A canceled or delayed flight can seriously disrupt your travel plans.
After all, there’s nothing worse than being stuck at an airport and frantically scrambling to book a new flight…
… but imagine being stranded with no way home for more than 6 months.
Sounds unbelievable, right?
But in the era of COVID-19, anything can happen.
Typically, a trip to Tahiti, the largest island in the French Polynesia, would be viewed as the ultimate paradise vacation.
White powdery beaches. Crystal clear water. Beautiful weather.
Everyone wants to visit the French Polynesia.
But for 25 travelers, the ultimate dream vacation has turned into a living nightmare as they’ve been stranded in Tahiti for more than six months!
When COVID-19 shut down travel in March, many people around the world were inconvenienced but still managed to get home.
Some rented private charter jets.
Others had to pay a hefty fee and go through massive rerouting, but they were still able to get home.
But this is not the case for those trapped in Tahiti trying to get home to Easter Island – a whopping 2,600 miles away.
Easter Island is a Chilean territory located between the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle and South America.
Desperate to get home, residents trapped in Tahiti have used three languages to get help (English, Spanish, and French) yet to no avail.
Talk about discouraging.
While some escape routes have potentially become available, many of those trapped can’t afford them.
Not surprising!
I don’t know too many people who could afford to have a six month “vacation” away from work and still have money to buy food – nevermind an expensive plane ticket home.
The grief and despair these folks are feeling has to be intense. Imagine being separated from your family – your wife or husband – your children.
One woman, who is only 21-years old, is actually about to go into labor in Tahiti – and her husband is home and she is there.
Giving birth is scary enough – but in a foreign land away from your family? It’s almost unbearable.
And that’s the insanity with COVID-19. Nobody saw it coming.
People packed for a week or two of vacation, but have now been stuck in Tahiti for months – some resorting to fishing or growing their own food just to eat!
It’s reported that some donation pages have been set up to help get the 25 travelers back home.
Hopefully these prove successful.
So the next time you think your flight delay is “inconvenient” – imagine what these people in Tahiti have endured!
And before you book your next international flight, make sure you have a series of contingency plans.
It could happen to you.
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