Flair Airlines' promise for improved service leaves customers divided

Former and current travellers with Flair Airlines have voiceda spectrum of opinion about the carrier's recent commentson its future andflights inWaterloo region. Some are hopeful for improved communication, others remain frustrated aftertrips were rerouted or cancelled.

At the end of March, Flair announced it would be continuing with its plan to increase servicein Waterloo region ahead of an expected busy summer.

The airline steadied after dealing withthe backlog from four of its planes beingseized during March Break, Flair CEO Stephen Jones said in a recent media call.

"We have no interest in flying with them," said Barry Ryan, a former Flair customer, in an email to CBC K-W.

According to Ryan, he woke up on his scheduled departure day to an email from Flair that changed hisdeparture from Waterloo to Toronto, and changed the return date.

"Theirservices seem to be dwindling at the airport, not increasing," he added.

Jonathan Jackson, a first-time traveler booking with Flair, said the airline cancelled hisflight to Edmonton ahead of time without notifying him directly or offering compensation options.

"It's pretty clear to me this is an attempt to keep the money they have been paid, for services they don't intend to offer, for as long as they can," he said in an email to CBC K-W.

A 'gong show'

"I don't see how they can expand when they're losing aircraft to start with," said Nick Hardman, a former Flair customer whose return flight was grounded when the aircraft was seized in Toronto during March Break.

Hardman, who traveled to Palm Springs with his wife and son, had used flight credits given by Flair from a previous cancellationlast August.

He learned about the six-hour delay for his return flight through an acquaintance, before Flair sent an email, Hardman added.

His family left Palm Springs and drove for five hours to fly from Las Vegas after Flair denied a full refund and rebooking.

Flair 'set up for long term growth' in region

During their recent media call, Flair's chief commercial officer Garth Lund said the airline hadhoped to bounce back with a 30 per cent increase in its overall services in Waterloo region, but now estimated it would only improve at half the rate.

"Kitchener and Waterloo is definitely set up for long-term growth without a doubt," said Mike Snider, president of travel agencyNorthstar Travel, which hasoffices in Kitchener, Ont.

Flair and its customers arestill invested in the Waterloo region airport for its significantly faster immigrationand security times, Snider added.

But he advises travellers booking with low-cost airlinesto be prepared to put up with frustrating phone calls and emailsfrom underfunded communications departments.

"Something's going to suffer when you have a low-cost airline. In this case, customer service is going to suffer. It's not what they have built into their model," he said.

"We have seen a lot of volume over the past few weeks, so our contact centre wait times have been a bit longer than normal," Lund told CBC K-W on Friday.

Flair did not specify how its 15 per cent service expansion would improve communications.Lund advised customers unable to connect with the airlineto continue following up.

"I would encourage people to email us or request a call back andwe'll be able to help get them the help that they're looking for."

Despite vowing to never flywith Flair again, Hardman said he hopes the airline will in future give travellers better noticeof flight cancellations or delays.

"They didn't send us an email or anything else. So that would be the first thing I would hope that they would provide," he added.

"The second would be refunds, because they haven't provided us witha refund for a flight they didn't execute on," he said.