Travelers who have spent the night on benches, others who are told at check-in that their flight has been cancelled: on Boxing Day, the passage of the storm continues to cause headaches at the airport of Montreal-Trudeau.
“My holidays are ruined”, loose Zack Girgis, crossed near the counter of Air Canada at the end of the morning.
With his wife, he was to fly to the Dominican Republic Monday morning after transiting through Montreal. But their first flight was delayed, and the couple missed their connection. “In addition, they lost our luggage,” he adds.
Like them, a dozen travelers have been hanging around on the phone for several hours in the hope of speaking to an Air Canada employee.
“I’ve been calling for two hours and no one picks up,” sighs Kodjo behind the handset. Unable to return home to Moncton, the New Brunswicker has been sleeping at the hotel for two nights. He was even forced to take time off on Monday. ” I work in a hospital. It’s frustrating,” he says.
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Kodjo
The numerous flight disruptions are due to the repercussions of the storm and the weather conditions of the past few days in Canada and the United States, explains Air Canada.
On the way from The Press, the departure board showed several flight delays and cancellations. As for the Jean-Lesage International Airport in Quebec City, one of the regions most affected by the storm, more than a third of flights were delayed or canceled.
Lying on a bench, Yuvraj barely slept all night. “We’ve been here for more than 28 hours,” says the Indian student. Luckily, he and his friend found a flight Monday night to Toronto with Air Canada.
At the Sunwing counter, a group of friends look downcast: their flight to Cancún has been cancelled. They learned it only when checking in their suitcases.
“They didn’t announce it. We had no information, ”regrets Tamarre, luggage in hand. Her friend Staphania adds: “They say there’s a flight tomorrow at 7am, but they haven’t even guaranteed it. »
By email, Sunwing says “a number of northbound and southbound flights continue to be delayed” due to harsh weather conditions at major Canadian airports.
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
A dozen travelers are waiting on the phone to speak to an Air Canada employee.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to travel plans this holiday season and thank our customers for their understanding as we work to overcome the difficulties caused by the harsh weather conditions,” the airline said.
For its part, Air Transat assures “that no flight has been canceled at Montreal-Trudeau Airport. “We have experienced a few minor delays, but in general, our activities are proceeding normally,” said spokesperson Pierre Tessier.
Arrived at their destination, travelers are not at the end of their troubles. On the other side of the baggage carousels, Abdel Mekaddem looks around for his suitcase. The Algerian has been waiting for him for four days. “It’s a disaster,” he said.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to travel plans this holiday season and thank our customers for their understanding as we work to overcome the difficulties caused by the harsh weather conditions,” the airline said.
Those who planned to travel by train are no luckier. On Boxing Day, VIA Rail once again canceled all its services between Toronto and Montreal, as well as between Toronto and Ottawa, due to a train derailment on December 24.
Service is expected to be restored by Tuesday on a modified schedule, the rail company announced in the afternoon.
With The Canadian Press