What started as a winter break before Christmas has turned into a seven-day waiting game for some Saskatoon commuters.
Susan Horliuk took off with Punta Cana sun wing December 14 from Saskatoon air portWith the intention of coming back home on 21 December.
He and several other couples are stuck in the city in the Dominican Republic waiting for answers.
“We assumed that everything would be status quo as we have used Sunwing for the past 15 years,” Horliuk said.
She said they left their resort on the 21st and waited for hours at the airport, with Sunwing representatives frequently visiting to tell them they would have to wait longer, and that their flight was delayed.
Saskatoon residents to be compensated after holiday flight delayed
read more
Eventually other accommodations were given to those waiting on a flight that would never arrive, being told that the flight had been pushed back to the next day.
“It would go on, from 7 in the morning, we’re sitting in the lobby until about 4:30 in the afternoon.”
Again, they would end up back at a resort at the end of the day, being told the flight would go out the next day, with this situation repeated for several days.
“I’m not going to lie, tears welled up. Devastated, you’re thinking you’re going home safe to see your family, you’re going to spend Christmas with your family. A granddaughter in your house is whose first Christmas is this year.”
Horriuk said, “Once we knew for certain that we weren’t going to make it home for Christmas it was extremely heartbreaking and devastating.”
He said Sunwing representatives were right there trying to help him, but added that he didn’t know what was happening.
She said some are worried about their jobs, and whether they will still have jobs when they return.
“I’ve seen other people say ‘I have to pay my workers, I can’t even do that.'”
Blake Dauvin and his girlfriend went back home the same day as expected, but said the constant delays are taking a toll on everyone.
“It’s not like a holiday anymore after the first few days of the delay.”
“I want to go home. People have jobs, people have families, especially at Christmas we’re missing those things,” Dowin said.
He said he was hopeful, adding that a Saskatoon flight to the Dominican is on its way Wednesday, and he expected to make it back to Saskatoon.
Global News contacted Sunwing and obtained a statement.
“Many return flights are being affected by delays due to displaced crew and aircraft as a result of severe weather disturbances across Canada. We are responding by sub-servicing aircraft and arranging alternative hotels and transfers for those with overnight delays Working hard to get customers back on destination.
“Our teams continue to actively work round the clock with multiple airline partners to get aircraft subservient and customers back home. We have completed two recovery flights so far this week, we have planned another eight recovery flights scheduled to depart by December 30, 2022 and are currently finalizing recovery plans for our remaining passengers in destination . Additional information will be provided to customers through flight alert notifications and their destination representatives, once the rescheduled return flight is confirmed. In the meantime, customers can sign up for flight alerts at Sunwing.ca.”
“Customers currently in destination who would prefer to book an earlier return flight on another carrier may do so at their own cost, should they so choose, and may submit a refund request for their unused Sunwing return flight . http://www.sunwing.ca/en/sunwing-airlines/delay-claim/ after his return home.
“Our teams keep doing everything possible to get the passengers home. We deeply apologize for the delay during the holiday season, and thank our customers for their understanding while we work to address operational challenges posed by severe winter weather in key regions across Canada .
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.