Kamloops woman caught in the snow storm chaos at Vancouver airport
A Kamloops woman spent an exhausting night on the floor at the Vancouver International Airport this week, along with hundreds of others, after a snow storm caused flight delays.
Joy Bandoquillo described the scene as chaotic, stressful and emotionally charged as families struggled with the uncertain situation.
“There were lots of tears around me,” she said. “People with children begging to get on flights. People were tired, hungry and stressed and no one knew what was going on.”
Bandoquillo spent 24 hours at the airport. She tried calling Airbnbs in the area but they were full. The food at the airport restaurants was running out because of the all the people stuck there, plus there were staffing shortages.
READ MORE: Vancouver airport disruptions trigger more flight cancellations in Kamloops, Okanagan
Eventually Bandoquillo was rescued by a social media connection who took her into her home to eat and sleep, but she's worried for the other families who were not so lucky.
“We are not all from Vancouver,” she said. “People are on connecting flights and not everyone has friends here and the ability to pay for a motel. I heard so many sad stories. It was very sad to see all these people just trying to be with family, being turned away, and not knowing what will happen.”
The Vancouver airport suspended all incoming and outgoing flights early on Dec. 20 after 30 centimetres of snow fell.
A small number of flights were able to depart by the afternoon, and there are several cancellations today, Dec. 21, as the airport tries to clear up its air traffic congestion.
Bandoquillo travelled by bus from Kamloops to Vancouver on Monday, Dec. 19, and arrived at the packed Vancouver airport late that night with a flight leaving early the next morning.
“l was supposed to have an Airbnb that night but chose to sit in the airport because it was snowing in Vancouver and I realized they got too much snow to handle,” she said. “The airport was packed with people and luggage. Then we heard most of the domestic flights were cancelled. More people kept coming in, trying to find a space on the floor.”
Bandoquillo was concerned about food shortages. She said airport staff were handing out fruit, cookies and water.
“On the main floor of the international departure area there's a food court and out of seven or eight stalls only two or three were open,” she said. “They were running out of food supplies because of the amount of people stuck there. And no staff was coming in because of the dangerous road conditions.”
The next day she connected with an acquaintance on social media.
READ MORE: Snow, cold in Western Canada send icicles through the heart of Canadian travel plans
“I didn’t know her personally, we are in a group on social media and I’d never been to her house,” she said. “She said come stay with us. I took the sky train and they met me at the station, brought me to their home and her husband made a great supper. They gave me a comfortable place to sleep.”
Bandoquillo’s booking agent was able to rebook her flight for tomorrow morning, Dec. 22. She's going to go the airport tonight to make sure she makes it.
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