Shocked JetBlue passengers were “kicked out onto the street like foreign dogs” and spent thousands of dollars on “sketchy” accommodations as their return flight to Boston was delayed for nearly 24 hours. He claimed that he was forced to do so.
Vacationers leaving the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday night were already delayed by several hours when they learned they wouldn't be able to return to the U.S. mainland until the next day. According to Boston 25 News.
But the passengers, mostly families with young children, were told by JetBlue employees they would not be allowed to stay inside the airport and wait, forcing them to find last-minute accommodation on the tourist-heavy island. It is said that
Brett, who did not give his last name, said JetBlue employees “forced” him from the airport and that when he asked the employees what they expected, he had no answer.
“We kept saying where we wanted to go? What should we do? Why not just kick us into the street like some foreign dog?” Brett told the magazine.
He said he paid $1,000 for an Airbnb on a “spooky” part of the island that was large enough to accommodate a family of 10.
“It was in a really creepy area, and while the actual Airbnb itself was fine, the area felt like something out of a horror movie,” Brett said.
“As we drove past, there were stray dogs chasing taxis, and it looked like a very run-down area, and the children were panicking, asking, 'What are we going to do?'”
His father, Marty, who was traveling with his wife and young children, told Boston 25 News that he tried searching for a room to rent at a nearby hotel, but everywhere he looked was fully booked.
“This is much more than being late, it's putting people out on the streets in the middle of the night and asking them to fend for themselves with no solutions,” Marty explained.
Marty said a travel agent was able to find a small hotel room for his family, but others had to pay high prices for last-minute accommodation.
“It's a very disturbing and traumatic experience. My three young children are all looking to you for answers, and my wife is looking to you for answers. As a husband, a father, and a man for the first time, I have to ask myself, why am I? “I didn't know what I wanted answers for.'' I was planning to evacuate my family for the night. ”
Passengers who were able to find a place to stay that night were further shocked to see dozens of cots, brought in for people with nowhere to go, piled up outside the airport. .
“Throwing people out on the street like animals is definitely something I'll never forget,” Marty said.
In a statement, JetBlue acknowledged the “significant delays” caused by “air traffic control congestion and long waits in the area” and apologized for the inconvenience caused to customers.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this delay and understand this is a frustrating situation,” the airline said in a statement to Boston 25 News.
“While the delay was caused by circumstances beyond JetBlue's control, we understand the impact this disruption has had on our customers' plans. That's why we would like to remind affected customers that our customer service We have instructed you to submit a request for reimbursement for eligible out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with your plan.”
JetBlue said in a statement that as a “show of goodwill,” it has “issued $200 in travel credits for future JetBlue flights.”
