His five-hour journey took him… 55!

A Montrealer had the misfortune of having to wait 55 hours at the airport.

“It was an absolutely terrifying adventure,” Manon Lefrancois says in an interview, adding that the episode is now behind her.

In early August, Ms. LeFrancois was scheduled to travel to South Dakota for “Bike Week,” an event attended by motorcycle enthusiasts from across North America.

So he bought a plane ticket from Montreal to Rapid City, a five-hour trip with a stopover in New York.

Turbulence

However, there was turbulence from the first boarding. “A wing fell off and the flight was delayed for several hours,” says M^me Lefrançois shows photos of the damaged plane and technicians at work repairing it.

Manon LeFrancois’ first flight was grounded for several hours due to mechanical failure.

Photo by Manon Lefrancois

Those who have already traveled by air can imagine the disastrous consequences of such a delay on a journey involving several stops.

Delta Airlines recently made headlines for poisoning passengers from spoiled food, Miss. LeFrancois found another plane, but not long after.

“The itinerary changed and I was stuck in New York,” says the survivor.

Nightmare in New York

Overall, M^me LeFrancois stayed at LaGuardia Airport in New York for more than two days. Unfortunately, she couldn’t sleep because the hotel was full.

“The first night I slept on the floor. Second, I shared my room with a strange couple,” she insists.

“I do not know English and it was difficult to understand myself. And then, I didn’t feel safe,” she adds.

In all, the Montrealer says he received only a modest $20 compensation for eating at the airport during his long wait.

Comfort

It’s a small consolation, but even tough trials come to an end, and Manon LeFrancois finally made it to “Bike Week”, seven plane tickets later.

“Obviously, my luggage got lost, but hey, it was unusual there,” he says, still disappointed to have lost more than two days of vacation.

“During the festival, the city is full of motorcycles, it’s incredible. That’s not the case here, when you drive you have to look at the road rather than the landscape. It’s beautiful asphalt, made for motorcycles with curves and small tunnels,” explains Manon Lefrancois.

“When I came back, there was an hour and a half delay, but it didn’t matter. It’s nothing compared to the way there,” she concludes with a laugh.