Thousands of Sunwing airline passengers were still stuck overseas on Tuesday or had their vacations delayed. The source of the misadventure of all these travelers: a technical problem that has persisted for several days.
Updated at 12:23 a.m.
As of Tuesday evening, the company was still manually checking in all customers, causing delays for many flights. “We are actively working with other air carriers to find additional aircraft to reduce the delay in certain destinations,” she said on Twitter.
For Kate Goupil, this is the “first and last time with Sunwing”. “We are very disappointed with how it went. We got $15 each for lunch as compensation. But at the price we pay for our trip as a family and with a 4-year-old child, it’s very unpleasant, ”said the pregnant woman who had been waiting at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport in Montreal since 3 a.m. His flight to Punta Cana had been pushed back to 10:15 p.m.
Thousands of passengers also remained stranded abroad. “It changes our plans, because we were supposed to be in Montreal tonight and there, if there are no other delays, we will be there tomorrow,” said Dany Simard, who was in Mexico. The Quebecer, however, was delighted to have “enjoyed another wonderful day in the sun”.
Sunwing took care of our rooms quickly, so we didn’t waste our time at the airport.
Dany Simard
However, he says he is fortunate to have the flexibility to stay longer on the trip. “For us, it’s simpler, because we are self-employed, but for Mr. and Mrs. Everybody, with a boss, it shouldn’t be easy,” he said.
Travelers compensated
The airline on Tuesday offered customers the possibility of modifying their departure date “one time only” free of charge. Offer applies to Sunwing bookings with departure dates between April 19-22. Passengers affected by a flight delay of more than three hours will be compensated, the company added.
According to the Travelers Charter, the minimum compensation for major airlines is $400 for a 3-6 hour delay, $700 for a 6-9 hour delay, and $1000 for 9 hours or more. Compensation is paid only following disruptions attributable to the carrier that are not necessary for reasons of safety. The passenger has one year to submit their claim.
About 21 planes, on more than 40 scheduled flights, have been able to take off since the technical problem first appeared, the company said in the evening on Twitter. The tour operator said the issue was also affecting other airlines, disrupting their operations as well.
With The Canadian Press