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JetBlue apologizes after Boston-bound passengers scrambled for shelter due to a long delay
"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this delay caused and understand this was a frustrating situation," JetBlue officials said in a statement.
JetBlue passengers bound for Boston wound up spending an extra, unwelcome night in Turks and Caicos over the weekend due to Air Traffic Control congestion.
On Saturday, Flight 754 from Turks and Caicos to Boston “experienced a significant delay after the inbound aircraft had to divert to Fort Lauderdale due to heavy Air Traffic Control (ATC) congestion and extended holding in the area,” according to a statement from JetBlue.
The flight was delayed until the following day, and Flight 754 passengers told Boston 25 News they were told they could not stay inside the airport.
A passenger named Marty, who was there with his wife and three young kids, told Boston 25 News it was an “unsettling, traumatizing experience” trying to find shelter because hotel rooms on the island were scarce.
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Passenger Brett told Boston 25 News: “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?”
The families scrambled and wound up finding a hotel and Airbnb. Upon arriving back at the airport the next day, they saw dozens of cots that were brought in for passengers to sleep on.
A JetBlue representative told Boston.com that the JetBlue flight was one of at least three flights, operated by different airlines, that were either cancelled or significantly delayed on Saturday, and after another airline cancelled an additional flight later that night, the airport decided to remain open and provide cots.
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“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this delay caused and understand this was a frustrating situation,” JetBlue officials said in a statement. “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. Additionally, as a gesture of goodwill, we’ve issued a travel credit for future JetBlue flights.”
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