After Sunwing halts Saskatchewan service, some stranded passengers may return via Edmonton | 24CA News
The ripple impact of flight cancellations and prolonged delays continues to strand Canadian travellers and trigger points for airline Sunwing.
Ever since a winter storm hit Vancouver on Dec. 18, Sunwing passengers have been reporting flight delays on each outgoing journeys and likewise returning flights — some as much as 5 days.
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Canadian Sunwing passengers stranded in Mexico for five days with ‘no communication’
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Erin McCall had booked a Cancun trip together with her husband, 4 younger youngsters and in-laws for Dec. 17 to Dec. 24.
The Beaumont, Alta., lady mentioned that Christmas Eve flight “didn’t happen.”
“There was no indication of any issues… up until we got on the shuttle to go to the airport,” she mentioned.
“The minute we hit the airport, pandemonium. It was absolutely insane.”
Her in-laws flew again to Halifax on their scheduled WestJet flight on Dec. 24, however McCall and her household had been informed their Sunwing flight was delayed and to come back again in two days.
“It was chaos,” she mentioned. “They gave us zero updates.”
Late that night time they had been shuttled to a distinct resort in Cancun. Every day earlier than midday, they’d to take a look at, see if Sunwing had rebooked them, after which if not, hope the resort would have a spare room for them.
“We were essentially squatting at the hotel until about 7 p.m. every night.”
Erin McCall and her husband have 4 youngsters underneath 10. They had been stranded at a resort in Mexico for 5 days, scheduled to return Dec. 24 however lastly received residence through WestJet Dec. 29.
Supplied to Global News
Their return flight fell via once more, McCall mentioned. They mentioned Sunwing representatives saved telling them that it was delayed — presumably till Dec. 30 — however no different info was offered.
Finally, McCall’s in-laws booked the household a flight residence on Dec. 29 via WestJet.
Overall, the household paid about $5,000 out of pocket to cowl various flights, prolonged boarding charges for pets, airport parking and provides for his or her prolonged keep in Mexico, like diapers and sunscreen.
Erin McCall and her husband have 4 youngsters underneath 10. They had been stranded at a resort in Mexico for 5 days, scheduled to return Dec. 24 however lastly received residence through WestJet Dec. 29.
Supplied to Global News
McCall doesn’t anticipate to get any of that again except the household pursues litigation towards Sunwing.
“They don’t deserve to be in business. They don’t deserve to fly anyone anywhere.
“This was so much more than a delay,” she added.
“They refuse to even honour the slightest bit of their commitment to any passenger in any way… They deserve to go out of business.”
Passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs is urging individuals to take these claims to courtroom.
“If Sunwing is refusing to pay voluntarily… that’s a normal course of business. You serve them with court papers.
“I urge passengers to stand their ground. The law is very much on your side,” mentioned Lukacs, the president of Air Passenger Rights.
“That is the only way to set it clear once and for all that this type of behaviour is not going to be tolerated.
“The government makes it cheaper for airlines to disobey the law… than to actually respect passenger rights,” he mentioned.
In an emailed assertion to Global News Friday, Sunwing apologized to clients for the delays.
“Our teams continue to work around the clock to return our remaining customers home.
“We have now planned 43 recovery flights, 34 of which have already operated or will be complete by end of day today (Dec. 30). We expect most, if not all, remaining customers will be back home by Jan. 2.”
Sunwing mentioned clients can be up to date via flight alert notifications and thru vacation spot representatives.
“For customers delayed in destination, Sunwing is providing hotel accommodation, food and beverage, and airport transfers, regardless of the reason for the delay.”
The firm acknowledged this has been a difficult time for groups domestically and at locations, “who have been working around the clock to help restore regular operations.”
In response to the federal transport minister calling the Sunwing state of affairs “unacceptable,” the corporate mentioned: “We recognize that, despite our best efforts, we have failed to deliver on our customers’ expectations, and we deeply apologize for this. We would also like to reassure our customers that our teams locally and in destination continue do everything possible to restore regular service and return our remaining delayed customers home.”
Sunwing introduced Thursday it was cancelling all operations from Regina and Saskatoon airports up till and together with Feb. 3, 2023.
In a message on Twitter, the corporate mentioned it’s conscious that its operations haven’t been as much as the anticipated commonplace and it’s not serving clients correctly.
“We regret to inform our customers in Saskatoon and Regina that, due to extenuating circumstances, we are unfortunately cancelling our operations from both airports. The cancellations will take immediate effect and apply to travel from both airports up to and including Fri. Feb. 3/23,” learn the tweet.
“We know that, despite our best efforts, we have failed to deliver on our customers’ expectations, and we deeply apologize for not meeting the standards of service our Saskatoon and Regina customers rightfully expect.”
Customers with southbound flights will obtain a full refund.
But Lukacs says: “Sunwing cannot force refunds on passengers.
“A passenger can choose to take a refund if they wish to, but that means Sunwing is off the hook in terms of its other obligations from that point on.”
He recommends passengers not settle for the refund and as an alternative insist Sunwing present alterative transportation.
“If we are talking about a passenger from Saskatchewan who has not left yet, Sunwing is required to rebook them on other airlines,” Lukacs mentioned.
He mentioned this isn’t a cancellation attributable to climate; it’s a business determination.
Lukacs defined different airways are responsible of this too, but when they cancel a flight and might’t rebook passengers inside 48 hours, they need to guide clients on different airways.
“That’s an obligation clearly set out in their passenger protection regulations, but they just shrugged and said: ‘We don’t care. The law doesn’t apply to us.’”
A media spokesperson for Sunwing informed Global News on Friday that regardless of the halting of Saskatchewan service, the corporate doesn’t have plans to droop operations from Edmonton or Calgary.
“As for our customers from Saskatchewan who are currently in destination, some repatriation flights may connect through Edmonton.”
Megan Hall, a spokesperson for the Edmonton International Airport, mentioned there have been two departing Sunwing flights Friday that left on time, “but impacts in other areas are affecting some arrivals into Edmonton.”
Sunwing at present flies from Edmonton to Costa Rica, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic and varied locations in Mexico.
Andrew Leeming, the vice-president of operations on the Saskatoon Airport Authority, mentioned it was clear Sunwing needed to do one thing after all of the delays and cancellations that began Dec. 18.
“Things just never got back to what I would call normal,” he mentioned. “There was repeated cancellations, day-of flights, even when passengers were here at the airport.”
Still, slicing service totally till Feb. 3 shocked him somewhat.
“That extensive five weeks of cancelled operations is pretty dramatic.”
The largest impression Leeming foresees is with public frustration — Saskatchewan people who’ve booked holidays nicely upfront and at the moment are scrambling and let down.
“It’s highly disappointing for the passengers themselves and their expectations.”
Saskatchewan airports are nonetheless anticipating just a few restoration flights returning “tentatively” Saturday, “but… it’s dynamic.”
