WESTJET SAYS SORRY

WestJet is saying sorry to travel agents. In a letter to agents, WestJet’s vice-president, sales & business development, Lyell Farquharson says, “WestJet has recently issued a campaign encouraging guests who typically book online to use our newly enhanced booking capabilities on westjet.com. It is important for us to let the guests who choose to book online know that we have the lowest fare available anywhere at http://www.westjet.com .” He continues, “Our travel agency partners are critical to our continued success and we fully recognize the value of the service you provide. The care and knowledge offered by a travel agent aligns directly with our own strong commitment to our guests. We remain solidly committed to working together with all of our valued partners in the travel industry, as you have contributed greatly to our growth and improvement over the past 17 years.” Farquharson apologizes, saying, “We understand that our campaign’s message to encourage guests to book with us has inadvertently affected our relationship with you, our partners in the travel industry. We value tremendously our partnership with you and did not want to encourage guests away from booking with you with this campaign. We sincerely apologize.” And he concludes, “We remain committed to providing travel agents with strong client incentives as we move forward with our campaign. Again, I offer my apologies and look forward to working with you in the future.”