Ottawa family still searching for answers from WestJet after chaotic trip

After spending almost 48 hours longer than intended in Costa Rica, an Ottawa family has finally returned home.

The Sachs family was supposed to leave on a WestJet flight from Liberia airport to Toronto on Saturday night, but after a five-hour delay and a surprise sinkhole on the runway, they were forced to find their own accommodations to stay in Costa Rica overnight.

After spending about $1,500 on a resort, WestJet added a recovery flight on Sunday, allowing the Sachs’ to come home. They arrived in Ottawa at 5 a.m. Monday

“Last night, we came into Toronto, rented a car and drove through the middle of the night back to Ottawa.” Adam Sachs said.

“We’re happy to be home absolutely.”

The travel nightmare began Saturday when their departing flight experienced a “passport verification issue” and were forced to wait on the tarmac in Liberia. After that was resolved, an issue on the runway caused the flight to be cancelled altogether.

In a statement, WestJet confirmed the runway was closed due to “unforeseen damage” and “required the flight to return to the gate.” The family says they were left in the country with no help from the airline for accommodations or transport.

Other Canadian passengers experienced cancellations and delays because of the issue.

AirTransat confirmed to CTV News that one of its Toronto to Libera flights was diverted to San Jose after the unexpected closure of the runway. It says its passengers were accommodated in nearby hotels or made alternative arrangements.

CTV News also reached out to Sunwing for an update on its Costa Rica flights, but did not hear back.

WestJet issued an apology in a statement to CTV News, but the family says they have not received any personal updates from the company. The family adds they are still in contact with many people from their flight that are stuck in the Liberia airport, some of whom have been sleeping on the floor since Saturday night.

While happy to be home, the Sachs are still looking for answers, reimbursement and a response.

“Nobody got an apology,” Margarita Sachs said. “We have a group of passengers on a WhatsApp group and just kind of checking in with each other and nobody was apologized to at all.”