Those looking to catch flights out of Regina before Christmas have been encountering weather delays and even cancellations.
A Sunwing plane leaving Regina and headed south had to turn back Thursday evening.
“We were delayed many times yesterday, and then we got up in the air and probably 20-30 minutes in, the pilot came on and said that there was a mechanical problem and they couldn’t pressurize the cabin so we had to turn around and come back to Regina,” said Christie Bjolverud, a passanger on the plane headed south.
She explained that lots of babies were crying and the pressure in her ears was intense, adding that some passengers in the front rows could hear emergency warnings coming from the cockpit.
She said, from her understanding the mechanical issue stemmed from the freezing temperatures in Saskatchewan.
“I think it was a little chaotic for the Sunwing staff, they were quite worried I think, but they dealt with it really well and everyone, I think felt pretty safe on the plane,” Bjolverud added.
According to Bjolverud they had to circle Regina a few times before landing then go through customs before waiting another two and a half hours for luggage.
She and her son were back at the airport Friday to retrieve a lost backpack, but there were no Sunwing personnel at the counter to assist them.
On Dec. 22, Sunwing posted a memo stating that all southbound departures from Vancouver are cancelled up to and including Dec. 25.
They added that other western airports would also see cancellations to southbound destinations.
“Effectively, many of their flights across western Canada are going to be cancelled for the next couple of days as they work to dig out figuratively from the extreme weather conditions we’ve seen right across North America,” explained Justin Reves, manager of customer experience for the Regina Airport Authority.
In a response sent to CTV News, Sunwing stated:
"As a result of ongoing winter weather events across key Canadian gateways, a number of northbound and southbound Sunwing flights continue to be impacted by delays and some cancellations."
“Our teams are working very hard to minimize the impact to our valued customers by subservicing aircraft and providing meal vouchers for those waiting at the airport where possible, while our teams in destination are arranging alternate accommodations and transfer services for customers with overnight delays to ensure they’re taken care,” the statement continued.
For Bjolverud, that just meant a pivot in plans for the holidays, as her group of 17 came to a decision Friday morning.
“We were going to get on this morning at 8 where it was delayed again last night until, and then in the middle of the night they switched it to supper time tonight, so we’ve just decided to go skiing instead.”
They are now headed for Banff.
Other passengers at YQR were holding out hope that they would make it to the beach, with one couple heading to Cancun on whatever flight and path they could figure out.
Another couple from Moose Jaw spent the night in Regina after Sunwing flight 485 to Puerto Vallarta was cancelled Thursday, and Friday morning.
But Sunwing isn’t the only airline experiencing delays and cancellations down south.
On Tuesday morning, Jennifer Buckingham and her family were trying to get to Cancun, Mexico on WestJet for a family trip that was three years in the making.
“We boarded the flight at 8:25 and subsequently sat there until 3 p.m. So, six and a half hours on the tarmac in Regina and there was just issue after issue,” she told CTV News.
“I totally understand weather delays, in Regina that’s going to happen, but I guess the most upsetting thing for us was during six and a half hours we were offered one cup of water on the plane, and after we were let off, we were just told call the call centre in Calgary.”
Buckingham was travelling with her two small children. The family had plenty of snacks, however she is disappointed in the way WestJet handled this situation, saying she’s been a loyal customer for over 10 years, but now is thinking of making a change.
She did say, after waiting on hold for three and a half hours, the agent she finally spoke with was lovely, understanding and trying her hardest to find them a new flight.
However, there just weren’t any with capacity, due to the holiday season.
“There was 17 of us to go to Cancun and only 9 of them made it, so my brother got stuck in Vancouver due to weather, and we just got cancelled,” she said, explaining that her family will stay in Regina for the holidays.
The winter weather continues to berate Vancouver and is now impacting Toronto, so passengers trying to fly to either of those destinations can anticipate delays and potential cancellations.
As or those trying to head south, luck does not seem to be on their side.
“Over the past two days in the U.S. 6,400 flights have been cancelled, so people need to realize this isn’t a local or regional issue,” Reves said.
Travellers have been changing their destination, driving to another location or just staying put.
But Kreos Aviation told CTV News they have seen a huge increase in demand for chartered flights to get people to and from their destinations this holiday season.
As for Bjolverud and her family, they are done with airplanes for the time being.
“We are going to drive, we’ve had enough of the airport for a few days.”
Post a Comment