Passenger Flies on Wrong Reservation, Airline Claims “No Safety Risk to the Public”

Westjet 737-800 air to airWestjet 737-800 air to air

Vancouver flyer surprised to find he couldn’t board his flight because WestJet says he flew earlier in the day.

A Vancouver flyer aboard WestJet received the surprise of his life when he found out he couldn’t board his scheduled flight because he supposedly flew earlier in the day. Global News reports frequent traveler Jonathan Sutherland was denied boarding on his flight from Calgary, as the airline systems showed him completing the same flight four hours prior.

The situation began when Sutherland attempted to board his flight to Vancouver on Sunday, January 17. After he was denied check-in at a self-service kiosk, the flyer requested the help of a gate agent. At that point, the agent informed Sutherland that he had actually traveled earlier in the day.

“[The agent] advised me that I have already travelled from Calgary to Vancouver on an earlier flight,” Sutherland told Global News. “I advised her that was incorrect. I was standing right there.”

Dissatisfied with the answer, Sutherland called WestJet corporate headquarters to find out what went wrong. A brief investigation revealed that a flyer with a similar name was cleared for an earlier flight from Calgary to Vancouver, but Sutherland was checked in instead. The real Mr. Sutherland was ultimately allowed to rebook his flight and continue home, while WestJet said they would investigate the situation.

“WestJet sincerely apologizes to the guest for his experience this past Sunday,” a spokesperson for the airline told Global News. “All guests are screened through airport security so there was no safety risk to the public.”

Although he was still able to travel, Sutherland is concerned that he was checked in by accident. With multiple identification checks performed by the airline, the flyer expressed concern that this could happen to anyone – not just him.

“It’s concerning because I feel like the passenger may not have been properly vetted,” Sutherland said. “My concern is that if the individual that was sitting on the plane as me did anything or caused any concerns, it would be me who would be held accountable for it, as my name was on that reservation.”

Similar situations have played out on at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in December and Salt Lake City International Airport in October.

[Photo: WestJet]