Claims open in $12.5M class-action settlement over WestJet baggage fees

Some travellers who checked baggage on certain WestJet flights between 2014 and 2019 may now claim their share of a class-action settlement approved by the British Columbia Supreme Court last month and valued at $12.5 million.

A statement from Evolink Law Group says anyone in the world who paid a fee for their first checked bag on domestic and international flights during certain periods when they shouldn't have been charged has until Feb. 10, 2025, to submit a claim.

The law firm based in Burnaby says the settlement will be distributed to class members in the form of WestJet travel credits, not cash.

It says the distribution will come after the deduction of class lawyer fees representing 1/3 of the settlement's value, additional legal disbursements and a $1,500 honorarium for the plaintiff, which WestJet was to pay in cash.

The B.C. Court of Appeal had dismissed WestJet's previous efforts to overturn the certification of the class-action lawsuit in 2022.

The Calgary-based airline ultimately amended wording in its domestic tariff to remove mention that one checked bag would be free.

The statement from Evolink says any travel credits distributed to class members must be redeemed toward WestJet flights within two years or they will expire.

Anyone who paid for their first checked bag on Canadian domestic flights booked directly with WestJet for travel between Oct. 29, 2014 and July 29, 2017 is eligible to submit a claim, the law firm says in a statement issued Friday.

For international flights, the travel time period is from Jan. 6, 2016 to Feb. 27, 2019.