Flight attendants at Canada's second-largest airline WestJet could walk off the job as soon as Sunday morning, during one of the busiest summer holiday weekends in the country.

The flight attendants are considering striking over issues related to pay, specifically compensation for work they do when the plane has yet to take off - known as ground pay in the airline industry.

The airline began parking flights on Friday in preparation, and is offering free cancellations and flight changes to passengers with flights taking off throughout the weekend and until Tuesday.

Calgary-based WestJet, which flies to more than 130 Canadian and international destinations, has said it is negotiating with the flight attendant's union to reach a deal.

Here's a breakdown of what the disruption could mean if you're travelling.

No, both sides are still in active negotiation.

However, the 72-hour strike notice announced by the union runs out on Sunday at 02:01 EST (07:01 BST), in the middle of a long weekend across most of the country.

That's when flight attendants are expected to walk out unless an agreement is reached.

It comes after union members voted 99% in favour of the strike mandate last month.

WestJet has said it will offer changes and cancellations to flights at no extra fee for travellers flying between Thursday and Tuesday.

The airline added that if a strike leads to cancellations or delays, "impacted guests will be refunded or re-accommodated, as applicable."

The carrier has cancelled 81 flights on Saturday ahead of the strike deadline to minimise the risk of stranding passengers and aircraft. They have asked passengers to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.

WestJet Encore flights booked on a Q400 and WestJet codeshare flights will not be affected by any potential labour disruptions, the carrier says.

Airline passenger laws in Canada mandate that carriers re-book passengers on the next available flight either from its own fleet or on a partner airline, and if both are unavailable, then they must be re-booked with a competitor.

Flight attendants and WestJet have been engaged in contract negotiations since September 2025.

A 72-hour strike notice was issued earlier this week by the union representing the flight attendants, CUPE 8125, who said in a statement that "the parties are still too far apart on some key issues".

"We have been clear about what needs to change, and we have worked hard to reach a fair deal," said Alia Hussain, president of CUPE 8125, adding that the union's goal was to reach an agreement without disrupting air travel.

A sticking issue has been pay, with the union saying that flight attendants are expected to work without pay up to 35 hours per month for duties performed when the plane has yet to take off.

"Boarding, safety sweeps, assisting passengers, and ground delays are entirely on our dime," said flight attendants on a union website campaigning for the end of the policy.

On its website, WestJet said its flight attendants are paid by block hours that start when the plane leaves the gate and ends when it arrives at the next gate, adding that it is "the standard pay model for cabin crews across North America".

The airline said wages under the credit hour system include compensation for work done before take-off and landing.

Cabin crew make anywhere between C$28 ($20; £15) to $58 ($41; £31) per hour, according to WestJet.