Following a WestJet baggage delay, a BC woman claimed nearly a thousand dollars after shopping online at Walmart and lululemon.
Corrine Allbee claimed that WestJet lost her baggage while travelling from Prince George, BC, to Ottawa on vacation. She sought $945.85 for the total amount she spent on clothes and toiletries but claimed the airline only offered to reimburse her for a portion of the total amount she spent.
WestJet denied her claims, calling them “unreasonable,” but here’s what the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal determined in a publicly posted decision.
On August 28, 2022, Allbee flew from Prince George to Ottawa with two checked bags, but they didn’t arrive in Ottawa when she landed on August 29, 2022.
She reported the bags missing that day and created a delayed bag report. The two sides have different stories about the delay, with WestJet stating 27 hours and Allbee saying 51 hours. She says she got her bags on August 31, while WestJet says they arrived on August 30.
The tribunal said when they arrived was irrelevant to its decision.
On her way to her accommodations, Allbee stopped at Walmart to purchase the missing essentials. She also bought some clothes online from lululemon, though she said she only purchased what was necessary.
Before the dispute, WestJet offered Allbee $302.25, but she declined. The airline told the tribunal that her ask of $945.85 was unreasonable.
The tribunal said Allbee was not entitled to compensation for the lululemon purchases since the clothing didn’t arrive until September 1 and her baggage arrived on August 30 or 31. lululemon’s return policy also offered her 30 days to return the items.
Allbee spent a total of $588.20 at Walmart, which the tribunal said was “excessive.”
The tribunal allowed $215.27 for two hoodies, two tank tops, two tops, two bras, one pair of joggers, one item of footwear, and socks, for a total of $315.27. It also allowed $100 for toiletries. The remainder of her claim was dismissed.