A Brooklyn family’s dream vacation turned into a heartbreaking ordeal when they missed their long-awaited cruise due to a flight delay. Tisha LaSaine, who had saved for a year to celebrate her 50th birthday with her family, was devastated when she realized their trip was falling apart before it even began.
LaSaine, her son Kaseem, and her twins were set to embark on an $8,500 cruise from Cape Canaveral, Florida. However, their flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Orlando, scheduled for 9:54 a.m., was delayed by nearly two hours due to a crew issue. By the time they took off at 11:40 a.m., they were cutting it far too close to the cruise’s 3:30 p.m. departure.
Had the flight been on time, the family would have landed at 12:51 p.m., leaving them plenty of time to make it to the ship. But the delay threw off their entire schedule, leaving them scrambling. Despite their best efforts to make up for lost time, the family arrived at the port only to see their ship already sailing off into the distance.
“I think I cried more than the kids, and it was for them,” LaSaine said in an emotional interview, expressing the deep disappointment of missing out on what was meant to be a celebratory trip for the whole family.
Travel expert Gary Leff weighed in, offering advice on how to avoid such a nightmare. “Don’t book short connections,” he cautioned, and urged travelers to plan for earlier arrivals, giving themselves a cushion in case of delays or cancellations. For many families like the LaSaines, relying on same-day flights for such crucial trips can be a risky gamble.
Following the missed cruise, the heartbroken family flew back to New York, where LaSaine tried to seek compensation from Delta. While the cruise line offered a full refund for the trip, Delta’s response was less satisfying.
Initially, the airline provided only e-credits covering the flight to Florida, totaling $250 per person. This fell far short of the full ticket cost and didn’t even account for the return flight home.
Determined to make things right, LaSaine reached out to ABC 7’s consumer-focused team, “On Your Side,” for help. Reporter Nina Pineda took up the case, applying pressure on Delta to resolve the situation. Thanks to the station’s intervention, Delta finally agreed to issue a full refund of $2,600, covering the family’s airfare.
For LaSaine, the refund was a huge relief. “That’s a lot of money for me to lose that I put out in a few months,” she said. “I was happy, I was so happy.”
The family’s story serves as a reminder of how unpredictable travel can be and the importance of planning with extra time to spare. Though their dream vacation didn’t happen, LaSaine’s persistence ensured they didn’t lose everything in the process.
