Nicholas Wolaver is a PR man by day and an Olympics superfan and historian by…well, also by day. He’s managed to marry his interests with a career that’s sent him to a half-dozen Olympic Games—experiences he blogs about at Olympic Rings and Other Things. From his temporary post in Vancouver, he talked to us about his travels, Vancouver and Whistler tips, and social media at the Olympics.
Just a week after Zoom Airlines abruptly shut down, the Canadian government announced Flight Rights Canada, an effort to better inform passengers of their air travel rights. Here are just a few highlights of the passenger rights policy:
Passengers have the right to take the flight they paid for.
If the plane is overbooked or cancelled, the airline must find the passenger a seat on another flight operated by that airline; buy the passenger a seat on another carrier with whom it has a mutual interline traffic agreement; or refund the unused portion of the passenger’s ticket.
Zoom Airlines, a Canada-based low-cost carrier, abruptly shut down and began bankruptcy proceedings yesterday, leaving passengers from Vancouver to London stranded.
According to an article on CBC.ca, Zoom said the rising costs of fuel and a weakened economy over the past year forced it to ground its planes.
On their website, Hugh and John Boyle, the founders of Zoom, direct their travelers to other airlines for re-accommodation and made this statement: “We deeply regret the fact that we have been forced to suspend all Zoom operations. It is a tragic day for our passengers and more than 600 staff.”