MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - A broken water pipe causing delays at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport created a ripple effect, frustrating passengers who remain stranded in South Florida since over the weekend.
Already hit with flight delays due to winter weather, JFK Airport saw further delays after the broken water pipe closed a terminal at the airport.
However, the effects were felt here in the Sunshine State where passengers who planned to fly to New York were forced to put their trips on hold.
One group feeling the frustration was Frank Duchene and his family. They’re supposed to be back home just outside of Paris, but instead, they’re wandering the terminals at Miami International Airport.
“We had to check [into] a new hotel, a new car,” Duchene said. “When we arrived, we checked in our luggage. They told us ‘It’s OK, no problem.’ One hour later, they told us, ‘Oh, the flight is canceled.'”
Duchene and his family were supposed to be on a flight to JFK with a connection to Paris on Jan. 6. However, that flight never came due to the weather in the Northeast.
The heavy snow and freezing conditions cancelled hundreds of flights and delayed hundreds more, which left many passengers stranded across the country.
“The airline definitely did not do what they were supposed to do,” said one angry passenger.
The Duchenes didn’t have their clothes with them and had to buy some to make do. “We have to buy new pants and socks [from] CVS for five persons,” Duchene said.
To make matters worse, Duchene said the airline told them that their luggage was sent to JFK in the midst of the broken water pipe, leaving them to wonder if their luggage made it out unscathed. “We saw on your T.V. there was a million of luggage in JFK in the water. Maybe ours are under the water,” Duchene said.
The break caused even more cancellations and delays for passengers.
The Duchene family eventually caught a flight to Dallas and they were finally able to begin their trip home to Paris.
Airport officials recommend checking with your airline to see if there are any delays or cancellations.
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