saskatchewan gets cancelled. It was supposed to be the first plane ride and hot weather vacation for our kids."
The family had saved up for the trip, but now a lot of the money will go to travelling to Winnipeg and accommodations there before and after the trip, she said.
"I still have my doubts if I will reach Cuba on Jan. 27. I know travelling is not the best right now, but we have paid for our hot holiday and we will go."
CBC reached out multiple times to Sunwing for an interview on Wednesday. It did not grant one, but confirmed the cancellations.
A recent survey from Angus Reid Institute found that almost as many Canadian respondents blamed the airlines and rail companies (68 per cent) for the holiday travel chaos as blamed the weather (70 per cent).
One in three also pointed the finger at the federal government.
The survey also found a strong desire from respondents for more government regulation to protect consumers from cancellations.
The poll surveyed 1,611 Canadians and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
"Due to all the disruptions in six months, the U.S. is considering re-regulating the business, but I don't hear similar noise coming from Canada," said John Gradek, an aviation expert and a lecturer in the aviation management program at McGill University.
"It's a failure on the part of Sunwing to understand that their schedule was a little too aggressive or optimistic."
Gradek said the Canadian government is being silent.
In a written statement Wednesday, the Office of the Minister of Transport said airlines are private entities that decide their own flight frequency and destinations, and "not at the direction of the government."
"Regarding WestJet's proposed acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines, the Minister determined that the transaction raised public interest considerations related to national transportation," the statement read.
"The Minister takes this issue very seriously and is ensuring to consider and study all the public interest considerations that have been raised before providing a recommendation to the Governor in Council on the proposed purchase."
Sunwing's future uncertain: experts
Gradek said Sunwing is now "thinning out its schedule" and pulling out of Saskatchewan to have a "half-decent chance" at keeping other destination flights running.
He said the airline assumed it would be able to bring in 64 foreign pilots like in previous years, but "the Canadian government did not allow those permits to be issued."
"[Sunwing] promised a lot more than they could. It seems Saskatchewan wasn't profitable for Sunwing," he said.
The airline said a week ago that it got 7,000 complaints tied to the 2022 holiday travel season. Since then, talks of a class action lawsuit against the airline have been brewing. Gradek said Sunwing's reputation has been tarnished and loyal customers are dwindling.
"Its overambitious holiday schedule creating a lot of animosity, and the loss of brand value in the Canadian marketplace due to its actions, will end up having them pay a price," he said.
"There's no way Sunwing can escape some loss of market share and value."
Gradek said the airline has 15 more days to address compensation concerns from its passengers before they can proceed to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).
"But then those passengers will join the other 33,000 Canadians who are already in front of the CTA with complaints of not being compensated by the industry. It's a mess created by the industry."
Calgary-based independent aviation industry analyst Rick Erickson said Sunwing's decision-making has him at a loss for words.
"Sunwing has been profitable in the Saskatchewan market for a number of years and just to abruptly cancel services there out of the blue is out of rationale," he said.
Unlike in the U.S. where airlines got $25 billion in "outright grants," Erickson said "there were no grants" in Canada, but carriers like Sunwing and Air Canada took short term loans.
He said the future of Sunwing is "uncertain," as WestJet wants to buy the airline — hoping to tap into that Eastern Canadian market and Sunwing's owned resorts — but that decision may not be concrete until summer.
Erickson said other carriers like Flair Airlines are also looking to fill in the routes abandoned by Air Canada and Sunwing in Saskatchewan.
"Sunwing has a long uphill road to be the airline it was. It would be a shame to lose Sunwing," Gradek said.
"Unless something happens dramatically changing Sunwing's behaviour and its way of doing business, the sun may set on Sunwing."
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With files from Daniella Ponticelli and Sophia Harris