AIRLINE: So this means that a wide-body was in service on this route for a turnaround? Interesting! I wonder who is legally liable for her delays as a result? Kind of funny, but it couldn't have more serious had she had a medical condition and needed that medication ASAP. To bad she was a sound sleeper! -- Mike Burris Cambridge, Mass ---------------------------------------- --- Roger James <ejames@escape.ca> wrote: > Woman falls asleep on flight to St. John's, wakes up > in England ,,,,,,Air > Canada staff didn't wake her up, wouldn't turn plane > around > Brian Callahan > Citizen Special Monday, December 09, 2002 > > > Catherine Coyle had been flying home to St. John's > from Halifax. The > journey normally takes 90 minutes. It took her 15 > hours. ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. > -- A Newfoundland woman is demanding answers from > Air Canada after her > 90-minute flight home became a 15-hour odyssey to > England and back. > Catherine Coyle, 39, who moved to Halifax 10 years > ago, was flying home to > the Newfoundland capital late Thursday to be with > her ailing mother. She > fell asleep shortly after the flight left Halifax, > tired after days of not > sleeping and worrying about her mother. When she > woke up several hours > later, she immediately sensed something was wrong. > "I woke up about 1 a.m. > and noticed that there was a different person > sitting next to me," she > said. "Then the pilot announced the possible arrival > time and that the > flying time would be four-and-a-half hours. I was > shocked." > > Ms. Coyle approached a flight attendant for an > explanation and was told the > flight was almost 30 minutes out of St. John's and > headed to London, > England. "I told him my family, my luggage, my > medication, my clothes ... > is back in Newfoundland. And I said, 'I've got to > get off this plane.' " > But Air Canada denied her request to turn the plane > around. > Back in St. John's, her sister and mother were > waiting at the airport. They > had her luggage, but there was no sign of Ms. Coyle. > They began to worry > and eventually called the RCMP. Sitting in an aisle > seat in the middle of > the plane, Ms. Coyle said she can't understand how > the flight crew didn't > notice her or ask to see her ticket before leaving > for England. > > "I asked about head counts and the steward said he > did and it worked out > perfect," she said. "But apparently they only > counted the boarding passes > or something, not the individual passengers." She > spent only two hours in > London before boarding a return flight to St. > John's, for which she didn't > have to pay. An official from Air Canada told her > someone would call her > today to discuss the incident. "Whoever was on that > plane is going to get a > blast," Ms. Coyle said. "It must even be illegal or > something for them to > take me to another country with no passport, > nothing." Air Canada officials > could not be reached for comment. > > > The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: > Roj (Roger James) > *************************************************** > escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca > Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com > CBC Website > http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ > The Trinbago Site of the Week: > (TnT News) http://www.tntmirror.com/ > (TnT News) > courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory > Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com > TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt > *********************************************************