Family heartbroken after watching dream $8,500 cruise leave port without them after making common travel mistake
A heartbroken family had to watch their cruise ship leave without them because their flight to the ship’s port was delayed and there was not enough time to arrive on time.
Tisha LaSaine, who lives in Brooklyn with her children, had been saving money for a year for the week-long cruise, which was supposed to celebrate her 50th birthday and her son Kaseem’s junior year at Hampton College in Virginia.
But when the family of four arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, they were shocked to discover that their flight to Orlando “had been delayed due to a crew issue.”
They were devastated and soon realized they had made a common mistake while traveling and not allowed enough time to make the $8,500 cruise.
“We left at 11:40. Our flight was scheduled for 9:54,” Kaseem said ABC7the local New York City branch.
The only problem was that their cruise ship was scheduled to leave Cape Canaveral harbor at 3:30 p.m.
Tisha LaSaine, left, her son Kaseem Miller, right, and her twins were supposed to go on a cruise that left from Orlando. Their flight was delayed, causing them to miss the entire trip
If their flight had not been delayed, they would have landed in Orlando at 12:51 p.m. They would have had plenty of time to catch their cruise ship.
But while the average nonstop flight from JFK to Orlando takes about three hours, the family just managed to make it with the 11:40 a.m. departure time.
LaSaine told her mother, who was also going, that she didn’t think they would make it.
Their worst fears were realized when they finally arrived at the dock and found their ship already at sea without them.
“I think I cried more than the kids, and it was for them,” LaSaine said.
Travel expert Gary Leff says there is a way to prevent a tragedy like this.
“Don’t book short connections, such as less than an hour. And book your trip to arrive earlier than you actually need to get to your destination, so that later flights can still get you on time in the event of a delay or cancellation,” Leff told the roadside assistance organization. AAA until 2022.
After missing the cruise, the family immediately flew back to New York and LaSaine struggled to get a refund from Delta.
ABC 7 On Your Side, a consumer-facing team at the news station, sent a letter to Delta and successfully pressured them to issue a full refund. Kaseem is pictured thanking ABC reporter Nina Pineda with a hug
They flew back to New York with broken hearts.
LaSaine received a refund from the cruise line for missing the entire eight-day trip, but ran into trouble when she tried to ask Delta for a refund.
Delta only gave her an e-credit, which only covered their one-way trip to Florida, not the return flight to New York. It was worth $250 per person, not even close to the full ticket price.
Then LaSaine sent a letter to ABC 7 On Your Side, a consumer-facing team at the news station dedicated to helping people who have unresolved issues with a company.
Nina Pineda, the reporter who interviewed the family, contacted Delta about this issue and was able to pressure the airline to refund the full amount.
Delta refunded LaSaine $2,600, the full value of the airfare.
“That’s a lot of money I spent in a couple months,” LaSaine said. “I was happy, I was so happy.”