It hasn’t been an easy ride for anyone wanting to ski in the Okanagan. Not only have they been hit by flight cancellations, but the gear they need to hit the slopes isn’t even being made here.
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The Donnelly family flew into Kelowna, BC, on a WestJet flight from Indiana a few days ago for a short vacation at Big White Ski Resort. However, not all of his belongings traveled with him.
“Unfortunately those bags were our ski bags and we were expecting them a day later, maybe you know, but they haven’t arrived yet. Literally, when we got here we were in tennis shoes,” Maria Donnelly he said.
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Not only did their ski gear not make it, the family was left without their winter clothing as well. Since then they are desperate to get their belongings back.
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“The frustrating part is there is no communication with WestJet, the website is not updating,” Donnelly said.
“It’s not showing where our bags are and when we can get them and it’s impossible to get on the phone.”
In a statement to Granthshala News, WestJet says it is doing its best to reunite passengers with their belongings.
“Following the large backlog of cancellations during the holidays, our baggage teams across our network have a lot of bags to sort,” the statement said.
“But they are working around the clock to get them to our guests as quickly as possible.”
The problem is not uncommon and Big White is also trying to accommodate those without their equipment.
“We have dealt with delayed baggage, and never lost baggage of this magnitude before. What you are seeing on the news in North America is affecting us like every resort in North America,” said Michael Ballingall, senior vice president of Big White Ski Resorts.
“We have a shuttle service that goes in and out of that airport 27 times a day, so we’ve got a lot of bags being delivered or we’re picking up a lot of bags. We’re looking for a central commissioner for the whole resort.” working like.
The Donnelly family has finally been able to enjoy the hill, as they say a dozen people offered to lend them ski equipment and winter clothing.
“The resort is beautiful, the slopes are amazing, and we got to ski for two days,” Donnelly said.
Meanwhile, the family says their flight home has also been canceled and they are hoping this will give them time to return their belongings, albeit for the journey home.