Anyone else on the Sunwing flight back to YYZ April 15 & 16?

[Diving_Parrot]

Loved the Island. Great trip. Talked to some other nice couples at Delfins April 8th to 15th. I will do a TR when in a better mood.

So..April 15th..6 hour delay in Bonaire. OK. 5 hour flight. No big deal.

5 and a half hours sitting in our seats on the Tarmac at Pearson. They didn't even have water for us..none left. So being a Sunwing charter we waited while later arriving Air Canada and WestJet passengers were taken off their planes on to the busses first. When a Sunwing plane that had arrived a couple hours later got to disembark first...well, people obviously started doing some serious 'squawking'. A couple people on that flight got arrested for being drunk and belligerent about being stuck on the Tarmac for a couple hours apparently..So they emptied that plane first.

Then we get a 3 hour line up to hand in our paper work to hopefully get our suitcases back in 3-6 days. They weren't taking the luggage off any planes.

This was a terrible travel day and a half. From what I have looked up we are entitled to some kind of compensation for this. I will pursue it after we hopefully get our bags.

Happy travels...

 

[maj2]

Wow! Was your arrival at YYZ in the middle of the ice storm this weekend?

 

[Diving_Parrot]

Yeah. Arrived around 1am Sunday night/Monday morning. Got parked on the apron at the unused terminal 2 until about 6:30am. Weather was certainly a factor but Sunwing has to wait for everyone else apparently.

I know I'm complaining here..However I've read we are legally entitled to compensation if stuck on the tarmac for more than 90 minutes. I was hoping others would press for this as well.

 

[Doctorfish]

There was a terrible ice storm that night so you were lucky to get home at all. Many flights were diverted that weekend from Toronto to other cities, or cancelled altogether.

 

[cutty]

We were on the same flight....got very frustrating!....still haven't got our luggage.

 

[Stoo]

Sunwing is an elCheapo airline and the fees they pay at the airport put them behind other airlines. Years ago when a bunch of flights were delayed on takeoff, there was an airline official called into the radio station and explained how it all works. In the case of the takeoff delays, he explained that Sunwing only pays for the crap deicing fluid. In times of delays, the stuff wears off before they take off... so they need to go back and deice again, while first tier airlines are taking off.

Like so many things, you get what you pay for.

Having said all this, I believe that compensation from airlines is limited when circumstances are beyond their control. I've been delayed twice with Westjet. In one case, it was a weather thing and there was no compensation. In the other, they had an issue with the oncoming plane. We were moved to a slightly later flight but still received a $250 credit (which I just applied to another flight!)

Talk to Sunwing...

 

[Diving_Parrot]

Well I'm glad we were all "lucky" to spend 9 and 1/2 hours from hitting the tarmac to getting out the doors without our bags...Obviously we were all very well aware of what was going on in Toronto as was Sunwing. We were assured by staff 90% chance you are staying another day up until Sunwing changed their mind at the last minute. Another day in Bonaire? Yes please!

I am well aware of Sunwing's shoddy reputation for leaving passengers stranded on the tarmac for hours on end. Which is why I was hesitant to book this trip. I was assured by a local dive shop and some of the posts on here, "Just be happy it's not Insult air". To say you get what you pay for after the fact is pulling a 180.

cutty: Swiss Baggage and Sunwing still aren't picking up the phone or returning messages. I will post when/if we hear anything about our luggage. Good luck.

 

[Hoag]

It may soon be time to contact Sean O'Shea at Global TV news and let him "do his thing". He is their consumer advocate, and he loves (gets paid to) confront companies that have mistreated their customers.

 

[Diving_Parrot]

Thank you Hoag.

Our friends we travel with got their bags Saturday afternoon as did my better half. Rumaged through but nothing missing including a dive light that was supposed to be in carry on. Mistakes happen.

No bag for me yet. I bought some dive gear from a wholesaler there who stocks the dive shops and doesn't sell online. As well photo copies of passport, health card, drivers lic..etc..Oh well. At least I finally know what I look like with a beard. lol.

Going to file with flightclaim dot ca once I get my bag. Might be a while but I will post how that went. Cheers!

 

[Reidkon]

You are not alone in your bad experiences with Sunwing. I sure as heck will never take a chance on them.
‘We were held hostage’: Growing concerns by Sunwing passengers over treatment on weekend

Loved the Island. Great trip. Talked to some other nice couples at Delfins April 8th to 15th. I will do a TR when in a better mood.

So..April 15th..6 hour delay in Bonaire. OK. 5 hour flight. No big deal.

5 and a half hours sitting in our seats on the Tarmac at Pearson. They didn't even have water for us..none left. So being a Sunwing charter we waited while later arriving Air Canada and WestJet passengers were taken off their planes on to the busses first. When a Sunwing plane that had arrived a couple hours later got to disembark first...well, people obviously started doing some serious 'squawking'. A couple people on that flight got arrested for being drunk and belligerent about being stuck on the Tarmac for a couple hours apparently..So they emptied that plane first.

Then we get a 3 hour line up to hand in our paper work to hopefully get our suitcases back in 3-6 days. They weren't taking the luggage off any planes.

This was a terrible travel day and a half. From what I have looked up we are entitled to some kind of compensation for this. I will pursue it after we hopefully get our bags.

Happy travels...