# In Aruba, Need help now with airline question pls



## wegottago (Aug 26, 2011)

I've never been in this situation before so I need some guidance please.  We are at the Surf Club with flight home on Sun. cancelled.  We came on Continental from Newark.  They are not taking any calls because they are so busy. I can't get skype to work on the computer so I've had to call from the room.

There are flights on Continental to Newark on Tue but they are two stops and $4500 for 4 people.  Would Continental move us to a flight like that?

I've looked at Expedia using every airport nearby (EWR, PHL, JFK) and there are reasonable flights from here to Baltimore on USAIR on Tuesday.  Monday is really $$ for all airlines.

People here say I will get a refund from Continental on the unused portion of the flight back to Newark.

Since I can't talk to Continental yet I'm uncomfortable booking a new flight especially on another airline w/o knowing how much money I'd get back from Continental.

We paid $2000 rdtrip for 4 and the one-way home to BWI would be about $1200.

Please advise what I should do.  Thank you for any suggestions.


----------



## dioxide45 (Aug 26, 2011)

Getting in to any east cost airport this weekend and for several days after will be very hard with the hurricane moving up the coast. That is why your Sunday flight was canceled. The airline should move you to the next available flight. If you were able to get to the continental USA you could possibly rent a one way car rental to get home. Not sure if this is an option, but it could work if you could get to Florida. It will be a long journey no matter what you do, I wish you luck.


----------



## Chemee (Aug 26, 2011)

Have you tried contacting them at the Aruba airport?  I would think they would be able to rebook you.  I would assume any plans I make on my own would be out of pocket.  Otherwise, at best, I would only expect a credit or voucher from Continental.


----------



## wvacations (Aug 26, 2011)

Continental owes you a flight home.  A cancelled flight does not void you contract with the airline. After the storms move out, continental will be repositioning all there airplanes. You will need to find out when they are planning to rebook you. Unfortunately unless you have travel insurance, your extra lodging and meals will be at your expense. 

I would not buy another ticket on another airline as I would be very surprised if continental pays you anything for it. 

I would go to the airport and get rebooked.


----------



## alwysonvac (Aug 27, 2011)

Here's what I found on Continental's website - http://www.continental.com/CMS/en-US/travel/news/Pages/travelnotices.aspx



> Event
> Hurricane Irene – East Coast
> 
> Travel to/from/through
> ...



Good Luck


----------



## sparty (Aug 27, 2011)

If you put it on your Marriott credit card, call and ask what can be done using the trip cancellation insurance.


----------



## lll1929 (Aug 27, 2011)

If you are required to stay in Aruba and have to purchase lodging, I would suggest bidding on priceline.  Sorry your flight home has been cancelled, but at least you are stuck in a nice place...


----------



## MALC9990 (Aug 27, 2011)

lll1929 said:


> If you are required to stay in Aruba and have to purchase lodging, I would suggest bidding on priceline.  Sorry your flight home has been canceled, but at least you are stuck in a nice place...



Last year when the ash cloud hit the UK and northern Europe many guests were stranded at resorts like Marriott Son Antem. When check-out time came many guests were stranded and the resort staff did a wonderful job in finding accommodation for stranded guests either in available units or the on-site hotel or other hotels in Mallorca.

However many of the low-cost carriers tried to wriggle out of their commitments to passengers by telling them to simply claim a refund and then find their own way home at their own inflated costs. EU legislation imposes a duty of care to their customer on airlines based in Europe that non-EU airlines try to avoid.

Good Luck in your efforts to get home but in the meantime enjoy the sun.


----------



## NJMOM2 (Aug 27, 2011)

My SIL & BIL are also stranded in Aruba. They were scheduled to fly back today on Continental Airlines to Newark.   All New York airports have starting closing down as of noon today.  They are staying in an efficiancy at Surf Club and was told by the staff that they would charge them $100 a night to stay IF their flight was cancelled otherwise it was over $300.  Luckily they bought the insurance from Interval when I booked the exchange for them so their extra expenses will be covered.

I don't know if they were able to rescheduled a flight to come home yet.  I know they were having the some problem last night trying to get in contact with Continental.

Their older children (age 25+) are home securing the house.  Gee I wouldn't mind being STUCK in Aruba.  There is nothing more anyone can do.  Enjoy the extra days.


----------



## GrayFal (Aug 27, 2011)

sparty said:


> If you put it on your Marriott credit card, call and ask what can be done using the trip cancellation insurance.



thanks for posting this advice. i am in Bermuda and purchased my tickt using my American Airline World Mastercard . AA has put me on a flight home Thursday but I am paying out of pocket for a one bedroom unit at the St George Club. And I am typing this on my Kindle 3G which has free international internet. My credit card is suppose to have travel insurance so we will see the end result.


----------



## Smooth Air (Aug 27, 2011)

Similar thing recently happened to us. But we were in Nova Scotia, not Aruba.
Our flight on Carrier X was cancelled due to weather. At the Nova Scotia airport, we went to the reservation/check-in counter of Carrier Y. They booked us on a flight for 6:00AM the morning following our cancelled flight on Carrier X. Carrier X refunded the return portion of our cancelled flight. The flight on Carrier Y cost 3 times as much as the cost of the return portion of Carrier X. 

If I were in your situation, I would go directly to the Aruba airport with packed bags, ready to travel. Go directly to the Continental check-in  counter & see if Continental can get you out on the next available Continental flight to some airport in the US or Canada not affected by Hurricane Irene. Alternatively, you may want to try to get to Toronto on Air Canada. Then once you get to Toronto you can figure out how to get back home. From Toronto airport you cld drive to Buffalo & fly from there on Jet Blue or any of the other US air carriers when normal air travel resumes. Or, fly out of Toronto: Pearson airport or the downtown Island airport on Porter airlines if they fly somewhere near your home. Or, as mentioned above, rent a car & drive. 

Continental will probably refund you the return portion of your flight if you end up going on Air Canada. The Air Canada flight is direct/non-stop Aruba to Toronto: Flight 1295 and it leaves Aruba this evening at 17:50, arriving at 23:00.


----------



## nalismom (Aug 27, 2011)

Quick search of continentals site shows no continental availability until Friday, Sept 2.  A search of expedia's site shows no availability until Thursday sept 1 on delta for $1202 pp


----------



## Weimaraner (Aug 27, 2011)

One thing to do is to book lodging after Surf Club in case you are stranded there. One time we were flying in to Aruba and there was a plane crash that shut down flights (no injuries). They were announcing they were moving people to Curacao since there was no lodging left in Aruba. It was in High season but something you need to consider if others are in same predicament. a lot of East coasters go to Aruba. 
Best of luck to you!


----------



## Smooth Air (Aug 27, 2011)

So, "wegottago", how did things work out for you?

Are you staying in Aruba for another week? 
Good point to reserve alternate accomodations asap. You can always cancel if you do not need it.

I heard Curacao Marriott is very nice.


----------



## flyboy0681 (Aug 28, 2011)

Smooth Air said:


> If I were in your situation, I would go directly to the Aruba airport with packed bags, ready to travel. Go directly to the Continental check-in  counter & see if Continental can get you out on the next available Continental flight to some airport in the US or Canada not affected by Hurricane Irene.



That won't work because Continental flies to only one destination from Aurba - and that is Newark. It's not as Continental flies to a dozen destinations from Aruba. Well, I guess they do, but only through Newark.


----------



## Smooth Air (Aug 28, 2011)

Thank you, flyboy. I did not know that. I am in Canada. OP probably knows.


----------



## NJMOM2 (Aug 28, 2011)

My SIL & BIL  were offered a return Continenal flight back on Sept. 12th.  They managed to get a flight out on Thurs. and land in Newark on Fri. after 3 connections.  They ran in a co-worker in Aruba and are spending the rest of the week there until Thurs. on their sofabed at Surf Club.  Worst things can happen.


----------



## Smooth Air (Aug 28, 2011)

NJMOM, thanks for the update.
I wonder what happened w/ the OP, "wegottago". I hope things have worked out for them.


----------



## NJMOM2 (Aug 31, 2011)

Actually they had yet another flight update.  Continental brought in another plane on Monday that took off at 8pm landing in Newark at 2am on Tuesday.  They were on that flight and are safely home now.


----------

