Sunwing refunding Calgary family who missed Cuban vacation due to flight delays
A spokesperson for Sunwing says the airline is providing a full refund to a Calgary family who claims they missed their Cuban vacation due to flight delays and poor communication.
Francisco Palma and his daughter Gianna Palma arrived at the Calgary International Airport on Monday morning to take a 9:30 a.m. Sunwing flight to Veradero that they booked three months ago, but found it had been rescheduled.
The family kept checking the Sunwing website but complained the status of their flight kept changing.
Then, on Tuesday, Palma says they received a frantic call saying their flight was boarding and they had 20 minutes to get to the airport.
Ultimately, Palma and his family ended up missing their flight.
Francisco Palma and his daughter Gianna Palma tried to fly to Cuba, but complain they never got their because of issues with Sunwing. Sunwing says it "regrets the inconvenience experienced by the family," and admits the company is struggling with staffing shortages that have impacted travel plans in recent days.
"While our team continues to work through the backlog in flights, in some instances there has been miscommunication stemming in part from a technical glitch affecting some flight alerts," Sunwing said in a statement.
The Palma family confirms Sunwing has been in touch and offered to make alternate travel arrangements at no charge, which they declined.
Instead, they have asked for a full refund, which Sunwing says they will provide.
"We regret the impact flight delays have had on this family as well as our other impacted customers, and remain committed to doing everything possible to fully restore operations to minimize further delays to our valued customers’ travel plans," Sunwing said.
The Palma family tells CTV News they have contacted a lawyer and plan to seek further compensation for the lost vacation time and inconvenience.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Don't expect any deals:' Expert says stores may not offer steep discounts on post-Easter chocolate
Those looking to snap up cheap treats at their local grocery store next week following the Easter long weekend could be in for a bit of a surprise as the rising cost of cocoa continues to drive up the price of chocolate, one expert says.