EDMONTON—WestJet promises to refund travellers if any flights are cancelled due to labour action by its pilots.

In a reply to a tweet Thursday, the airline confirmed that “in the event that your flight is cancelled due to the labour dispute, we will provide a refund.”

“The company remains actively engaged in negotiations and is confident that an agreement can be reached. However, at this time, it’s business as usual,” the tweet read.

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The Air Line Pilots Association said its WestJet members voted 91 per cent in favour of strike action.

About 95 per cent of WestJet’s 1,500 pilots and WestJet Encore’s 500 pilots voted.

After news of the vote broke, some WestJet customers tweeted their travel plan grievances at the Calgary-based airline.

“Me and my brother both have flights booked with WestJet on May 22. We are going to see our parents whom we haven’t seen in five years. Please don’t ruin our family reunion!” wrote one Twitter user by the name Alice Siu.

“Please work it out! If our flight does gets cancelled, I am expecting a full refund!”

The result was announced with eight days remaining in the 21-day cooling-off period, after which the union can launch a strike or the airline can lock out employees.

Pilots will be in a legal position to commence job action on May 19.

“It’s clear WestJet pilots are ready to stand up for the fair contract we deserve — one that puts us in line with our peers across the industry,” said Capt. Rob McFadyen, chairman of the master executive council of WestJet’s Air Line Pilots Association unit.

Catherine Wang, manager of Express Travel and Tours, says since the news broke, she has had only one customer raise concerns over missed flights.

“He is going to visit his family and his dad is not feeling well and he is worried about the strike and if his flight will get interrupted,” Wang said.

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She says because she hasn’t received any formal news from WestJet, she can’t tell people much.

The union said negotiations will continue starting next week in Halifax and it is committed to staying there for as long as it takes to get its first collective agreement done.

WestJet warned on Tuesday that its bookings have slowed as passengers respond to the threat of a potential labour disruption from pilots.

With files from The Canadian Press

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