It was supposed to be a guys' trip to the Caribbean for one D.C.-area resident. But when Hurricane Irma hit the Dominican Republic, he was trapped, and some airlines were less than accommodating.
A motorcyclist is blocked by trees felled by Hurricane Irma in Samana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma is flooding parts of the Dominican Republic as it roars by just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti.
(AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez
A home flattened by Hurricane Irma lies in a pile in Nagua, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma flooded parts of the Dominican Republic when it roared by Thursday, just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti.
(AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez
A home is surrounded by debris brought in by Hurricane Irma in Nagua, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma flooded parts of the Dominican Republic when it roared by Thursday, just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti.
(AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez
Winds brought by Hurricane Irma blow palm trees in Samana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma is flooding parts of the Dominican Republic as it roars by just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti.
(AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez
Hurricane Irma approaches Samana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Fearsome Hurricane Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least several dead and thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.
(AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez
This photo provided by the Dutch Defense Ministry a resident surveys the damage done by the passing of Hurricane Irma, in Dutch Caribbean St. Maarten, on Sept. 8, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island that is split between French and Dutch control.
(Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP)
Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP
This photo provided by the Dutch Defense Ministry shows a human chain of residents passing supplies provided by a dutch soldier, after the passing of Hurricane Irma, in Dutch Caribbean St. Maarten, on Sept. 8, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island that is split between French and Dutch control.
(Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP)
Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP
This Sept. 6, 2017 photo provided by the Dutch Defense Ministry shows a few of the homes that remained intact in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island that is split between French and Dutch control.
(Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP)
Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP
This photo provided on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. John’s Caneel Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Irma scraped Cuba’s northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete.
(Caribbean Buzz Helicopters via AP)
Caribbean Buzz Helicopters via AP
This Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 photo shows boats washed ashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. Irma scraped Cuba’s northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete.
(Jalon Manson Shortte via AP)
WASHINGTON — It was supposed to be a fun guys-only trip to the Caribbean — then, Hurricane Irma showed up.
Now, a D.C.-area resident is struggling to get back home.
Taylor, who declined to give her last name, said she’s been frustrated trying to get her husband back home following Hurricane Irma, which hit the Dominican Republic on Thursday. She says her husband and three of his buddies are stuck on the island.
Taylor says she had her husband booked for a homebound flight on Monday, but “Spirit Airlines then decided to cancel all flights out of one airport” in the Dominican Republic. The island has multiple airports.
According to Taylor, Spirit Airlines said they could place her husband on the next available flight from that airport — a week from Tuesday, or pay an additional cost of $400 to fly him out of an airport three hours away from where her husband is staying.
“Spirit Airlines was less than accommodating,” said Taylor.
She says it has been frustrating getting her husband and his friends booked for their flights, especially since the line of communication is disturbed by weak cellphone and internet service on the island.
“But I will say that American Airlines … were very accommodating, very willing to book him into a different airport, to change destinations, just so they could help me get him home,” said Taylor.
Now Taylor’s husband has a Miami-bound flight booked for Tuesday through American Airlines.
She said that American Airlines seems to be working with people during this crisis. Taylor said that she feels as if American Airlines is understanding of the situation, and even among flight cancellations on their end, they are not charging fees to change flights.
“He’s stuck in a hurricane, and I just want to get him home,” said Taylor.
