Flight cancellations ground Quebec teen’s dream Girl Guides trip to the U.K.

A Montreal teenager’s dream Girl Guides trip to the U.K. was abruptly cancelled after a series of Air Canada flight disruptions left her group stranded with no way to reach their destination.

Fifteen-year-old Mikaela Hosein Patel, a third-year Pathfinder and the only girl from Quebec selected for the international trip, had been preparing and fundraising for two years to join 15 other Girl Guides and leaders on a 10-day tour of London and Edinburgh.

“I was sad and frustrated, spending two years raising money and working hard just to find out that I kind of did it, not for no reason, but for it just for it to go to waste,” she expressed.

“We were supposed to leave and head to London on the 15th. We’d go to the British Museum and we’d tour London. We’d sleep in our Girl Guide house, Pax Lodge, for three nights, and then we’d take the train to Edinburgh, where we’d go hiking in the Highlands and visit the Kelpies.”

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Sudden cancellations force last-minute road trip — and heartbreak

Originally set to fly from Montreal to Toronto, Mikaela’s plans quickly began to unravel when that first flight was cancelled. She drove with her father and uncle to Toronto instead, only to wake up to more bad news.

“When we woke up the next morning… we found out the trip had been cancelled. Or that the flight had been cancelled, sorry,” Mikaela said.

The group’s international flight from Toronto to London had also been cancelled, and despite their leaders’ efforts to rebook, the group couldn’t secure seats on any other flights.

“One of our leaders told my dad and I that we should just head home,” she explained. “And when I finally got home… we found out that the trip had been cancelled altogether.”

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$5,500 raised through cookie sales and baking — now in limbo

The cancelled trip came with a financial hit. The cost was $5,500, much of it covered by two years of cookie sales and homemade chocolate treats sold at events.

“My mom actually made a few, well not a few, she made plenty of chocolate bombs and cookies to sell at fairs and Christmas fest,” Patel said.

Air Canada is expected to refund $1,500 for the airfare, but the family doubts the remaining $4,000 — which covered hotels, meals, and excursions — will be reimbursed in full.

“So far all we’re looking for right now is the refund for the plane tickets,” Mikaela said. “We only got partial refund for some of the exhibits we were going to go see. Not all the money is going to be recovered, but we’re hoping most of it is going to be.”

Air Canada is offering reimbursement assistance for passengers affected by labour action. It comes as two possible class-action lawsuits by Air Canada passengers affected by strike were submitted in court in Montreal Monday.

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Edinburgh would’ve held special meaning

The trip held particular emotional weight for Mikaela. She had recently earned the Duke of Edinburgh Award – Bronze Level, and was especially looking forward to visiting Scotland.

“Seeing as the award is named after a place and going there right after I have earned it and then not ending up going is just like really overwhelming. You know?”

The experience was meant to be a culmination of a decade-long journey with the Girl Guides, which she joined as a Spark at just five years old.

“When you’re in Girl Guides, you learn about the world,” she said. “And you hear about the experiences of others… and then you think like, ‘Oh, I want to do that too.’ So that’s what I thought. I wanted to go visit Girl Guides around the world.”

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Still hopeful — but it hurts

Now back home, Patel is trying to focus on the future. Girl Guides of Canada is working with its travel agency to recover the group’s costs, and her family is looking into other trips for next year.

“I’m trying to stay hopeful and hope that we get something else out of this misfortune,” she said. “But right now, we’re just trying to recover everything. You know, all the other girls are also super emotional.”

Despite her disappointment, Mikaela remains passionate about her involvement in Girl Guides.

“I was supposed to meet new girls that I’ve never met before and go somewhere I’ve never been before,” she said. “Just thinking about the experiences that I’m missing out on is… yeah, it makes me very emotional.”

Her message to others in the same situation?

“I just hope that everybody else is recovering from the loss as well,” she said. “Right now we’re just trying to make best with what we have.”