Swoop Airlines Review
You may have seen the low fares on Canada’s new discount airline and you may have wondered what it would be like to fly with the budget carrier called Swoop Airlines. We felt the same way. Our first flights were in 2018 from Edmonton to Hamilton return. The service wasn’t perfect, but it was cheap. Since that first experience, we have booked a flight from Las Vegas to Edmonton, a flight from Cancun to Edmonton and flights from Edmonton to San Diego. This Swoop Airlines review is based on six different Swoop airlines flights. Some of them went perfectly. Some didn’t. Read on if you want to find out what went wrong and what went right. We’ll also give you some helpful tips if you decide to book a flight with Swoop airlines.
There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, Wander Woman Travel Magazine may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Table of Contents
Delays Happen – and it’s a Bummer When They Do
Conversations turned grim in the departures area at Edmonton International airport. We were delayed on our Swoop flight by nearly three hours at that point. To pass the time, fellow passengers were talking about the worst flights they had ever been on. That’s never a good sign. Apparently some guy lucked out on one of his trips. He was on a plane that crashed, but he wasn’t injured. Insurance paid him $80,000 for that one. He considered himself lucky. He used the money to buy a new truck. I was really hoping he wouldn’t be lucky like that again. I’d rather make money without the imminent risk of death thank you very much.
Related: Interested in more articles about how NOT to travel? Check out our post about How Not to Get on an Aircraft.
Wish They’d Sent an Email – Swoop Airlines Review
We found out about the 3-hour flight delay when we checked in for our early morning flight. Truth be told, we got up at 5:30 am to make the drive to the Edmonton airport and be there 90-minutes prior to the flight departure time. When we checked in, the Swoop Agent asked if we had received an email about the flight delay. The plane we were supposed to fly to Abbotsford on had a cracked windshield and the airline was bringing in another plane, but it wouldn’t arrive until at least three hours after the scheduled departure time. The gate agent said the airline knew about this flight delay the previous night, but never sent an email to us or any of the other passengers. I really wish they would have. I like sleep. The failure to send an email notification was my biggest frustration with our first trip with Swoop and it definitely affected our Swoop Airlines Review.
Rating On Time Service Overall- Swoop Airlines Review
Our first flight with Swoop Airlines was delayed by three hours. Swoop knew the plane had a cracked windshield the night before and knew the morning flight would be delayed, but they failed to notify any of the passengers. Our other flights from Las Vegas to Edmonton and Cancun to Edmonton were on time. Our San Diego flights were cancelled- more on that below. We’ve also known others who have flown with Swoop and have been delayed.
Recommendation: Here’s our best advice about the on-time service of Swoop – If you need to attend a meeting or another event on the same day as your flight, you may be better off booking with a major carrier. Air Canada and Westjet have more planes and more scheduled flights. If your flight is delayed and you need to get to an important event, you’ll have a better chance of catching an alternate flight and still making it the same day with a major carrier. If however, you’re flying out on vacation and you don’t have an important meeting or event to attend, you may be just fine booking your flights with Swoop.
What You Should Know When Booking
Swoop is a discount airline and they charge for everything – including things that come complimentary with other airlines. Each passenger can bring one small personal item for free. Checked bags and carry-on bags cost extra and it’s substantially cheaper to purchase baggage online before you get to the airport. Interestingly, carry-on bags cost more than checked bags. They serve drinks and snacks for a charge, but you won’t even get a glass of water for free, so bring a water bottle. Expect to be on hold a long time if you call the Swoop toll free number (about an hour when I tried). If you reserve over the phone, you’ll pay an additional fee.
Recommendation: Make sure you factor in the add-ons (phone booking fees, seat assignments, luggage, snacks and more) when you’re considering flying Swoop.
A Little Snag with my Online Purchase
You can save up to 40 percent by purchasing checked and carry-on baggage allotment in advance online instead of waiting until you get to the airport. Since it was cheaper to purchase checked baggage in advance online, I did that the night before. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize I was purchasing a checked bag for the return flight instead of the outbound flight. When I got to the airport, I was unable to purchase a bag online for the outbound flight and it took the check-in agents some time to be able to sort out the issue. They were on hold for a long time when they tried to call the airline. I guess there’s no discrimination when it comes to hold times.
Recommendation: Purchase checked or carry-on bags in advance, but be careful that you are adding them to the correct flights. It was easy to accidentally add the checked bag to the return flight instead of the outbound one. Carefully check things over before you make the purchase.
How Big Can Your Personal Item Be With Swoop Airlines?
Swoop Airlines allows you to bring one personal item. This could be a purse, a briefcase, a laptop case, a small backpack or a tote bag. You cannot bring a purse and a briefcase. It’s one item per person. The maximum size of the personal item is: 41cm x 15cm x 33cm (16” x 6” x 13”). On our first Swoop Airlines flight, they measured the personal item and if it was larger than the allowed limit, they made you pay for a carry-on or checked bag at the airport. There were several people who had backpacks that exceeded the recommended size and they were upset when they had to pay extra for a carry-on bag at the airport. On the other flights we took, they didn’t seem to be as picky about measuring the personal items. Some passengers got away with carrying on backpacks that were larger than the specifications set out by the airline.
Recommendation: Measure your personal item and make sure it is within the size limits that are recommended. This way you won’t have any worry at the airport that they will make pay extra for a carry-on bag. Make sure you only bring one personal item or you will have to pay extra.
The Worst Seats on the Airplane
If you don’t choose your seats in advance for a fee, the airline will randomly assign you a seat when you print your boarding pass. If you want to change the seat, you will have to pay a fee. I did the online check-in on the outbound flight as early as possible, hoping that might result in a better seat assignment. It didn’t. My husband and I were sitting together, but we were on the very last row of the plane. On the return flight, I checked in later and we ended up seating next to each other in the middle section of the aircraft. It really is random.
Recommendation: If you care where you sit, book your seats in advance and pay the extra fee. If it doesn’t matter, take the risk and let the airline randomly assign your seats. In our experience, when we were booked on the same reservation, we were seated together. That said, they do not guarantee that you will be sitting together with the other people you are traveling with.
Flight Went Smoothly – Swoop Airlines Review
We found the airplane to be comfortable and the service to be professional. Swoop is Westjet Airlines’ discount airline and the planes are similar to others in the Westjet fleet – except for the pink accents. There are plugins at every seat and you can watch in-flight entertainment on your own device. Normally there is a charge for entertainment, but it was free as part of an introductory offer on our first flight. On subsequent flights, there was an additional charge for the use of the entertainment system. There was food and drinks for sale at an extra charge. They don’t even give water for free.
Recommendation: Bring a water bottle and snacks with you. Many North American airports have water bottle filling stations near the fountains. Even the snacks and drinks purchased in the airport are cheaper then those purchased on the plane. Download a video on your mobile device or bring something along to read.
Arrival
It was pouring rain and we had trouble finding our rental car in the airport parking lot when we arrived, but we can’t really let that affect our Swoop Airlines Review – no matter how much we want to.
Note: Yes I do need new luggage and this is not Swoop’s fault. This new bag should fare better when it gets wet.
Hi-jinks Getting Back to the Airport
Google Maps took us down every back road to get to the Abbotsford Airport. On a gravel road at the back of a runway, it said we had arrived. At that point, we needed to refuel the rental car, so I plugged “gas” into Google Maps. We headed to the first one on the list and ended up at the Shell Corporate offices. Then we headed to Esso only to discover it was a card lock for semi-trucks. When we finally found a Chevron station, we couldn’t figure out how to unlock the gas tank to fill the tank. We spent several minutes reading the owner’s manual. There was no time left for dinner, so we purchased some beef jerky and potato chips at the gas station.
Recommendation: Never type in “gas” into google maps. Type in “Petrol Station” instead.
The Drunk Guy on Our Return Flight
Our return flight was only ten minutes delayed – mostly because a drunken man had to be escorted off the aircraft by TSA officers. On the upside, he would have been sitting next to us, so my husband and I had an empty seat on which to spread our gas station snack buffet. We’re not sure if the drunk guy made our Swoop Airlines review better or worse.
Related: I travel a lot and Swoop Airlines wasn’t my first uncomfortable budget flight. Here’s one thing I always take in my carry-on bag to make any flight more comfortable.
Our Cancelled San Diego Flights
This Swoop Airlines review would not be complete without telling you about our cancelled San Diego flights. We had booked return flights for our entire family from Edmonton to San Diego in 2020. Then COVID happened. Swoop cancelled our flights and offered a credit. It was impossible to reach them by phone and almost impossible to reach them by email.
Here’s What We Did: In Swoop’s terms and conditions, it was specified that if they cancelled the flights, we would be eligible for a refund. It was the same stance that other Canadian airlines were taking. We disputed the charge on our credit card and won. Our money was refunded, because we paid for a service that we did not receive.
Recommendation: Be aware before you purchase a flight that it is very difficult to reach Swoop’s customer service if you run into any issues before, during or after travel.
Swoop Airlines Review – Final Report Card
Our first Swoop flights got off to a rough start – thanks to an unreported delay on the outbound flights and a drunk passenger sitting next to us on the return flight. The flight from Las Vegas to Edmonton was exactly as expected. The flight from Cancun to Edmonton went exactly as expected. Our San Diego flights were cancelled and no refund was offered, but this was in line with what was happening with other Canadian carriers. Trying to reach Swoop’s customer service was extremely difficult whenever we ran into issues. It was substantially more difficult than other airlines we have experienced. It must be said that once we were in the air, the flight was fine, the staff was professional and the pilots got us to our destination safely. Everything wasn’t perfect, but we paid a low price. Ultimately, it is a budget carrier and you get what you pay for.
Would We Fly With Swoop Airlines Again?
If the price was right, we would fly with Swoop again. Our first flights from Edmonton to Hamilton were okay. The next time we booked a Swoop flight, we were booking a flight for our daughter to travel from Las Vegas to Edmonton. We had the choice between a flight for about $600 one-way with a regular carrier or $159 one-way with Swoop. We went with Swoop and that flight went off without a hitch. We traveled with Swoop Airlines again from Cancun to Edmonton and that flight was cheaper overall and went fine. If there was a substantial savings, I would travel with Swoop again. If it was not a substantial savings or if I was attending a very important meeting, I would book with a regular carrier rather than a budget one.
Wish You Could Afford to Travel More? Check out our post, 10 Ways to Travel More and Pay Less.
60 Comments
Paula Da Silva
My experience with Swoop was the worst possible.
It began bad and ended even worse.
Try to check in online 24 hours prior and had a message saying go to the booth to get your boarding pass.I Am not a Canadian citizen, but a permanent resident, get to the airport to check in to be denied entry on the plane, no info was provided that we now need an ESTA 72 hours prior to fly, not only this information wasn’t given to us, also we had the most rude check in Stuff.
Decided to travel to Buffalo , within 5 minutes at the border we had our visas to fly.
On the way back my luggage got lost in transaction.
Been on the phone for 1hour and 39 minutes before got connected to a live operator, to let me know i need to be transfer to another department, spend total amount of 2.13 hours on the phone, to be told we still have not locate your suitcase and you will be contacted once we have more info. This has been almost a week later and still no word from them.
If i could rate this company a 0 i would. Will never fly Swoop again and don’t recommended at all to anyone
wanderwoman
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience on Swoop. There are certainly a lot of growing pains with these new discount airlines. My experience wasn’t perfect either, but my daughter just flew with them this past weekend and her flight went well. I think it’s hit and miss.
Char
I recently flew from Toronto Pearson to Abbotsford. The price of the return ticket was very cheap , but the cost of adding luggage was basically the equivalent of purchasing another seat on the plane, so I wasn’t thrilled about that. We were packed on the plane like sardines in a tin can. My return flight was changed to the following day , which wasn’t a problem for me but could be if it had been on a work day.
it was 100% better than my experience with Air Canada though .
All in all, it wasn’t bad , so depending on the price I would fly with them again .
West jet is still my number 1.
Jayshree
I am traveller, and thereby flight is the most important aspect of my life. Have travelled via many airlines (Contnental, Air canada, Delta, United, Air france, Eithad, Emirates, Cathay pacific, Indigo, etc) before and always had a good experience.
However this was to change with my experience with the Swoop airlines. The 6 of us (My girl friends and I) planned for a Vegas trip March 2019 & decided on this Swoop airlines. Why? coz they claimed good service and reasonable price. What a mistake!!!! They charged us 80$ right upfront while purchasing the ticket for the carry-on. Shouldn’t carry-on be free??
Anyways, we let that go. And here came the 2nd blow. On our return at Las Vegas airport, we were asked to check-in our bags. We mentioned, that we came with the same bag on our way from Hamilton to Las Vegas, and our bags still weighed less than 10 kgs. But no the customer service manager won’t agree. He demanded we checked in our bags. This wasn’t the end. He demanded we pay 52 $ USD per bag. We were shocked. Why? Even if we checked-in our bags, the cost would be 25$ per bag or 30 $ at the max with a cumulative increase if the bags were real heavy (which wasn’t the case with our bags, each of our bags were <=10kgs) But No the customer service manager wont agree. He even threatened us saying "Do you want to go home or not?" this was heights.
Basically they surreptitiously charged us.. TWICE.. and also in-courteous behavior.
And by the way, I should mention, the flight didn't even provide water for free on a ~6 hours flight!!!
Ripped us off our hard-earned money. Swoop airlines is a perfect example of "how to get rich by cheating and ripping off common citizens"
If you want to have a good vacation, DO NOT EVER EVEN THINK OF TAKING SWOOP AIRLINES!
wanderwoman
Thanks so much for sharing your Swoop Airlines experience, Jayshree. I’m sure it will help other travelers. It is a real disappointment to get charged twice for luggage and it’s unfortunate that they were rude about it. I agree with you about the water. I’d like to see them serve water free of charge – especially on a long flight like yours. Travelers should definitely bring a water bottle and watch out for luggage charges if they are flying Swoop.
Eileen Tepsa
I just flew Swoop Hamilton to Abbotsford. I read the information and booked and paid for my required bags. I did not pay for seat selection. I was traveling with my two girls and we all were seated together and on the leg home had great leg room. I downloaded the Swoop Ap on my phone and checked in online so when I got to the service desk all they needed was our ID and we got our boarding passes. I think overall we had a great experience. The flight was good, on time and service is excellent. True we were flying out of smaller airports, but personally, I really like that. I think overall it is excellent value for money and I have flown larger carriers and received worse service.
Read all the instructions, download the Swoop ap and things will be great. I will definitely be flying Swoop again!
wanderwoman
Thanks for commenting, Eileen! I’m glad to hear you had a good experience with Swoop. We booked my daughter on Swoop in February and her flights went off without a hitch too. There were a few snags with my flight in December, but we did arrive safely. I’m sure Swoop will keep improving with time. Thanks again, Debbie
Julie
I read the website while booking so was aware of luggage fees and opted to check my bag which was cheaper then s carry on. I flew from hamilton to Edmonton and my flight was smooth and on time. We had very friendly staff on board. I would fly again
wanderwoman
Thanks for the comment, Julie. It’s great to have that feedback. I’m glad you had a good experience with Swoop. I’ll have to give them another try. My experience in December was a little mixed. We arrived safely, but both flights were delayed.
Carol Ann
I am currently researching Swoop as a possible option when I head to Vegas. Some of the negative comments would suggest that people did not read through the entire website and do their research?! I’m well aware I need to pay for all baggage, food, water, seat selection. Etc. It’s all written on their website. And I will factor in those costs when deciding if this is the right option for me. My biggest concern was delayed and cancelled flights (something Flair Air is notorious for!)… And lack of communication with their passengers due to delays. Which seems to be happening with all airlines lately! Still, seems worthwhile to give it a chance and see what happens. So far, no one can come close to their price with seat selection and baggage fees!!
wanderwoman
Thanks for the comment Carol Ann. You probably read in our review that we had a 3-hour flight delay on our outbound flight. Swoop knew there was an issue with the aircraft the night before and didn’t contact any of the passengers to let us know there would be a flight delay. That was my biggest frustration with Swoop. That said, we made it there okay and our return flight was only delayed by a few minutes, which happens with airlines all the time. In February, we booked our daughter on Swoop returning from Vegas. Like you, the price was far better than any other airline – even with the baggage fees. There were no issues with her flights.
Martha
I would like to know how Swoop treats a person with a disability. I need a wheel chair to and from the plane and need to use my cane while on board (bathroom etc) I can not find any information on this question,
wanderwoman
That’s a really fantastic question, Martha. Thanks for reaching out. I don’t know anyone with a disability who has flown with Swoop, but I did find this link to their policies regarding accessibility: https://www.flyswoop.com/accessible-services/#article-link-4. It’s a positive sign that they have policies in place. It says that if you notify Swoop at least 48 hours in advance, you can request assistance in getting to your gate if you are using a wheelchair. They would probably make you stow the cane in an overhead bin, but get it out for you if you needed to use it to get to the bathroom. That’s the usual airline procedure.
Jay
looking at booking a ticket to vegas
worth the read
wanderwoman
Thanks Jay! I’m glad you found the article helpful. I hope your trip goes well!
Patricia
You get what you pay for so read the whole web cite carefully before purchasing a ticket with Swoop airline. Basically you pay for everything except the air you breath. What is deemed a carry on in your opinion and the agent at the counter is often an issue and the customer is usually on the losing end, so if this happens you will pay dearly because it cost much more to purchase anything last minute. Basically, costs add up quickly if you are not careful. Bring back WestJet and not this arm of their airline. After Swoop I decided I would rather pay for comfort and connivence.
wanderwoman
Thanks for the comment. I agree. You definitely have to read the fine print with Swoop and budget accordingly. The personal item allowed in the cabin is small and they will make you pay for a carry-on at the counter if your personal item is too big. At least the toilet facilities are free on Swoop. LOL I just got back from Europe and I’m glad not to have to pay to use a bathroom here in Canada.
Al vass
I had absolutely the worst experience with them today. Wont fly again with them. It was an expensive lesson I learned.
wanderwoman
Thanks for the comment, Al. Sorry to hear you had a terrible experience with Swoop.
Patricia
I notice an inconsistency with their standards and policies which makes me slightly suspicious. Why is an out going bag/ back pack cleared for carry on at one airport and deemed unacceptable as carry on at another airport thus doubling the price of baggage at the return counter? Who makes these individual decisions and who gets the extra payment? What are the training standards for agents and why do they change from one country to another? “Tariffs?” Their pricing reminds me of a leagized Pon-zi scheme and the constant reminders to pay this and that or this will happen is reminiscent of the door to door sales man. Has anyone mentioned the inconsistency on the government website?
wanderwoman
Interesting comment, Patricia. We’ve noticed a few reviews that have talked about this issue – a bag is accepted at the outgoing airport as a free personal item, but is rejected on the return flight. I think the safest practice is to know exactly what the size limitations on the personal item are and make sure you don’t exceed that. A personal item can be 16”x6”x13”. I took a small backpack. If they would have tried to reject it on the return flight, I would have made them pull out the measuring tape. LOL. Not much you can do if they reject it besides pay for the carry-on at the airport. Fortunately, that didn’t happen to me when I flew Swoop.
Pete Martyniuk
We have flown Swoop several times from Florida to Hamilton without any problems. Last week I tried booking Hamilton to Halifax for 4 without success. Every time I tried I got a technical error message and the price went up. I tried calling a couple of times and gave up after holding over an hour. I tried emailing and got an error. I did get a fax through,but have never received a reply. This was a golf trip with booked accommodations and t times, so I decided on a more reliable airline. And,honestly after all the fees they aren’t much cheaper
wanderwoman
Thanks for the comment Pete! I know what you mean. You have to be prepared to stay on hold for a long time when you call Swoop. They really should improve their customer service. Sometimes a Swoop flight can be a good deal and sometimes it isn’t when you take into account the extra fees. I think it all depends on the trip.
Kathy Holdstorm
Single mom travelling with my two kids and all my kids had in their carry on bag was their books and they said it was too heavy and that if I don’t throw the books away they will not let me board the flight…Never take Swoop…Horrible customer service.
wanderwoman
Oh No! That’s terrible, Kathy. I’m so sorry to hear that. Your kids must nave been devastated to lose their books. That is harsh. I wonder if Swoop would have let them carry the books in their arms without the bag? (A pain, but a way to work around their rules…I’m thinking it would make the bag lighter, but it probably doesn’t hep you now.) Thanks for sharing your experience.
Kuldeep ghumman
Poor customer service.. no sense of talking to the passengers. Rude workers. Misbehave with passengers. Intentionally threw my friend’s stuff which was allowed on the flight. Refused to give him boarding Pass because he questioned about the stuff?
wanderwoman
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Swoop. You really have to know what’s included in the baggage allowance for sure.
Alva Elcano
With ridiculous baggage fees, end-up paying one checked in luggage for CAD122.75 (as the staff and/or the supervisor at the check-in counter in the Las Vegas airport cannot do refund for my carry-on bag amounting for CAD47.75, in-exchange of checked in luggage and they also end up charging as in USD with Canadian conversion of CAD75 and they don’t even mentioned that we can do it online as this is more cheaper). Indeed so poor customer service.
wanderwoman
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Swoop. Passengers really have to know what the guidelines are for carry-on and checked baggage or they will definitely pay more at the counter. I agree with you that Swoop should have some way to credit you for what you paid for a carry-on bag if they feel it’s too big and must go as a checked bag. It’s wrong to charge a customer twice for the same bag.
Marine
I wish I read your article before booking my flight with swoop… I had the worst experience ever! I received an email on August 15th in the morning informing me that my Swoop flight initially planned the same day at 7:30 PM was changed to August 22nd, yes 7 DAYS LATER. Their customer service was closed until 10 AM eastern time and I had no information at all other than a notice saying “If the reaccommodation option provided does not work for you, you are able to book with an alternate carrier and submit your receipts to [email protected] for reimbursement provided it is base economy fare.”
Pay attention with the flight you book if this happen to you as THEY WILL REIMBURSE ONLY an “Eco Basic” ticket so if you buy a new economy ticket which is not specified as “Eco Basic” they won’t reimburse your ticket..
They got me with that, I bought the cheapest ticket with Westjet but it was not an Eco Basic (there are apparently 5 different Eco prices that swoop won’t tell you about in their email) so when I finally got a customer service representative, after one hour wait, they simply told me that they won’t reimburse my new ticket..
I called Westjet back completely panicked and the wonderful lady on the phone helped me to change my ticket to an Eco Basic and reimbursed directly the $1000 I just spent in the other economy ticket.
As my new flight was departing from Toronto I had to pay for parking at the Toronto Airport + rent a car from Hamilton to Toronto to get my car back…
I submitted all my expenses but got no answer yet.
My only advice is to avoid this airline, if everything goes good it’s great you had a cheap flight but if it goes wrong you have no assistance AT ALL and no reimbursement for me so far…
wanderwoman
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I’m sorry to hear about the troubles you had with Swoop and I hope you get your money back. It’s shocking that they would re-accommodate you on a flight departing one week later! I don’t know many people who could make that work. Thanks again for visiting our site and for taking the time to comment. I’m sure your advice will help others. -Debbie
Patricia
I do not understand with all the negative reviews, why SWOOP is still flying. This says something about Canadian consumers and how we put up with anything for something cheap, and that includes flying.
Rob
I have flown Swoop on three separate times, twice from Hamilton and once from London to Edmonton. All went well. No problems at all. Yes, read the fine print. Seats are not great but they’re quite adequate. The last time I flew they told me that they don’t offer movies anymore. Hope that this is not true. Hope my good luck continues
wanderwoman
Thanks for the feedback, Rob. It’s good to hear that your Swoop flights have all worked out well. Our daughter flew Swoop from Las Vegas and there were no issues. We had some issues with our own flights, but we got there. You’re right. You do need to read the fine print. Thanks again for the comment.
Mary Andrews
How particular are they on the size of your personal bag item ? We have a backpack that is just over 16 inches and I am worried they will ask us to check it at the airport …..anyone have any experiences with sizes of packs ?
wanderwoman
Hi Mary. We had a pack that was just within the dimensions they allow and we didn’t have any issues. If your pack is outside the allowable dimensions, they may ask you to check it. If it’s just outside the allowable limit, you might be able to sneak it through…I guess it depends how picky they are at the check-in desk. We’ve had a lot of comments from readers who were forced to check their personal item and charged the higher fee at the airport. I think the safest thing is to measure the backpack and make sure it fits the size limitations for the personal item (Max size: 41cmx15cmx33cm or 16”x6”x13”). Anyone else have input to share on this one? -Debbie
Joyce
I recently booked a flight on Swoop from Abbotsford to Las Vegas in Sept. I was uncomfortable booking it with the recent media coverage with respect to cancelling flights. Of all the flights that day out of Abbotsford ours was the only cancelled.
I called Swoop that day only to be on hold for 5 hours. Finally when I got to speak to a representative it was 2:15 in the afternoon. Looking for options to resolve this issue. The replacement flight was not acceptable, as our plans could not be changed.
I cancelled the outgoing flight and was given a refund. I then booked another flight with a different air carrier , but leaving from Vancouver Airport instead.
Luckily we were able to travel to YVR and get on the new flight that was very expensive . I am still waiting for compensation for this flight.
I kept the return flight with Swoop which was arriving back in Abbotsford. Luckily one of the kids came to pick us up. Our car was atYVR.
Even if Swoop compensates for our flight and they should , I will never book another flight with this air carrier.I tell others not to take a chance , I would pay more to insure I don’t have this experience again.
I am surprised that West jet doesn’t help them out to resolve their issues as the sister airline. Can’t see Swoop making it .
Amount
wanderwoman
Thanks so much for sharing your story Joyce. What a nightmare. Can you please let us know if you get compensation from Swoop? If you’re unhappy with the amount of compensation, consider filing a complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency (https://www.canada.ca/en/transportation-agency.html). Maybe they could do something to force Swoop to compensate you fairly. Canada’s new air passenger protection regulations for cancelled flights are scheduled to come into effect in December 2019. The government has already passed the first half of the bill for passengers who are denied boarding. It’s too bad the law was not in effect now or Swoop and other airlines who cancelled flights at the last minute would be forced to compensate you substantially for a cancellation not caused by weather or mechanical issues. That said, it doesn’t hurt to file the complaint with CTA. Thanks again for sharing your story and please let us know what happens regarding the compensation. All the Best, Debbie
Joyce
I have resent the email for a second time and will now try to talk to a customer service rep.Thanks for the CTA tip , I may try the credit card company which just happens to belong to Westjet. Thanks Joyce
wanderwoman
You’re welcome, Joyce. Kind of ironic that you have a Westjet credit card. Even though it’s a sister company, Westjet seems to be operating Swoop as a completely separate entity. You would think Westjet might assist with rescheduling passengers affected by Swoop cancellations. The new air passenger protection regulations are a good thing for consumers. When the newest set of regulations come into effect in December, I’m hoping there will be less cancellations. Airlines will be forced to compensate passengers – a big incentive not to cancel flights. Do let us know how everything turns out. Thanks, Debbie
Davood
Fly Swoop is worst ever customer service I experienced in my life. I did check in online 24 hours before my flight and because of my one year old baby I arrived 58 min before my domestic flight to just drop off my luggage but counter guy didn’t received my luggage because they closed the counter. I missed my flight and missed my half of my vacation because a lazy girl didn’t try to understand my situations.
I called customer service to see if they can give me another flight but they said I have to buy new ticket which cost me twice of the original ticket I bought.
These guys are not human they are monsters and want to suck your money.
wanderwoman
Sorry to hear you had a difficult time with Swoop. The Swoop website says that check-in and baggage drop must be completed no later than 45 minutes prior for a domestic flight: https://www.flyswoop.com/checkin-and-security/. It’s 60 minutes prior for a transborder or international flight. If you were flying domestic and were denied boarding at 58 minutes prior, perhaps you should lodge a complaint with the Canadian Air Transportation Agency: https://www.canada.ca/en/transportation-agency.html. It’s a bit of a pain to apply, but you might get some compensation.
Colling
Was to return from Vegas to Hamilton on Oct 31. At 8 EST received email that my trip was cancelled due to weather and they would rebook on Nov 7. Yes one whole week away. Had to buy a one way trip to Detroit and then rent a car back to Hamilton. Of course Swoop attitude was sorry but its an act of god.
When I returned to Canada I looked up the app and found there were at least 90 seats available on Monday afternoon flight. When I contacted Swoop, they told me those must have become available when folks that were rescheduled took other flights airlines. So over 90 people decided to buy tickets with another airline. They were very sharp and said I should have called their customer service, but when I tried it was closed for the night. Really bad customer service, you really are taking a chance. Will be filing complaint with Transport Canada and FAA (as they fly out of US). Never Never Again
wanderwoman
So sorry to hear about your difficulties with Swoop. Thanks for sharing them so others can be aware.
Lee Robinson
it seems before I take a trip with swoop they you need to clean up your act.
Superwoman , Swoop need to either refund people their air fair or get them on another flight.
Still not sure if I want to try Swoop or not
wanderwoman
Hi Lee, I agree with you! Swoop and other airlines (Air Canada, Westjet, Delta and more) should be issuing refunds for cancelled flights. At this point, most airlines are only offering credits for future travel. People paid for a service and they are not receiving that service. I realize that these recent cancellations are not in the airlines’ control, but the terms and conditions on the tickets state that clients will be refunded if flights are cancelled. That’s not what Swoop and other airlines are doing and it isn’t right. Thanks for the comment, Debbie
Kathie
This is the worse airline ever. We arrived for a domestic flight at 5:35am. Plane was supposed to leave at 6:30am but it was delayed. The Swoop counters are not designated for the different places that they fly, all passengers line up together to check in with agents.
My kids who were flying alone did check in at home but had two suitcases that we paid for.
I found a swoop employee because the line was moving so slowly and I was told that the suitcase check in was closed 5 minutes ago. We were there in their line up.
They said they couldn’t add two more suitcases because of airline regulations. I asked to speak to a supervisor and the woman I was speaking to said this was her.
My son has a life threatening allergy. Although he had some medication on him, he had the rest in his suitcase.
Supervisor that I spoke to seemed like she was power tripping. She didn’t try to accommodate us at all. Just said that we wouldn’t be getting our money back for the two suitcases and that we should find alternative ways to mail them to our kids.
My kids are now in BC with only the clothes on their backs for two weeks.
We had to send my son medication from his suitcase after we broke the lock (so much anxiety at the airport that he took the key with him.)
Pharmacy couldn’t fill the prescription for him in BC as I had just filled it for him in Ontario.
I am filling a complaint.
wanderwoman
Hi Kathie, Sorry to hear you had such a difficult time with Swoop. Thanks for sharing your story.
jeff zimmer
Ive flown with Swoop london to Las Vegas and edmoton return and once hamilton to winnapeg. Heading to Abbotsford Jan 22 2020. All 3 experiences were good. The flights mostly on time and curtious support staff. The seats are a little uncomfortable and extra baggage if needed can get pricy but still far cheaper than other airlines. I recomend using Swoop but be warned you may just get what you paid for!
wanderwoman
Thanks for your comment Jeff! I’m glad to hear all three of your flights went off without a hitch. Thanks for sharing, Debbie
Liz
During covid, swoop won’t answer their phone, respond to their website’s chat line or respond or send me an email when i had a booked flight In March. Absolutely unacceptable… 100% stranded
wanderwoman
Thanks for sharing, Liz. Sorry to hear you were stranded by Swoop. That is a great point. There isn’t much support if/when things go wrong. When everything goes according to schedule, it’s fine. Swoop can get you from point A to point B safely. If there’s a cancellation, delay or any other issue it’s really hard to get any kind of customer support.
Cooks
Just got my first taste of discount flights with Flair Airlines.
Apart from a 90 minute delay, it went smoothly. Thankfully, I had no luggage whatsoever. Taking the return flight today so wish me luck!
wanderwoman
I hope your flight goes well! Our son flew Flair. He had the same issue as you – huge flight delay. Other than that, everything went well. Have a safe trip. -Debbie
Rob
Swoop is a hit or miss. Flight on time or delayed or even cancelled at times. You get what you pay for with the cheap flights.
D. Stringer
I have not boarded my Swoop flight yet but am already not pleased. I booked months in advance. From booking to my actual flight, my departure and arrival dates/times were changed three times. It is a good thing that I was fairly flexible this trip. Almost any other trip I’ve taken this would have caused substantial issues. In addition, when I attempted to check in online within 24 hours of the flight I got a message stating that an “error” occured and that I could not check in. No explanation as to why. My flight takes off at 11:10 AM. I stayed up to midnight trying to check in and find out why I could not. Again, unacceptable. The generic statement of an “error” occuring is simply not good enough.
karol
I fly swoop alot and I have never had an issue. I also always take my purse,large purse,my no charge onflight bag and another smaller bag for my snacks and such . I have never had an issue. I fly to ontario and back to abbottsford 3 sometimes 4 times a year . My one flight was $179 return with the reserved seating . Another one was $79.00 return lol , It makes me laugh everytime I tell smeone that… I dont need bells and whistles for a 4 hour flight . air Canada it was and always is at least 600 one way
Rocio Dagostino Castro
Would you plase share Swoop’s customer service phone number?
Thank you so much for all the information you shared here.
Rocío
wanderwoman
Hi Rocio. I don’t know if Swoop has a contact number anymore. They used to have one, but it took forever to get through on the line. It’s best to reach them by email or on social media. Here’s a link to their Contact us info: https://www.flyswoop.com/contact-us/. That’s one of the downsides to a budget airline I suppose. -Debbie
Patricia
There is no customer service number for Swoop. Apparently, you message them instead . My friend flew Swoop from Moncton to Hamilton and had two issues to deal with and had a heck of a time trying to contact someone for help. Swoop will become incorporated with West Jet this year. It is a good thing, Canada is not Europe, we can’t support the European fly cheap model, it only appeals to a certain person willing to fly with a wing and a prayer attitude.