Air Canada travel turmoil ruins holiday reunion for Barrie, Ont. family
After years apart, Breda Schraner was excited to reunite with her children living overseas during the holidays, but instead, the Barrie, Ont. woman was met with travel turbulence without ever taking off from the airport.
In the early morning hours on Christmas Eve, Schraner was preparing to fly out of Pearson International Airport in Mississauga to Switzerland, only to experience a two-hour delay before boarding the plane.
Once on board, she said they sat on the tarmac as minutes turned into hours while Air Canada staff ensured the plane would take off.
"After three hours on the plane, we were told our flight was cancelled," said Schraner.
As the disappointment sank in, the Barrie resident said she was forced to cancel her holiday plans and return to the terminal to retrieve her luggage.
Schraner said she arrived at the baggage claim amid crowds of people and very few airport employees to offer help.
She said they sent various people to different carousels to search for their items.
"People were going back and saying, 'There is no baggage. There is no baggage.' And they finally gave us forms to fill out for lost baggage," she recalled.
Two weeks later, Schraner's luggage is still missing.
In a statement to CTV News, an Air Canada spokesperson wrote severe weather over Christmas disrupted travel, adding, "A delay in one part of the country has knock-on effects across our network," noting the situation led to cases of "delayed and misconnected baggage."
Air Canada told CTV News it had looked into Schraner's claim, which it said was filed on Jan. 4, and now that it has the complete information, her baggage will be returned.
Gábor Lukács, the president of Air Passenger Rights, has been following the flight airline disruptions closely and said many passengers could be entitled to reimbursement.
"After the 21st day, you can start replacing the items that were in your baggage and keep your receipts. Ultimately, you can make the airline pay for that," he said.
Lukács noted the recent challenges at airports were reminiscent of those over the summer and believes disruptions will continue unless drastic measures are taken.
"If the airline breaks the law, they should be fined heavily. So that it will be less profitable for the airlines to break the law and have to comply," said Lukács via zoom.
Still, Schraner said it doesn't make up for the time lost with her family.
"We were really looking forward to visiting and spending Christmas with them, but it wasn't to be," she concluded.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.