Canadian travellers stranded in other countries for days after Sunwing cancels flights
Hundreds of Canadians flying with Sunwing are complaining about being stranded at airports after the airline cancelled a bunch of flights.
“Due to severe winter weather across Canada, which has limited our ability to move planes and crew to other airports, a number of Sunwing flights continue to experience delays,” the carrier said on Twitter on Christmas eve. “Our teams are working hard to re-accommodate customers locally and in destination.”
Several parts of the country were blasted by snowstorms over the weekend, leading to flight disruptions. On Friday, WestJet and Sunwing both announced they were cancelling all outbound flights in Vancouver.
But people travelling with Sunwing are not as upset with the weather-based reasoning as they are with the airline’s lack of communication about cancellations.
Due to severe winter weather across Canada, which has limited our ability to move planes and crew to other airports, a number of Sunwing flights continue to experience delays. Our teams are working hard to reaccommodate customers locally and in destination.
— Sunwing Vacations (@SunwingVacay) December 24, 2022
@SunwingVacay please help us. We are delayed in Cancun. Our flight # wg586. Our sunwing rep is not at the hotel today. We tried calling the number she gave us and they had no record of our flight or us. This a nightmare.
— Chris (@omw1973) December 24, 2022
“Stop blaming the weather, it’s poor management by @SunwingVacay.” wrote Sunwing traveller Hamid Batenipur on Twitter, adding that his flight back home had been delayed since Wednesday.
In a subsequent tweet, Batenipour said that he had to pay out of pocket to get on an Air Transat flight.
Stop blaming the weather, it’s poor management by @SunwingVacay. We have been delayed since the 21st, and we are still in Cancun. Last night was a nightmare! I’m sure you already heard what happened at your gate at the Cancun airport! If not, search for the videos on Twitter!
— Hamid Batenipour (@hamidbpr) December 25, 2022
Those travelling via flight WG516, which was headed to Toronto from Cancun on Wednesday, say they were moved to a resort as they waited on updates following the flight’s cancellation.
“We have no communication from Sunwing,” one flyer said. “We do not know when our flight is and how we will get to airport.”
There is a group of around 20 people that were all on flight WG515 and scheduled to go home on flight WG516 on wednesday. We were moved to sensira resort and spa. We have no communication from sunwing. We do not know when our flight is and how we will get to airport. Help please
— Dannye (@breakthebooks87) December 23, 2022
Across its social media-based customer service channels, Sunwing has been responding to travellers asking for assistance.
It now shows this for our original flight that never showed and i stopped getting updates 2 days ago now. pic.twitter.com/6G2FMolt9n
— James (@JamesFos23) December 25, 2022
Flyers say the lack of email updates or any private notification has left them “beyond frustrated.” Some have complained that updates on Sunwing’s website don’t match those provided by local representatives.
Got a phone call saying my flight is cancelled but your site and Pearson both say it’s on time. Which one is it?
— Jewel (@S0jewel) December 24, 2022
Many have missed out on spending Christmas with their family due to Sunwing’s confusing communication issues.
There is no update by email. No airport departure on any website including your own. We stopped recieving updates. There are multiple flights delayed and rescheduled for the same date and time. Can you please give a clear answer how we are all getting home? Beyond frustrating.
— James (@JamesFos23) December 25, 2022
@ABDanielleSmith PLEASE HELP US! We have now missed Christmas with our family and have heard from other passengers on our original flight that it was NOT CANCELLED! @SunwingVacay are TRAPPING us due to their incompetence. NO END IN SIGHT! PLEASE HELP! 63HRS & COUNTING#FLIGHT596 https://t.co/lBohdBQfb2
— Tess (@tweedleteeee) December 25, 2022
Though flights returning from Cancun seem to make up the bulk of complaints on social media, those flying from Punta Cana, Montego Bay, and other destinations are also experiencing the same problems.
@SunwingVacay I’m stuck in Punta Cana. I tried sending an email thru the SW Contact Us form, but it cannot find my booking #. Can you please provide some update on flight WG435 going to YYZ? Originally scheduled for Dec 23. The reps left for the day with no direct contact to them
— McAwesome (@McSwagged) December 24, 2022
Daily Hive has reached out to Sunwing for a statement.
“We sincerely regret the impact to our customers’ travel plans over the busy holiday period,” a representative told us in an emailed statement.
“Our teams locally and in destination are doing everything possible to return customers home in the coming days. We deeply apologize for delays during the holiday season, and thank our customers for their understanding while we work to overcome operational challenges brought on by severe winter weather across key regions in Canada.”
Follow Channels and Categories