After several flight delays, passengers departing from Toronto's Pearson Airport were given mats, left to sleep on the floor, and a final Generally flights to Winnipeg were canceled — and many said airlines were not offering adequate accommodation at all.
Fatima Shelefa, 17, has just flown back from a trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her connecting flight in Toronto was delayed.
"We're standing around agents asking what's going on," she said. "They said the flight had been rescheduled. They said, 'Keep calm and get on the plane.'" I was. She wondered how she was going to explain to her parents that she was late — her parents stayed up all night asking when she would be home She said she was waiting for news.
"I wish more support had been provided to alleviate any concerns I may have had, especially as a minor, but that didn't happen either."
}Sherefah said that when flights were canceled after midnight on Sunday morning, airport staff sent passengers to hotel accommodations and
She said she was not offered meal vouchers throughout the day. Instead, passengers were given small Yoga-Her mats to sleep on and were directed to visit AirHer's Canadian website for more information.
``I need real help to get through the night. ' she said.
Shelefa ended up sleeping in the women's nursing room, which she was able to lock.
"It was very cramped," she said.
Bryce Kuharsky took another flight from Toronto to Winnipeg at 7pm. He said his flight was delayed several times.
"When we asked them, they simply said, 'Due to safety concerns, we cannot check out the plane.' I didn't," he said.
Kuchalski said he boarded a third plane for about 30 minutes after changed flights twice, but the passengers were safe. I was told that I have the above problem, so I have to take another flight.
No new planes arrived and his flight was eventually cancelled.
Air Canada "claimed there were no hotels available," he said.
By then it was too late to think about where to go anyway, he said.
"Leave the airport, get to the hotel, settle down, sleep... leave, pack up, come back [and] go through security, if you There's no way to get a meaningful amount of sleep," he said.
CBC News has asked Air Canada for comment on all cancellations, but said his flight was scheduled to depart Toronto on June. Only received a statement via email from the airline about one. Afternoon
The aircraft was initially delayed due to a mechanical problem with the aircraft and was rescheduled several times in the hope that repairs would be completed, according to the company. When that was not possible, a second aircraft was brought in, which, unfortunately, also caused problems. There were no hotel rooms available by the time the flight was canceled.
Air Canada said it would follow up directly with affected customers as needed.
Passengers were given yoga mats, not hotels.
Julie Yuming slept on a bench in an airport restaurant after 7pm. Her flight to Winnipeg has been cancelled.
Like Kuchalski, she said she was frustrated because Air Canada kept delaying flights every 30 minutes, until the flight was officially canceled.
"We called five or six hotels and they were all sold out," she said. said.
It wasn't until they inquired about getting beds that Air Canada eventually provided passengers with about 10 yoga mats, she said.
"They were all on the floor," she said.
Kuharski said he also witnessed terrible behavior by Canadian staff at the terminal. He said he witnessed a woman in a wheelchair asking an Air Canada staff member if she could help him use the meal ticket after it was handed out.
"The gate official said, 'You'll have to go there. I can't help you,'" he said. "Thankfully, one of the other guests in her immediate vicinity offered to move her immediately."
Passengers on the delayed Toronto flight began arriving in Winnipeg on Sunday morning.
Sherefah said that her experiences of her numbed her. She attempts to get compensation, but said Air Canada never offered compensation for flight cancellations or delays. I don't want to think about it, but at the same time, I don't want anyone else to go through something like this," she said.