'It was a nightmare': Edmonton couple stranded in Kelowna after stolen ID
An Edmonton man is looking for a refund – and some answers – after getting stranded in Kelowna after his girlfriend’s ID was stolen.
Eric Grouse was on vacation in B.C. with his girlfriend, Roxanne Manuel, and her 15-year-old daughter. The day before their flight home, Manuel’s wallet, with her ID and all the family’s bank cards, was stolen.
Grouse said they contacted Flair Airlines and told them Manuel only had pictures of her birth certificate, health card and Métis status card. He adds that the representative initially said only original documents would be allowed, but after explaining the situation, he was given the OK.
“His very last word was, ‘Great,’” Grouse said. “So then I’m like, ‘Perfect.’
“We’re good to go.”
They went early to the airport to make sure, said Grouse, but were told at the ticket counter Manuel couldn’t board. He said the agent gave them no information on how they could find a solution, she just said no.
After checking with Air Canada, who Grouse said told them a police report and the photos they had would be enough to board with them, the family filed a police report and returned, but the Edmonton man said they were told no again. He said they called Flair, and a different agent told them it was the ticket agent's choice to accept the documents, but even after having the two representatives speak, Manuel was turned away again.
“It was confusing,” Grouse said. “Everything that they were saying was being contradicted by their own– the next thing they say. It made no sense to me.”
In an email, a Flair Airlines spokesperson told CTV that all passengers have to follow Canadian federal guidelines for identification, which are also posted on the airline’s website.
“It is really unfortunate that our passengers lost their wallet and identification on their travels.” Flair said, but gate agents do not have leeway to override the regulations. CTV asked Flair what passengers should do if their ID is stolen or missing, but the airline has not yet responded.
Grouse said they had no money and nowhere to go, and the airline didn’t offer to help, so they sent Manuel’s daughter on the plane to head home alone.
“She had panic attacks, anxiety through the roof,” said Grouse. “But she did it for us, because we didn’t want her on the streets with us in Kelowna.
“It was a nightmare.”
Grouse said the couple spent the night roaming the streets of Kelowna with their luggage in tow before they were able to arrange a car through his work. He said they’re asking for a refund, but they also want to warn people that they may be left unprotected when things go wrong.
“I’ve never felt more hopeless in my life and I just thought there would be a little bit more compassion, a little bit more empathy to the situation.”
Eric Grouse (right) tells Joe Scarpelli a police report wasn't enough to convince Flair airlines to let his girlfriend board with pictures of her documents after her wallet was stolen. (CTV News Edmonton)
Dr. Gabor Lukacs, Air Passenger Rights president, says Grouse’s situation is a tricky one.
“It’s really one of the disastrous situations that I dread one day will happen to someone who I care about,” Lukacs said.
He adds that Canadian law does allow for alternative ID to be used along with a police report, but they have to be physical copies.
“I very much feel for the passenger, and the one thing for which the airline should be held liable is for giving them wrong information on the phone,” Lukacs said. “That’s something that I have a concern about.”
If someone does have their ID stolen or lost on a trip, it’s best to have original documents sent over as soon as possible, said Lukacs. In international cases, an embassy can help with a missing passport, but there isn’t really anything anyone can do in Grouse’s case other than have the documents sent over.
Terms and conditions vary between airlines, so Lukacs can’t say whether Grouse will get his money back, but he said the conflicting information he was given is the best grounds for a refund. coming Grouse’s way. He adds that the misinformation will be the best bet to secure a refund.
“Had he been given the right information, he would have been able to take a different course of action.
“That’s the only leg he can stand on.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.