A vacation flight to the paradise of the Turks and Caicos Islands turned into a tortuous ordeal for dozens of JetBlue passengers after their flight to Boston was canceled, leaving them stranded on the island with nowhere to go.
Those scheduled to fly back to the US on December 28 have described their experience as a “nightmare” after staff at Providenciales International Airport said passengers had to leave the site before it could close.
The problems started when their incoming JetBlue planes encountered an unexpected diversion to Fort Lauderdale due to air traffic control congestion, preventing it from reaching the archipelago.
It meant no plane arrived on the island for another 24 hours to fly JetBlue Flight 754 back to Boston.
Passengers already frustrated by hours of delays were then told to leave the Turks and Caicos airport late at night without any assistance or offer of accommodation from the airline.
Most hotels were fully booked during the holiday season, meaning most had no place to go.
“Putting people out on the street like animals was definitely something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” said Marty, father of three, as he recounted the harrowing night to Boston25News.
Stranded with his exhausted children and distressed wife, Marty was confronted with a heartbreaking reality.
It was a scene of chaos after a flight to Boston from the Turks and Caicos Islands was canceled
Some children were forced to sleep on the floor, with no help from the airport or airline
Eventually, stretchers were made available by the airport for stranded customers, but not until the next morning
“For the first time as a husband and as a father and as a man, I had no idea how to accommodate my family for the night.”
Another passenger, Brett, described the chaos that followed.
With no hotel rooms available on the island, Brett said he and others begged for answers.
“We kept saying, ‘Where do you want us to go? What should we do? How do you kick us into the streets like dogs abroad?’ he explained.
Brett eventually arranged an Airbnb for his group and managed to cram ten people into a rental in what he described as a “horrible, sketchy area.”
He painted a chilling picture of their journey, as wild dogs chased their taxi through dimly lit streets.
Although crime is low on the island, robberies and armed attacks do occur, especially in areas popular with tourists.
‘It looked like something out of a horror movie. The children panicked and asked, “What are we going to do?” Brett said.
“We kept saying, ‘Where do you want us to go? What should we do? How do you kick us into the streets like dogs abroad?’ he explained
“Putting people out on the streets like animals was definitely something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” says father-of-three Marty, who recounts the harrowing night
JetBlue acknowledged the delay in a statement, calling circumstances “beyond our control”
Most hotels were fully booked over the holiday period, meaning most customers had nowhere to go after their flight home was canceled and delayed for 24 hours
Others were not so lucky; some had to wander the streets in search of safety.
By morning, cots had been brought to the airport for passengers who could not find shelter, but even this measure came too late for many who endured an uncomfortable, sleepless night.
JetBlue acknowledged the delay in a statement, calling circumstances “beyond our control.”
The airline explained the flight diversion and promised refunds for eligible expenses, along with $200 in travel credits as a goodwill gesture.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this delay has caused and understand that this has been a frustrating situation,” the statement said.
The airline also pointed out that Flight 754 was one of at least three flights on December 28, operated by different airlines, that were canceled or significantly delayed.
The airport ultimately decided to stay open and only provide cots after another airline canceled an additional flight later that evening.
For passengers like Marty, however, the airline’s apology fell far short of addressing the trauma they experienced.
“This was much more than a delay; This meant people took to the streets in the wee hours of the night asking them to fend for themselves with no solutions,” he said.
“Airlines need to do better,” Brett added. “Nobody should have to go through this.”