Jason Huang and his family faced a conflict with a WestJet agent at Edmonton International Airport while trying to return to Toronto after a trip to Banff, Jasper, and Calgary in August. Despite having checked in online and printed their boarding passes, the agent issued new ones for a later flight without clear reasoning. When Huang questioned this change and attempted to record the interaction for a compensation claim, the situation escalated. The agent threatened to involve the police and ultimately prevented the family from flying that day by tearing up their boarding passes.
During the confrontation, Huang’s father tried to record the incident on his phone, leading to further tension. The situation worsened when the agent attempted to grab the phone, resulting in Huang’s father being injured. Legal experts have highlighted that recording such interactions is legal in Canada, and Huang has since filed a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency after being denied compensation by WestJet.
In a similar incident, Midhun Haridas and his wife faced issues with an Air Transat boarding manager at Punta Cana International Airport in March 2024. They were denied boarding after a dispute over check-in procedures and were told to delete recorded videos to be allowed on the flight. When they refused to comply, the plane departed without them, leading to a legal battle where the judge ruled in their favor and awarded them $7,000 for the mistreatment.
Both incidents underscore the importance of passengers knowing their rights to record interactions with airline staff, especially in cases of disputes or mistreatment. Legal experts emphasize that such recordings can serve as crucial evidence in resolving conflicts and seeking compensation. As the holiday season approaches, it is essential for airlines to ensure their employees are trained to handle such situations professionally to avoid passenger grievances.
