Three passengers who had booked a flight to Vancouver got "stranded in Aruba," so they sued Air Canada.

Huibert Visscher, Sandra Broenink and Sofie Visscher booked flights from Aruba to Vancouver.

The itinerary had stops in Charlotte and Toronto, with Air Canada operating the final leg from Toronto to Vancouver.

Unfortunately, because of a snowstorm in Toronto, Air Canada had to rebook the applicants on another flight from Aruba to Vancouver, this time with stops in Chicago and Seattle.

The trio suggested they weren't issued tickets for the revised itinerary despite being rebooked, so they were stranded until they could book a new flight.

All three passengers claimed $3,000 combined from Air Canada under the Air Passenger Protection Regulation (APPR) and an additional $2,816.24 in damages for the cost of hotels, transport and food.

The BC Civil Resolution Tribunal partially approved the passengers' claims.

March 3, 2023, was when the trip's final leg was to commence. Air Canada cancelled the flight of the three passengers when they were scheduled to fly from Toronto to Vancouver.

The airline emailed them to inform them of the change.

"Air Canada says its legal obligation was limited to rebooking the applicants on an alternate flight from Toronto to Vancouver. As the revised itinerary shows, it did not do that," reads the tribunal decision.

The three arranged for a hotel. The next day, March 4, the passengers returned to the airport, but United Airlines could not check them in for their revised itinerary. They could not get in touch with Air Canada to resolve the issue.

The trio couldn't leave Aruba until March 6 and arrived back in Vancouver after midnight on March 7.

"This means the applicant's arrival in Vancouver was delayed by 62 hours and 29 minutes from their original itinerary and by 41 hours and 39 minutes from their revised, but unsuccessful, itinerary."

While the applicants in this case were unsuccessful in their APPR claim, they were successful in their claims of expenses due to negligence on the part of Air Canada.

"Since Air Canada's breach arose when it failed to properly issue tickets for the revised itinerary, it is only liable to damages as a result of that error," the tribunal said.

The applicants won $2,042.99, including damages and tribunal fees.