Shocked JetBlue passengers claimed they had been “kicked to the street like dogs in a foreign country” and compelled to spend 1000’s on “sketchy” lodging when their return flight to Boston was delayed almost 24 hours.
Vacation vacationers leaving Turks and Caicos Saturday evening had already been delayed a number of hours once they discovered they wouldn’t be returning stateside till the following day, in accordance with Boston 25 Information.
Nonetheless, passengers — largely households with younger kids — had been allegedly instructed by JetBlue workers they weren’t allowed to remain within the airport and wait, forcing them to seek out their lodging on the final minute on the tourist-heavy island.
Brett, whose final title wasn’t offered, stated that JetBlue workers “forced” him out of the airport and that he was left with no solutions even when he requested what they anticipated them to do.
“We just kept saying where do you want us to go? What are we supposed to do? How are you kicking us to the street like dogs in a foreign country?” Brett instructed the outlet.
He stated he paid $1,000 for an Airbnb sufficiently big to accommodate his household of ten, situated on part of the island he described as “sketchy.”
“It was in a horrible, sketchy area, the actual Airbnb itself was okay, but the area was like something out of a horror movie,” Brett stated.
“Wild dogs were chasing the cab as we were driving by like very sketchy neighborhood and kids are freaking out like ‘What are we gonna do?’”
Marty, a father touring together with his spouse and young children, instructed Boston 25 Information that he tried scouring for rooms to lease at close by resorts, however in all places he regarded was booked.
“This was far beyond a delay, this was sending people to the streets in the wee hours of the night and asking them to fend for themselves with no solutions,” Marty defined.
Marty stated his journey agent was capable of finding him a small lodge room for his household, however others had been left with paying a excessive worth for last-minute lodging.
“Just very unsettling, traumatizing experience you have three young kids all looking to you for an answer, a wife looking at you for an answer, for the first time as a husband and as a father and as a man I had no idea how I was going to shelter my family for a night.”
Passengers who may discover a place to remain the night had been left in even additional shock to seek out dozens of cots stacked up exterior the airport, introduced in for individuals who had nowhere to go.
“To put people out on the streets like animals was definitely something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” Marty stated.
In a press release, JetBlue acknowledged the “significant delay” on account of “heavy Air Traffic Control congestion and extended holding in the area” and apologized to its clients for the inconvenience.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this delay caused and understand this was a frustrating situation,” the airline stated in a press release to Boston 25 Information.
“While the delay was created by circumstances beyond JetBlue’s control, we understand the impact this disruption had on our customers’ plans. Given that, we’ve provided instructions for affected customers to submit reimbursement requests for eligible out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Customer Service Plan.”
As a “gesture of goodwill,” JetBlue stated additionally they “issued $200 in travel credit for future JetBlue flights.”
