TAKE TRAVEL PROMISES WITH A GRAIN OF SALT

There's nothing like getting called on the carpet to focus the mind.

Airline executives, airport CEOs, Transport Canada officials and the federal minister of transport all appeared before the Commons' transport committee to answer for the days of chaos that snarled holiday plans for thousands of Canadians.

Let's revisit a few of the nightmares: passengers stuck on grounded planes for hours; travellers, many flying with Sunwing, left stranded for days in foreign destinations; cancelled flights; terminal sleepovers and missing bags by the thousands.

The committee heard the explanations. Winter storms — hitting first Vancouver and then Central Canada — contributed to a scale of disruption that Scott Wilson, Westjet's vice president of operations, said was unprecedented in his 20-plus years with the airline.

It was also explained that aviation is a complex ecosystem involving many moving parts, including airlines, airports, customs, security screening, baggage services and air traffic control.

Canadians are understanding when winter weather disrupts travel. They get it. Still, they expect that when things go seriously wrong, air carriers and airports have plans to ensure good communication, to look after their basic needs and to get them on their way as soon as possible.

That's where things fell apart, revealing serious shortcomings all those fronts.

Sunwing in particular was on the hot seat at the committee and deservedly so for the breakdown in its operations that left hundreds stuck in Mexico and forced the complete cancellation of flights from Saskatchewan until early February.

It was clear that everyone appearing was very, very sorry for what had transpired. No doubt. A disruption of this order is bad for the bottom line, not to mention the heaps of negative publicity.

It was less clear though whether the vows that lessons are being learned will translate into true change.

Recall, after all, that the holiday season troubles were the topper on a year of air travel woes.

So what needs to be done better?

Better communications to start, to inform travellers about the status of their flights, the length of delays and the options when flights are cancelled.

The holiday problems also revealed there is more to learn when it comes to logistics. A luggage conveyor belt broke at Pearson, passengers stuck on planes in Vancouver for hours on end.

The holiday travel nightmare left too many travellers in the dark, fending for themselves, stranded in situations that truly defy explanation. They will be excused if they take these latest promises to do better with a grain of salt.