By now, a lot of us have heard the disappointing news of Lynx Air shutting down. The airline’s last flight will be Y9 107 from Vancouver to Calgary. The flight will depart at 8.30pm and land just before 11pm. As of Februay 26, 12.01am, Lynx Air will cease to fly the Canadian skies.
I never flew the airline, but I know the airline was partially responsible for reducing air fares in Canada. Hence, it is always sad to see an airline go out of competition.
Unfortunately for many, a lot of flights have already been cancelled, prior to the last flight.
Flying on Lynx Air prior to Feb 26?
- Continuously monitor the flight status on Lynx Air website.
- If the flight is on time, no further action necessary.
- If the flight is listed as CANCELLED or NOT OPERATIONAL, please read the next section.
Flying on Lynx Air on or after Feb 26?
- Reach out to your credit card issuer to do a chargeback on your credit card.
Unfortunately, if your flight on Lynx Air was on or after February 26, there is very little you can do. The airline will not refund you any money. Your only option is to do a chargeback on your credit card. If the chargeback fails, you will have to rely on your travel insurance, either through the credit card or a separate service.
Rebooking Flights on WestJet
WestJet graciously released a statement offering help to Lynx customers. Though it is targeted towards Lynx, anyone can take advantage of this offer, as long as it is for a flight that was also flown by Lynx Air.
- 25% discount on air fare between February 22 and October 26, 2024, when using the code WESTJET.
- All international flights, one way to Canada, have a price cap of $250 per person, plus taxes and fees.
- All domestic flights in Canada, have a price cap of $500, plus taxes and fees.
This is a very generous offer by WestJet, including those that are currently stranded outside of Canada. I believe Air Canada will announce their own sale that will match WestJet. Meanwhile, Porter already has a sale of up to 40% for selected email subscribers. My personal offer was 35%.
Conclusion
It is a saddening day to see the current market position of Lynx Air shutting down.
Thank you for reducing air fares and giving customers choices. You will be missed.
