UPDATE 07SEP:
WestJet posted an update shortly before 3:00 p.m. Wednesday 06SEP about flight and online check-in delays due to a network-wide outage at Sabre. "We're happy to report that the Sabre outage has been resolved. We welcome your patience while we continue to assist those impacted," the post read.
No other airlines using Sabre publicly announced similar impacts.
Sabre confirmed it had experienced a "technical issue" in a statement to CBC News, and added, "This issue has since been resolved."
According to CTV News, in Toronto, at least 21 flights faced delays on Wednesday, but it's unclear how many were linked to the Sabre issue.
In Vancouver, 12 WestJet flights were delayed by Wednesday morning, with other airline flights also impacted, making the actual number uncertain.
All WestJet flights in and out of Montreal were labelled "delayed" or "revised time," except for two evening flights with no posted status.
At YYC, the majority of WestJet flights seemed mostly unaffected.
WestJet said another outage with a Canada Border Services Agency system exacerbated WestJet's Sabre problems - but didn't specify the number of flights affected by these disruptions.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
WestJet Airlines has announced network-wide disruptions caused by a Sabre outage. According to WestJet's social media platforms, the outage has affected multiple airlines.
WestJet acknowledged the issue on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "We're currently experiencing delays network-wide due to an outage with Sabre, our booking partner, affecting multiple airlines. We recognize that it is causing some inconvenience for our guests travelling today." The airline extended its apologies to passengers affected by the disruption.
We're currently experiencing delays network-wide due to an outage with Sabre, our booking partner, affecting multiple airlines. We recognize that it is causing some inconvenience for our guests travelling today. 🧵
— WestJet (@WestJet) September 6, 2023
"We sincerely apologize for the disruption. We understand you may have questions regarding your upcoming travel. Our guest support teams are working as quickly as possible, where possible, to help accommodate guests until the issue has been resolved."
In an email to Open Jaw, WestJet confirmed that it has experienced delays across its network "due to a Sabre outage which affected multiple airlines that utilize this same service."
The airline spokesperson added, "In addition, concurrent with this outage, we were made aware that CBSA was experiencing a system outage, which compounded the delays experienced by our guests. At this time, all issues have been resolved, and we are working as quickly as possible to reaccommodate all impacted guests."
According to FlightAware.com, the airline cancelled eight flights and delayed 68 others on Wednesday 07SEP, amounting to 20% of its usual flight capacity.
According to CityNews, the airport websites for Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto indicate a few WestJet flights experiencing short delays, varying between 20 to 60 minutes.
