A Class Action Lawsuit Against WestJet Was Approved & It's All About Travel Credits

In British Columbia’s Supreme Court this week, a class-action lawsuit against WestJet was officially approved.

The lawsuit is related to the airline’s policy of issuing travel credits that have a one-year expiry date, according to CBC News.

It centres around whether or not the airline’s travel credit vouchers can legally be considered gift cards.

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The plaintiff argues that the travel vouchers are a type of gift card and therefore consumer protection legislation means they should never be able to expire.

The vouchers can be issued by the airline when flights are cancelled, for example, or if luggage is lost.

The plaintiff, Tiana Sharifi, says that tens of thousands of Canadians may have been affected by the airline’s travel credit policy.

Per CBC News, WestJet argues that there’s a difference between “hard credits” and “soft credits” per its refund policy.

The company says the latter cannot be extended as they are usually offered as promotions or to maintain customer satisfaction, therefore cannot be considered as a gift card.

Narcity has reached out to WestJet for comment, this article will be updated when a response has been received.

While the B.C. court’s approval means the lawsuit can go forward, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be successful going forward.