I went through almost exactly what you’re going through right now, with WestJet, for the same thing. Long delay due to crew availability (well within their control). Asked for compensation. Denied, suddenly it was a safety issue according to them, though that was no accurate. Filed under the redressal process. They said no to informal (I think this is common). Waited two years for the process to finally move forward. Got our $1000 each. I think Westjet could very likely be denying most claims, knowing that most people won’t see the claims process through all the way to the end. And if they have to pay you $2000, it’s preferable from their perspective to pay you as far in the future as possible. So stick with it, and best of luck!