Ontario woman wants compensation after Flair said she would have to wait 2 weeks to fly home

A Burlington, Ont., woman is trying to get compensation from Flair Airlines after it cancelled her flight from Florida back to Canada and rescheduled it over two weeks later forcing her todrive back in a rental car.

"It was mind-boggling," Erin Lawley told CBC Hamilton.

She wants a refund for her rescheduled flight, carry-on and out-of-pocket expenses, which includethe more than $2,600spent on the rental car.

A passenger rights advocate said Lawley has a good chance of getting money from Flair.

"This is egregious," Gbor Lukcs said.

Flair Airlines told CBC Hamilton it is reviewing the case.

'I start bawling my eyes out'

The 30-year-old single mother of two who lives in subsidized housing and is also a student said she saved up for two years to take her kids to Florida.

After spending roughly a week-and-a-half abroad, on May 3Lawleydroveto the airport in a rental car, expectingto fly home.

When she arrived, she said she learned Flair cancelled her flight.

Lawley said the airline told her it would pay for her stay in a hotel until they found her another flightand offer her $240 worth of food vouchers.

She said she raced to get the rental car back, which cost an extra fee, and then booked a hotel.

Lawley said she found a room, though it wasn't big enough for the kids, her boyfriend and herself.

She also said the food vouchers were expired by the time they tried to use them.

The next day, Lawley said hotel staff were asking her to check out.

Lawley said she tried to tell them the airline was covering her stay, but then learned the date of her next flight May 20, over two weeks later.

Lawley said hotel staff told her she'd need to sort out things with the airline and if she couldn't she'd have to leave.

Lawley said she called Flair asking about the new flight data, hotel arrangements and food vouchers.

"There has to be another way. I need to get home," Lawley said.

She said waiting until May 20 would also force her to miss her registered massage therapy exam.

Flair said there was no other option but to wait.

Lawley said Flair never sent the check-in code for the hotel or food vouchers and security ended up forcing her off the property.

"I start bawling my eyes out," she said.

Lawley said she tried calling Flair but the phone line cut out. She also said made more calls and waited on hold for hours but didn't get help.

Seeing flights with other airlines were too expensive, Lawley said she had no choice but to drive back in the rental car.

"I was having a panic attack. My hands were like pins and needles," she said.

Lawley said she drove some 18 hours and had her mother meet her in Buffalo.

She missed her exam but said she was able to get it rescheduled.

Flair apologizes for cancellation

Lawley said she has tried to get compensation from Flair but the airline told her it won't compensate her.

An email exchange that appears to be between Lawley and Flair shows the airline saidthe cancellation was due to reasons within its control "but was required for safety purposes and is not eligible for the payment of compensation."

Flair Airlines said it "always wants passengers to have a safe and enjoyable experience" and apologizes for having to cancel the original flight.

It also said it would "reach out to her directly to try to make it right."

Lukcs said he thinks Flair will likely have to pay for her out-of-pocket expenses like food and the rental car.

He also said she should take the airline to small claims court.

"I would say she has a very good case here," Lukcs said.

Lawley said she's sharing her story in hopes it will help others.

"I didn't know what to do or who to call," she said.

"I hope somebody can learn from this."