John and Lois Alderman said they felt like "prisoners," stranded in Toronto as they waited with their children for a flight back home to Manchester, U.K.
The couple said they were hesitant to go sightseeing in case they got an email from Air Canada with a last-minute flight, although the airline has told them they could be in Toronto for another four or five days.
They are among thousands of passengers who faced another day of travel disruptions Monday as Air Canada flight attendants continued to strike despite a return-to-work order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
Being stuck in a hotel room with two teenagers isn't the only concern for the Aldermans.
"I'm a diabetic and I'm going to run out of insulin in about four days," John said at Pearson International Airport. "That's going to cause a problem."
He said a hotel is costing the family about $700 per night out of pocket, and a flight back with a competitor airline would cost upwards of $8,000 for all four of them.
Beverley and Martin Newstead, who are also trying to get back to the U.K. after their evening flight out of Toronto was cancelled, said they were facing the reality of extending their vacation indefinitely.
"It's not ideal," Martin said. "It is nice in Canada, but we've been here for two weeks and a bit and are running out of clothes to wear."
Crowds were swarming staff at Toronto and Montreal airports Monday morning in hopes of finding alternative flights and more information on last-minute cancellations.
Among those in Montreal was Marouan Ait Ben Abdallah, who said he spent his first-ever night in Canada sleeping at the airport.
He arrived from Morocco on Sunday ahead of starting a new job in Winnipeg, anticipating a connecting flight from Montreal. But as of Monday, he was still looking for a way to get to his destination.
“I have no idea what’s been going on,” he said, adding he didn’t know much about the labour dispute. “It is what it is, what can I say? This is my destiny, I can’t change anything about it."
Also in Montreal was Luca Pozzoli, who said he's trying to get to Italy but his flight was cancelled shortly after he arrived at the airport. Now, he's trying to find another way to Milan, but he's left with few options.
"Everything is fully booked, so we are considering the possibility to go to Boston … drive there, and then fly (from) there tomorrow," he said.
In Toronto, Sandra Major, who is trying to get home to the Bahamas after visiting her grandchildren in Canada, said she got a text on her way to the airport that her 2:45 p.m. flight was cancelled.
She said the cancellations "take a toll" on travellers who just want to get home, especially after receiving no other options from airline staff at the airport.
"I came down here for some assistance to see if they could transfer me on another flight, and they said they can't help because they're all shut down," Major said.
The scramble at airports across the country Monday came as the Canada Industrial Relations Board declared the strike by Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants unlawful and ordered the union's leadership to direct its members to return to work.
"The members of the union’s bargaining unit are directed to resume the performance of their duties immediately and to refrain from engaging in unlawful strike activities," CIRB vice chairperson Jennifer Webster wrote in the decision.
Air Canada's flight attendants went on strike on Saturday but were ordered back to work after federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu invoked Section 107 of the Labour Code to ask the board to send the two sides to binding arbitration and order an end to the job action.
However, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the flight attendants, has ignored the edict and challenged the CIRB order in Federal Court.
Air Canada had intended to restart flights on Sunday, but was prevented by the union's decision to continue its strike. The airline estimated that some 500,000 customers’ flights have been cancelled as a result.
The airline announced Monday that all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights would remain suspended until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday he was disappointed Air Canada and the union weren't able to reach a deal after eight months of negotiations, and urged both sides to quickly resolve the situation causing chaos for travellers.
He also said that Ottawa recognized the "critical role that flight attendants play in keeping Canadians and their families safe as they travel," adding it was "important that they're compensated equitably at all times."
Things were quieter at Vancouver's airport which has told Air Canada passengers not to turn up without a confirmed flight.
Ulla Clozza was preparing for a flight to Copenhagen for a family wedding. The 69-year-old said she and her husband Dale Clozza were originally scheduled to fly out on Saturday with Air Canada, but their travel agent was able to rebook them with Swiss Air.
"We're a little disappointed that we couldn't get out originally, as planned, and it meant cancelling hotels and different things, so a little bit of a problem, but we're here, so that's what counts," she said.
The couple from Nanaimo, B.C., said they were very grateful for their travel agent. "I can't imagine being on the other side and being stuck in a foreign country when you have to work the next day or whatever because that's thousands of dollars," Clozza said.
Despite the travel chaos, some passengers expressed sympathy for the striking flight attendants and said they should be treated fairly.
"I think that that's important. If you're here to do your job and you've already started to do your job, then you should get paid for it," said Lisa Smith, who was stuck at Montreal's airport with her sister Nicole Power.
The sisters were visiting San Francisco and were initially told by Air Canada two days ago that their return trip to Newfoundland wouldn't be impacted.
Smith said they were then told on Sunday the flight was cancelled, and Air Canada rebooked them on a competitor flight but they'll be stuck in Montreal until Wednesday.
"Air Canada has rebooked us for free, but they're not compensating any hotels, any transportation to our hotel, no meals," she said.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan
