Travel to and from Regina ever more frustrating
Air Canada recently announced that they would be discontinuing flights to Regina and to Western Canada in general, as well as flights from Regina to elsewhere in Western Canada. This means that WestJet is the only option if you want to get to Alberta or British Columbia from Regina. As expected, this puts a damper on anyone’s plans to get to the US, as it is no longer efficient and requires more work. Sunwing also announced that they will stop offering direct flights out of Regina. Unfortunately, it seems as though Saskatchewan is less and less accessible through air travel. Travellers are forced to go to multiple regions prior to travelling to another Canadian city. Sunwing had previously cancelled all service in Saskatchewan dating from Dec. 29, 2022 all the way to Feb. 3, 2023.
The airline’s decision was clearly hastened as president and CEO of Regina Airport Authority James Bogusz stated they had only just recently learned of Sunwing’s decisions to halt all flights. This is a huge issue, as it impacts many travellers’ vacation plans. Many had already scheduled their trips and are now forced to cancel their plans or find other ways for their plans to work out. This is one of those moments where if you do not have travel insurance it is pretty much over for you, and that is thousands of dollars down the drain.
As someone who has lived in Regina for ten years, I find the city to be regressing. It seems as though nothing is happening. The transit system is awful, the snow makes this a difficult city to live in, the job market is futile, and now, travelling is even more difficult. As a result, I do not see myself living in Regina after university. I believe the cons outweigh the pros of this city.
According to CBC News, Sunwing had received 7,000 complaints from customers who are unhappy with the airline’s performance during the difficult holiday travel season. Sunwing has not told the public why it came to this decision. I believe that the pandemic has greatly affected organizations who focus on holiday and vacation trips. From my circle, I don’t know a single person who has been able to travel within the last three years. The reality is that, although some people are moving on with their lives as if the pandemic has ended, it is unfortunately still ongoing. Travelling in this economy poses a threat to your health and your wallet. People are dealing with inflation, a housing crisis, ridiculous prices on groceries, and wages that are remaining stagnant. Not a lot of people have the luxury of traveling. Most people are just trying to survive as best they can. Inflation has made it difficult for us to thrive.
I believe that the only remedy is providing to customers who had scheduled vacation plans with airlines that have cancelled their flights to and from Regina is to give everyone a refund, even those who do not have travel insurance. Although I doubt this would happen, I think it is the most logical solution for this issue. Sunwing did not even warn its customers of their plans. Is that not corporate greed? It just announced this life altering news on a random weekday, expecting customers to go on with their lives as if nothing happened.
