Two individuals from Toronto were stranded in Trinidad and Tobago due to a pilot strike that led to the cancellation of their flight. The airline had informed them that they won’t be able to return home until September.
These women, who prefer not to disclose their identities, had both traveled separately to the region for vacation. However, upon arriving at Tobago’s airport over the recent weekend, their shared predicament brought them together. Initially, both were scheduled to depart from Tobago to Trinidad on Sunday and subsequently return to Toronto.
The situation took an aggravating turn when they received an email around 4 a.m. indicating that their 9:55 a.m. flight had been rescheduled to 1 p.m. One of the women recounted, “Upon reaching the airport, I inquired if I could be accommodated on the 11 a.m. flight instead. It was then that the customer service informed me that all the pilots had reported sick the previous night.”
On August 20, Caribbean Airlines took to social media to communicate that a number of their international and domestic flights between Trinidad and Tobago had to be called off due to a “remarkably high volume of calls from pilots reporting that they are unwell and unable to report for duty.”
As a result of the sick calls, approximately 60 flights were cancelled between August 18 and 20.
Trinidad and Tobago is a twin island republic, with Tobago situated over 30 kilometers from Trinidad. Unfortunately, the two Canadian women found themselves stranded due to the pilot strike couldn’t reach Trinidad when the pilots called in sick. After encountering numerous challenges and receiving no assistance from the airline, they managed to secure passage on a ferry to Trinidad.
Upon arriving in Trinidad, which was close to midnight, they were faced with a lack of transportation. Stranded in the Port of Spain, an area considered unsafe, they were left to navigate their situation in the middle of the night.
Arranging their own accommodations at a hotel, the women expressed frustration over the lack of support from the airline and the absence of substantial updates. The entire ordeal has proven financially burdensome for them.
Their next available flight is scheduled for September 4, a timeline they find unacceptable due to work and other commitments. They noted that their acquaintances attempting to return to Toronto share the same lack of information.
Caribbean Airlines informed them that booking with another airline would not warrant a refund and credit card insurance doesn’t cover new flights in cases of labor-related cancellations, which falls under the airline’s responsibility.
Caribbean Airlines obtained an industrial court injunction to compel the pilots to resume work on August 20. They have since communicated that flights are back on schedule. As of Tuesday, the airline posted that two recovery flights were organized to transport stranded passengers back to Toronto.
By Tuesday, the women had yet to receive notification regarding their status on either of the recovery flights. They were instructed not to proceed to the airport until a flight was confirmed, but they expressed the possibility of braving the airport crowds to seek assistance.
Despite the challenges, the women found solace in each other’s company during this tumultuous period. They managed to secure spots on the second recovery flight headed back to Toronto after spending an entire day at the airport on Tuesday.