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Canadian Tourist Reports Frustrating Lack Of Communication
Tourists stuck in Cancun after continued delays are facing hurdle after hurdle in their attempts to get home. The tourists are mainly Canadian who are suffering because of SunWings problems this week.
According to one Canadian passenger, the initial flight was delayed for three hours in steady increments of ten minutes until it was finally abandoned. Since then, it was canceled a further five times, leaving the passengers stranded in Cancun. At this point, it is unclear if the passengers have managed to get home.
SunWing has been reporting major technical problems across their entire network, and unfortunately, their communications with affected customers have been less than exemplary. The passengers received no information from the airline until much later in the day. More than forty flights were delayed on Monday alone.
The passengers were eventually transported to a hotel for the night after a full day of waiting at the airport, No money or services were provided until their arrival at the hotel, and many of the passengers reported being short of their medications and other supplies.
The Cancun problem is not isolated. The network issues SunWing is facing have left Canadians stranded across the world. The issues are impacting the check-in and boarding processes, and multiple reports at virtually all SunWing hubs are suggesting huge lines as the teams process the frustrated customers. Thousands of SunWing customers are still affected.
The Cancun passengers were not given vouchers, but other destinations have received $15 vouchers for the airport, which could only be redeemed at Starbucks. Information given to passengers varies from location to location, and panicked travelers are spending thousands switching flights to get home from work in time.
Although the issues being faced at the airport is no fault of the Cancun Airport, it will, unfortunately, reflect poorly on the region. As the state’s popularity has soared in recent months, problems have grown at the airport. Passengers have experienced as long as four-hour waits to get through customs and immigration due to understaffing in the airport.
The government responded by relocating significant amounts of immigration officers to Cancun which was reported to have helped significantly. With that said, it’s unclear how they have coped with the huge numbers passing through the area in the past week or so.
The military has also been more involved in the daily operations of the airport. Although there were no immediate security threats made aware to the public, the presence of the military is likely to be a welcome addition for tourists, much as it has been on the beaches and hotel zones of Cancun.
The airport has been approaching record-breaking levels for the past month, and the momentum is likely to continue. The addition of the Tulum Airport next year may be an interesting development for the region. Currently, Cancun serves visitors traveling as far as Tulum and even beyond. The new hub will free up even more seats for those arriving in Cancun or Playa del Carmen.
As the government tries to cling to its newfound market, ensuring the airport runs efficiently is extremely important. As the first thing tourists experience, the hub serves as an introduction to Cancun and can set the tone for the entire trip. It can also leave a bad taste in the mouth of those who have enjoyed an otherwise good trip.
The airport is currently one of the ten busiest in the world and expects to hold onto that. Sun Wing may not have been its fault, but the airport should most definitely be doing what it can to support the stranded customers.
Those traveling with Sun Wing soon should check the status of their flights for multiple days before traveling to ensure there are no problems.
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