‘There’s been tears:’ Ottawa woman stranded for days in London, U.K.
An Ottawa woman travelling to Stockholm with her family has been stranded in London, U.K. for several days, caught up in the massive struggles plaguing the airline industry.
Monika Knowles and her family were supposed to arrive in Stockholm early Wednesday morning to visit her sister. Instead, she won’t arrive until Sunday at noon.
“It’s a series of unfortunate events,” Knowles told CTV News from her hotel room in London.
Knowles, her husband, their son and nieces left Ottawa on Tuesday. They were supposed to fly from Toronto to Stockholm, but that flight was cancelled because Scandinavian Airlines pilots are on strike.
They were booked on an Air Canada flight connecting through London. But that flight left more than three hours late, so they missed their connection.
When they arrived in London, Heathrow Airport had instituted a cap of 100,000 departing passengers a day.
As a result, the party was split up into two groups of three. Knowles’s husband and two of the children are flying to Stockholm on Friday, arriving at midnight. But Knowles and the other two kids are flying on Sunday.
“There's been tears, I’m not going to lie,” Knowles said. “More from frustration. Luckily, we’re in London, we can get around, we can do something. But it definitely cuts our whole trip short.”
The point of the trip, which had been planned since 2020, was to visit her sister and spend some time in Sweden.
Knowles said the airline has been doing everything they can to help find solutions. She was even looking at taking the 26-hour train ride to Stockholm, but determined it wouldn’t get them there much sooner.
The family has been getting the chance to tour London and see the sights.
“You kind of just have to go with the flow and make the best out of the whole situation,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
'Ready to go': Fort McMurray residents prepared for evacuation as crews battle nearby wildfire
An evacuation alert remains in place in the Fort McMurray area on Monday afternoon.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.