Travellers grounded as Sask. airports try to deal with mass delays, cancellations

Emma Hart ison her way to sunny and warm Cancun, Mexico, for the holidays or at least she's trying to.

Hart, who's originally from Swan River, Man., and her family drove to Regina because its airport is closest. They were supposed to take off on a direct flightat 10 a.m. Monday, but they will remain grounded in Regina until at least 2 p.m. Tuesday.

"It was just a really expensive trip and to lose a day, that was really disappointing for us," Hart said. "I would like to be on a beach with a drink right now."

Sunwing has not been forthcoming with information aboutthe delays, shesays, but some answers would help the situation.

A snow storm in Vancouver has grounded departing flights, and the Vancouver airport temporarily suspended arriving flights early Tuesday morning as it worked with airlines to deplane passengers and deliver luggage.

The trickle-down effect iswreaking havoc on Canada's airline system. Calgary's airportis trying to pick up some of load, but Saskatoon airport attendants told CBC News that Calgary is nearing its limit.

TheSaskatoon and Regina airports areoperating as normal Tuesday, according to spokespeople from each airport.

However, thesituation istrapping some travellers in the Saskatchewan coldaseach airportdealswith multiple delays and cancellations to major hubs and sunshine destinations such as Phoenix, Ariz., Mexico and Cuba, according to their respective websites.

"There's definitely a frustration from customersand we understand that," said Justin Reves, the Regina International Airport's manger of customer experience and marketing.

WATCH| Sask. holiday travellers grounded:

Holiday travellers grounded as Sask. airports try to deal with mass delays, cancellations

2 years ago

Duration 2:09

Saskatchewan people looking to get ahead of the holiday rush faced delays and cancellations at airports across the province

Regina's airport is trying to lend as comfortable an experience as possible,Reves says. Some customers don't realize that the airports don't control the flights, so the airport is trying to provide whatever information it can.

The airport in Regina is smaller than those in major cities, so many planestend to land briefly to board more passengers en route to another destination, he said. But the problem is that theplanes just aren't arriving in Regina.

"That's not something we can control here at the airport," Reves said.

Shayne Procyk, from Montmartre, Sask., has also been trying to get to Cancun.

His trip was supposed to last a week, but he's been stuck in Regina for two days. The airline booked him a hotel and gave him some meal vouchers, but he's had few answers about the delays.

"I'm not really mad, because what are they going to do?"Procyk said.

Tammy Kyrylchuk, who travelled to Regina from Montreal, is less laid back.

She and her two sons arrived, but their luggage which contained her medication and all of their winter clothes did not.

"I need [this bag]when I get to Regina," Kyrylchuk recalled telling the airline attendants in Montreal when she checked her bag in early.

They waited for 90 minutes after the plane landed in Regina, but there was no luggage. Half the passengers were missing luggage, she says.

"I've been trying to be as optimistic as possible, but I'm tired and overwhelmed and I just want to go home," she said.

Kyrylchuk has seen many airline customers in Regina and elsewhere getting upset with attendants and airport staff, but she disagrees with that attitude.

She used a sports analogy: When a teammate twists an ankle, the rest of the team can't be blamed for trying to fill thevoid.