Island governments warn of broader economic disruption
At Queen Beatrix Airport in Aruba — located about 15 miles (24 kilometers) off Venezuela’s coast and a popular destination for U.S. vacationers — officials said they expected a return to normal operations Sunday after a day of cancellations that blocked travelers from reaching the island. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said at a news conference that “the consequences of the conflict have been exceedingly disruptive to both of our ports of entry,” referring to the island’s airport and its seaport from which cruise ships sail.
Stranded travelers scramble to rebook
Lou Levine, a software company manager vacationing in Puerto Rico with his wife and three children, woke Saturday to find his return flight to the Washington, D.C., area canceled. After calling JetBlue without success, the family turned to social media to reach the airline. JetBlue eventually booked them on a later Saturday flight, extending their planned one-week New Year’s holiday into two weeks. His daughter will miss a week of high school.
“I love it here. But we have dog-sitting and cat-sitting and car rental. It’s fine. It’s just really painful on the wallet,” Levine said.
AAA had projected that 122.4 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles from home during the 13-day holiday period. AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said many were still moving through Caribbean airports as the holiday wound down.
“The Caribbean is a top destination this time of the year,” Diaz said. “We do have a lot of people who are trying to get back home this weekend ahead of work and school on Monday.”
Cruise passengers were also caught in the disruptions. Virgin Voyages said travelers unable to reach San Juan in time for upcoming departure dates would receive full credit for a future trip.