Helplessness and frustration gnawed at many travelers hoping to get away quickly to celebrate Christmas with loved ones today, as more than a hundred flights were canceled at Montreal-Trudeau Airport due to severe weather. .
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“With the weather, I understand that it is very difficult to manage for [les employés]but they knew very well that it was not going to take off, so [pourquoi] make the world wait like that?” plague Rachel Carton, deploring the lack of organization of her airline.
After their flight to Calgary was postponed and then canceled Thursday evening, Ms. Carton, her 7-year-old daughter Chloé Da Pratto and her partner Yanick Da Pratto had to go to sleep at the hotel, unaware of when they were going to leave Quebec.
Laurent Lavoie / JdeM
Rachel Carton, her granddaughter Chloé Da Pratto and Yanick Da Pratto couldn’t hide their impatience after 24 hours spent at Montréal-Trudeau due to bad weather.
This small family from Rawdon in Lanaudière is one of the many customers met by Le Journal who feared that their vacation would indeed be ruined.
Mainly due to the weather buzz affecting the United States and Canada, 153 flights out of a total of 473 scheduled flights had been canceled by airlines around 3:30 p.m., Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) confirmed.
Thus, many travelers stood crane-footed in front of the large luminous panels presenting the list of flights, in the hope that no mention “Cancelled” or “Delayed” would be attributed to their destination.
Frustration
Not far from there, citizens surrounded by suitcases patiently awaited their fate, seated along the bay windows of the airport.
Alexandre Regnier, descended from Quebec, where he studies, was of the lot. He couldn’t wait to get home to his family in France.
Laurent Lavoie / JdeM
Alexandre Regnier was eager to reunite with his family in France, while he was stuck at Montreal-Trudeau due to bad weather on December 23.
“We are in a hurry to return and all that, […] it’s frustrating, he admits. I used to spend Christmas with my grandparents, I haven’t seen them since the end of August, it’s starting to happen. The girlfriend, the same.
Similar story with Luciano Bandeira, this Brazilian who was temporarily passing through Montreal before going to join his daughter in Western Canada.
Laurent Lavoie / JdeM
Luciano Bandeira was frustrated at the thought of missing Christmas Day with his daughter, who was stuck in Montreal-Trudeau due to bad weather on December 23.
“I will probably miss Christmas Day with her. It affects me a lot. There is a lot of frustration, ”he drops.
Keep the smile
Despite the circumstances, some still wanted to keep smiling… and be comfortable.
A group of young adults who were to take the road to Hawaii to give ocean rescue training simply took out an inflatable mattress to enhance their wait.
“It’s been two years since we left because of COVID, and this year, honestly, there’s nothing stopping us,” sums up Alexandra Désilets.
Savings
In addition, families approached by Le Journal who were leaving for North Africa or even Western Canada said they were relieved to be spared – for the moment – by the storm.
Laurent Lavoie / JdeM
Many travelers stood crane-footed in front of the large luminous panels presenting the list of flights, in the hope that no mention “Cancelled” or “Delayed” would be attributed to their destination.
“We looked at the weather, we knew the cold was coming, so we left early [de Cornwall, en Ontario], mentions Ron Brennan, father of three young children. We are lucky to be able to leave on time and to have no problems.”
“We therefore always recommend that travelers check their flight schedules with their airline before traveling to the airport, regardless of the prevailing conditions,” ADM recalled.