Sunwing travelers stranded in Mexico demand answers and compensation

Some Sunwing travelers want answers and refunds after a nightmare of travel delays and cancellations.

Megan Hunter reached out to Global News on Sunday after her flight from Puerto Vallarta to Calgary was cancelled. However, a resident of Okotoks, Alberta said the problem actually started during the trip.

Hunter said it was originally scheduled to leave for Mexico on November 6. However, the flight was delayed and canceled. Passengers were then told that they would have to recheck in to board the next flight on November 7th.

“We were in line for about four hours,” Hunter told Global News. “There were maybe 200 people.”

She said some passengers were told to go home and others were put in hotels.

Fellow B.C. flyer Janice Paton, who was in attendance at the large wedding party, said she was not offered anything even though she was barely there in time for the wedding.

“We ended up with most of the group going to a hotel,” she told Global News. “But we ended up paying out of pocket.”

The women told Global News they faced flight delays again the next day.

“So on Monday the 7th we got on the plane and there was no pilot. He told us to get off because he didn’t have one.

The flight finally took off and Hunter and Patong said it was a great vacation. But upon returning, the problem-plagued trip was thrown into even more chaos. The 13th November flight was canceled again and rebooked on 14th November.

“I had to tell my Sunwing representative that I had canceled,” said Paton. “He didn’t know.”

Passengers were offered accommodation, but both women said the hotels they were taken to were “sketchy”.

“The shower had mold, the toilet didn’t flush properly, and there were no towels,” they listed.

Global News has informed Sunwing of the concerns raised by several passengers.

Sunwing issued a statement to Global News.

“Just prior to the scheduled departure of flight WG523 from Calgary to Puerto Vallarta, a mechanical problem was discovered that delayed the southbound flight while maintenance crews investigated and resolved the problem, which caused the problem northbound. I can confirm that it has affected flights to and from,” reads part of the statement.

“This caused an overnight delay of flight WG524 from Puerto Vallarta to Calgary until the evening of November 14.”

Sunwing added that “best efforts” were made to notify passengers of the delay. It said it was working to coordinate new airport transfers for the flights.

Unfortunately for Hunter and Patton, the airline’s best efforts weren’t enough.

“We took a lot of money out of our pockets and wasted days,” said Paton.

“I want compensation”

The flight was scheduled to arrive in Calgary on Monday night.

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