Hundreds of Quebec travelers are upset with Sunwing after seeing their holiday season marred by airline cancellations or delays.
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“My spouse could lose their full work week and therefore their income. Others miss the funerals they were supposed to attend. There are also travelers who have heart problems and are running out of medication,” regrets Antoine-Alexandre Michaud, who lives in Quebec.
The 36-year-old man and around 60 other passengers have been stuck at the Henry Morgan Hotel in Roatan, Honduras, since December 26.
A first flight from Quebec was canceled earlier in the day and passengers had to board a later scheduled flight to Montreal, stressed Mr Michaud.
“There was such a lack of communication from Sunwing to our hotel that the flight departed without expecting us. The pilot let us down in terms of time to go through security,” says Stéphanie Ramsay, one of the passengers.
Mr. Michaud and his wife tried several times to reach the local Sunwing representative without success. When they were finally able to speak to her yesterday, she replied that she didn’t know anything, says Mr Michaud.
“She even crossed off her phone number at the entrance so we couldn’t reach her. But I had already taken a picture of it,” he explains.
Discouraged by the airline’s inaction, the passengers decided to book their return flight with American Airlines.
However, hundreds of other Canadian customers of the airline are still stranded abroad, including in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. At least three groups have been set up on Facebook to pool complaints related to the airline Sunwing.
For travelers still in Montreal, the situation is just as disappointing. Those who toyed with the idea of spending a family holiday abroad had their plans turned upside down by a last-minute cancellation.
Annie-Claude Vachon was scheduled to leave for Cancun with nine other family members on the morning of December 26th.
“When we woke up to get ready, we saw that the flight had been rescheduled to 8:40 p.m. on the airport website, but was still on time on the Sunwing flight. In the end we decided to move,” says La Lavalloise.
When the group arrived at the airport, they received a document explaining that their trip had been canceled and they would be refunded their money. An airport employee then explained to them that it was possible to book another trip, but that they would have to advance several thousand dollars.
“We went back home. The two teenage girls in our group were totally devastated,” laments Ms. Vachon.
The airline, which the Journal joined yesterday, says it continues to work tirelessly to charter planes and get travelers home.
“We sincerely apologize for the delays experienced this holiday season and thank our customers for their understanding as we work to address the challenges caused by the inclement weather conditions,” the company says.
Sunwing recommends travelers to monitor flight notifications and contact their destination representatives. Customers booking a flight on another airline must do so at their own expense and claim compensation on their return home.