WestJet Joins American, Air Transat, Ryanair, Frontier, Southwest, as These Airlines Faced Unruly Behaviour from Passengers, Now It is Necessary to Take Steps for Stress Free Flight

Published on December 3, 2025

By: Tuhin Sarkar

Airlines including WestJet and Air Transat joins Ryanair, Frontier, Southwest, American, and Qantas in grappling with the challenging rise of unruly behaviour from passengers. This disturbing trend is affecting routes globally, making the quest for a genuinely stress-free flight increasingly difficult for everyone onboard. The cumulative effect of this unruly behaviour on staff and fellow passengers is unsustainable. It is now absolutely necessary for the industry to collaboratively take definitive steps toward ensuring a truly stress-free flight experience.

WestJet and Air Transat incidents underscore the urgent need for action. Travel And Tour World urges our readers to understand the definitive steps required to combat this misconduct and restore peace to the cabin—read the entire story now.

WestJet and Air Transat have been involved in highly publicized incidents of staff misconduct, leading to passengers being denied boarding at Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ). In both cases, videos captured by passengers exposed poor service and mistreatment by airline staff. These incidents have sparked legal action and compensation claims, while also prompting the airlines to review staff behaviour. WestJet and Air Transat now face significant scrutiny as the stories unfold, with both airlines under pressure to improve their services and accountability.

WestJet Passengers Denied Boarding at Edmonton International Airport
In August 2025, Jason Huang and his family faced an unjust experience while trying to board their WestJet flight from Edmonton to Toronto. After checking in online and receiving their boarding passes, they were informed of a flight delay without any explanation. The agent issued new boarding passes for a later flight, but Huang discovered that the aircraft had been downsized, resulting in his family being bumped from their original flight. As the situation unfolded, Huang began recording the agent’s response for future reference. However, this act of recording led to further confrontation. The agent threatened to call the police and physically grabbed Huang’s phone, tearing up their boarding passes. In a shocking turn of events, Huang’s 73-year-old father recorded the interaction, only to have the agent retaliate by snatching the phone, striking him in the eye, and causing swelling. The situation escalated quickly, and it was clear that passengers were treated unfairly. The videos that surfaced highlighted the severity of the incident, leading to both legal action and compensation claims.

Air Transat Passengers Denied Boarding at Punta Cana International Airport
Earlier in 2025, Midhun Haridas and his wife, Parvathy Radhakrishnan Nair, encountered similar misconduct at Punta Cana International Airport while trying to board an Air Transat flight. The couple had been standing in a queue for check-in when an agent grew irritated, accusing them of standing in the wrong spot. Tensions escalated when the agent refused to check them in and, as the couple filmed the interaction, the agent demanded that they delete the video footage. Despite pleading to board the flight, the couple was denied boarding and left stranded at the airport. As the departure time approached, they were forced to book a later flight with another carrier. Their ordeal did not end there. The agent insisted that they sign a form admitting to disruptive behaviour and deleting all video evidence. Haridas and Nair refused to comply with the demands, standing firm on their rights to document their interactions. The couple’s video footage has since gone viral, drawing attention to Air Transat’s poor service and the questionable conduct of its staff.

Legal Implications and Compensation for Passengers
Both WestJet and Air Transat now face potential legal consequences for their staff’s behaviour towards passengers. Canadian law, which permits recording interactions with one-party consent, has become central to these cases. Legal experts have confirmed that these videos are invaluable evidence, and passengers who have experienced mistreatment have every right to file claims. The videos, which were initially captured as a safeguard for compensation claims, have now become powerful tools for exposing the truth. The airlines must now contend with the fallout from these incidents, including potential compensation awards to affected passengers. Industry observers are already questioning the airlines’ staff training and operational procedures, urging for swift changes to avoid further damage to their reputation.

Staff Accountability and Changes at WestJet and Air Transat
In the wake of these incidents, both airlines have been forced to review their staff training and disciplinary measures. WestJet and Air Transat are under pressure to demonstrate accountability for their employees’ actions, which have tarnished their reputation. Many customers have voiced their concerns on social media, and several have shared similar stories of poor treatment by staff. Legal action, combined with public outcry, is likely to prompt the airlines to make significant changes to their operations. In the case of WestJet, the incident at Edmonton International Airport has led to a closer look at their customer service procedures, with some speculating that staff changes may soon follow. Air Transat, likewise, faces growing scrutiny, and both airlines are now committed to preventing such incidents in the future.

The Importance of Customer Service in the Airline Industry
The incidents involving WestJet and Air Transat highlight a crucial issue in the airline industry: customer service. Passengers expect to be treated with respect and courtesy, especially during stressful situations such as delays and cancellations. The videos that surfaced are a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining a professional and courteous approach in all customer interactions. As the airline industry continues to recover from the pandemic, it is clear that improving customer service should be a top priority. Both airlines must learn from these incidents to ensure that future passengers do not face similar mistreatment.

WestJet and Air Transat Must Rebuild Trust
The incidents at Edmonton International Airport and Punta Cana International Airport have severely damaged the reputations of WestJet and Air Transat. With legal action, compensation claims, and public backlash, both airlines must work hard to rebuild passenger trust. Staff misconduct, as evidenced by the videos shared online, cannot be tolerated, and both airlines must take decisive steps to improve their customer service. As passengers demand better treatment and accountability, it remains to be seen how WestJet and Air Transat will respond to the growing pressure.