Sunwing Travel Group
Reviews and Complaints

Consumer alert - sunwing
Never book a vacation with sunwing.in their terms and conditions it states that they can change your flight at their convenience. As a result a eight day vacation that was paid for was changed to a seven day vacations since they changed our midnight flight to an early afternoon flight. Our direct flight to ottawa of 4 hours was changed to a 7 hour flight that made a stop in quebec.
Sunwing then took a plane of 180 people to quebec to let of 20 people and took the remaining 160 people to ottawa, how is that for customer service.
Do not book with sunwing as you will not received compensation for changes that they make and you will not receive the vacation that was paid for.

Our flight with Sunwing departed Winnipeg to Huatulco Mexico 1st March 2011 @ 6 a.m. Arrived 3 hours prior as advised. We were loaded and blasting into the sky in no time. Took a spin around the city then landed - the landing gear wouldn't go up. Once secured the pilot advised us to get off the plane and take your hand bags because this would take and hour and a half. After a long wait we were advised that they were waiting for an update and they would get back to us in 5 minutes. Shortly after we could see the Pilot and his crew leaving with their luggage and jackets! We waited for 3 HOURS before being advised that the flight would not be departing until 9 P.M.! 15 hours later...our luggage in the belly of this plane and –30 outside! People from out of town were offered a voucher for a nearby hotel. We had to return our duty free purchases which took a long time THEN go and stand in line at the Sunwing counter for a hotel and cab voucher...wait for a cab...wait for a room. We arrived Huatulco and in our room at 4:30 a.m. One whole day was lost on our vacation plus it took a few days to feel normal. Sunwing gave us a "coupon" for $150.00 off our next vacation BUT must be booked at least 45 days prior! So much for last minute deals AND how would you use this voucher when booking on line! Also EVERYONE got the same coupon...so people booked into the cheapest rooms got the same as the most expensive rooms!
RETURN was also a nightmare. Loading us was 1/2 hour late. Finally we got to board...it was HOT outside. Loaded up and then sat. So hot! Finally we were told that one of the passengers was ill and could not fly with us. They were waiting for paper work to be updated. THEN advised that they had to remove his luggage! There were 187 people on this flight and obviously LOTS of luggage! 2 hours later and did I mention how HOT it was...finally in the air. One of the flight attendants was just nasty! She was trying to get something out of the upper compartment just in front of us. She told the passenger to move and then she stood on the armrest of the chair to reach the compartment! Then later when offering hot towels...she just stuck the tray in front of you rather than hand you one with tongs. They brought our out meal then brought us coffee/tea but left us with our trays...so we were holding our trays from falling and drinking our coffee. Snacks and drinks, we were told to hurry because we'd be landing soon.
SUNWING will never get our money again. I spoke with my Travel agent in Oakbank, MB and she told us that she would be busy for about a month but would contact Sunwing when she had a chance...she'll never get our money again either!

jan 31st flight from vancouver to puerto vallarta. flight went well but the attendents were very rude and seemed to not want to be there. requests throughout the flights were greeted with grunts and being told to wait. my own problem was that i attempted to go to the washroom at front of plane (one only). twice i was told to return to my seat and they pulled the curtain across madly-dont know what they were doing. this happened twice to me and many others, my third attempt almost ended the same way but i finally got to bathroom as they grunted again as i went by. if i had been refused again, i can tell you, there would have been a verbal confrontation. i have a medical condition which requires medication which causes dry mouth so i need to drink liquids almost constantly resulting in having to use the washroom quite frequently. i only managed one trip and was very very uncomfortable and almost did not make it to washroom when arrived in puerto vallarta. i am skeptical about using sunwing services again. by the way, flight home fe4b. 14th the attendents bent over backwards for us all...thinking about whether to use again. p.brown

Here is the letter I sent to Sunwing which details are horrible experience with them, I have not received a response from them:

"Dear Sunwing Customer Service,

I would like to share with you the experience that my husband and I had on December 19th, 2010 flying with Sunwing. We were scheduled on a flight at leave Toronto International Airport at 7:30am. We were flying to Fort Lauderdale to go on a 7 day cruise leaving the port at 6:00pm. This option gave us plenty of time to get there, so we thought. We arrived at the airport at 5:00am to give us a good 2.5 hours to get settled. When we first got into line to check in a lady came by to inform us that the flight would be delayed to 12:00pm due to mechanical issues. Of course we were upset but understood that these things happen and figured that we would still take the flight at 12:00pm and get to Fort Lauderdale in-time to catch our cruise.

We continue on through customs and arrive at the gate where we are waiting around for a our flight. Around 10:00am a passenger comes to the gate and tells us as well as others on the flight that she just checked into the flight and that it’s been further delayed until 2:00 or 3:00pm. We didn’t take her word for it as we figured if the flight was further delayed that Sunwing would have the decency to either update it on the flight board and/or have a Sunwing representative come to the gate desk and let us know. Neither was done. At this point people were getting stressed and nervous as they didn’t know what to believe. Most of the people on the flight were cruising so everyone was getting very anxious. Finally, at close to 11:00am the Sunwing representatives came to the desk and announced that the flight is delayed until 3:00pm. What was so upsetting about this is that Sunwing had known for a good hour that the flight was going to be further delayed (as they were telling the newest people checking in), but they didn’t have the decency to let the entire flight who had been sitting around since 5:00am know this information.

At this point we realize we are going to miss our cruise. We look into other flights, however since Sunwing waited so long to let us know about the delay, all of the possible alternative flights to Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas are full, as well I would have to dish out approx. $2000 dollars if there was room on another flight. The Sunwing representative says he is going to deal with people in 3 groups; 1st- people who are going on cruises without a Sunwing package, 2nd-people going on a cruise with Sunwing package and 3rd – people just flying to Fort Lauderdale. We fell into category 1 and when I went with him to discuss my options he basically said that I didn’t have any as Sunwing didn’t have weekday flights to San Juan (the first port destination) during the week. When I asked him what my Sunwing Cancellation Policy covered that I had purchased when I booked the flight he had no idea. So at that point I called Sunwing offices to speak to someone but they were closed! The flight finally left at around 3pm, we landed in Fort Lauderdale just after 6:00pm and to make matters worse as we landed we could see our cruise ship leaving without us out of the port. We had notified them that we would be late, but they can’t wait of course.

We then had to find accommodations in Fort Lauderdale, book a new flight from Fort Lauderdale to San Juan for the next day as well as a hotel in San Juan Monday night. We missed 2.5 days of our 7 day vacation. We understand delays happen but this was handled horribly and the theme of our vacation (as well as others we met that missed their cruise) was that Sunwing ruined our first vacation that we have taken in the last five years. I have never been so disappointed with an airline and with the lack of compassion and customer service that was demonstrated. I would appreciate if someone from Sunwing would acknowledge my complaint and either contact me back my phone or email. I have not posted my horrible experience anywhere else yet as I thought it wouldn’t be fair to do that until I contacted Sunwing first and see how you handle issues like this.

Looking forward to hearing from someone very shortly."

My family and I were coming home from Huatulco Mexico on December 28th, and we missed our flight because of a document that was handed out to us on departure from Vancouver stating that our flight time when we departed on the 28th had changed from 1220pm to 455pm. When we checked our flight status 12 hours prior to our departure the automated woman (because we couldn't get a hold of anyone at Sunwing) said that our flight was leaving at 1220pm. My family and I then tried to call a Sunwing representative, which was a lost cause. So we decided to go with what the representative in Vancouver who handed out this hard copy document about our flight time change had said to us which was "This is an official flight change document, if the flight time changes again you will be notified either via e-mail or phone within 72hrs". So needless to say when we arrived at Huatulco airport for our 455pm flight to Vancouver only to find that it had taken off at 1220pm we were livid.
We then proceeded at Huatuclo airport to speak with the Sunwing representative which told us that it should be no problem to have us on the same flight a week from December 28th (so on January 4th) back to Vancouver because the plane that arrived from Vancouver earlier in the day was not even half full, and that she would just have to call to confirm that. Well 20 minutes passed and the representative came back with only one option, EDMONTON! The only thing Sunwing was offering to do for us distressed passengers was to have us get on the flight leaving for Edmonton that night, and then we would have to fend for ourselves from Edmonton to Vancouver. Well this was an unacceptable option for my family and I because of Sunwings lack of offical communication of the flight time change back to its original departure time, and that we should be given seats on the plane leaving for Vancouver the following week. The representative then proceeded to tell us that Sunwing had reconfigured the plane leaving the following week from Huatuclo to Vancouver, so they only had room for 176 passengers instead of 196, and that any changes had closed on December 27th, and it was out of their hands now. Can you say RUN AROUND! So what were we to do but to be held at ransom and take the Edmonton flight, so that is what we did. So we woke up this morning booked a flight back to Vancouver from Edmonton for $306.00 plus taxes per person, only to arrive in Vancouver exhausted and broke, due to no fault of our own.
During all of this we contacted the insurance that we purchased through Sunwing only to find out that our "issue" is not covered under the insurance and that we are advised to take it up with Sunwing directly.
I have to say that as a paying customer, I have felt like a hostage. I am not sure how these dirtbags can take your money, screw you ten time to Sunday and get away with it. Let me tell you I am not going to rest until I get some compensation, and until the public is educated on this lowly good for nothing airline, that they claim to be Canada's top airline.
THIS COMPANY IS A SHAM, THEY TAKE YOUR MONEY AND GIVE NOTHING IN RETURN BUT HORRIBLE, RUDE SERVICE, WITH A SIDE OF CATASTROPHIC CUSTOMER SERVICE.

I booked a direct flight to Hautulco from Winnipeg - estimated flying time around 5-6 hours.
A couple of days before the flight, I was notified that we would be stopping in Regina.
Upon checking in, I was told we were ALSO stopping in Saskatoon AND Regina, and that no one was allowed off the plane
Total flying time 10 hours!
Plus, a majority of the Winnipeg passengers were seated in the back, making us the last people off the flight when it did finally arrive.
We sat on the plane from 7:30 am until it landed at 5pm...with no food service until 2:30 pm. We were starving.

Sunwing should not be allowed to get away with this lack of customer service, especially when I paid for a direct flight.
Be warned...and try not to book with them if at all possible.

I used to be a loyal Sunwing customer but am no longer either. I booked with Sunwing Vacations to go to the Dreams Punta Cana resort. The travel dates were supposed to be from Sat, April 3- Sat, April 10. Two days before we left, I heard that SkyService went out of business. Relieved that I had chosen to stay away from them because of their history of horrible service, I thought I'd be okay. Then the day before I left, I was called by my travel agent to say that Sunwing has overbooked the resort and offered to move us to another resort (Majestic Colonial) and we would only have to pay for our flights. After having done extensive research on resorts in Punta Cana, and this being my third trip there, I specifically chose Dreams Punta Cana and was not willing to switch even if I'd get the Majestic Colonial for Free. Was I wrong to think it was over then. Then after flying from NY to Toronto Friday night before our Saturday flight, I discover another call to say that our schedule has been changed and now our 6:40am flight was now at 11:59pm and there would be no compensation from Sunwing. Furious as I was, we contacted our travel agent who conferenced in a Sunwing rep. It was a waste of time as they couldn't hear us, but we could hear her and she basically told our travel agent that we could write to customer service and wait 6-8 weeks for reply and they could do nothing more other than cancel our vacation.

On Saturday night we headed to the airport at 8pm for our 11:59pm flight and by the time we arrive, there was a long line already at check in but no reps at the counter. Finally they show up an hour later and although we had paid for the Elite Premium package ($99 per person) we did not receive Priority checkin. Once we got to the gate, we found out the flight was now delayed until 1:30am. There were many families with young children who had to sleep uncomfortably underneath airport benches at the waiting area. This was not the end of our nightmare. As expected, the flight was then delayed again until 3:45am! By 2am the Sunwing desk at the gate finally made a mere announcement that they would be handing out $10 vouchers for food. We had to all line up at the counter for these. Well, at 2am the only place open was Tim Horton's. So of course, the lineup was an hour to get just donuts and a drink. They practically ran out of everything by the time we got to the front to order because everyone was trying to use up the full $10 value!

Finally when we boarded, we discovered that the plane we were on was not even a Sunwing plane but rather Omni Air International. A really old and uncomfortable plane. We didn't get the priority seating we paid for. The tray tables were lopsided and my food nearly slid right off! Who could sleep in those chairs that were so narrow that a 100lb person wouldn't even be able to fit comfortably let alone a normal sized person. Horrifying!

So now not only did we lose an entire day at a resort we paid for with the meals and beverages, we were stuck on some crappy old plane and no compensation of any sort was offered.

Of course the Dreams Punta Cana resort was lovely once we got there, but we lost an entire day and when we spoke to the Sunwing rep at orientation, he basically said the same that he couldn't do anything from Punta Cana and that we had to call the Sunwing office or write to them. Useless!

Upon checkin at Sunwing's counter at the Punta Cana airport for our return flight, we were told that our luggage at 21.4 kilos was over the weight limit and that we had to pay extra. When we told them and showed them our itinerary which stated we had the elite package, the rep proceeded to argue with us to say we didn't because the Sunwing invoice which was wrong indicated 20Kilos. Even when I noticed this when I printed it and called the travel agent beforehand who spoke with Sunwing, and assured us that this was an error they didn't correct it but it is in their system and would be okay at checkin. Again, a complete lie!

Naturally, our return flight was also delayed 2 hours on the way home. Again it was Omni Air International that picked us up. My priority seating this time was in an exit row. This would have been great had it not been half a seat due to the exit door protruding halfway into my seat and my foot having no room anywhere but underneath the inch of space between the door and the floor. On top of that, the pocket for the plane info card and magazines which normally would have been on the seat back in front, was located on the wall right next to me and took up what space I had left. Basically, I was crammed into a tiny space for a 4 hour flight and there was no air. I almost had a panic episode. I was so claustrophobic just sitting on the plane and we hadn't even taken off yet. Finally I had to get up or lose my mind.

The fact that Sunwing didn't compensate for the loss of an entire travel day is unacceptable. And offering a mere $100 voucher for future travel with them would be a disgrace as who would want to travel again with a company who would sacrifice the loyalty and well being of a customer to go rescue Sky Service passengers who should never have booked with a lousy airline to begin with. That would be their own downfall and so why should the rest of us smarter people pay the price. And do they really think that $100 is the value of a one night stay at a Five Star resort? If so, then they seriously owe us even more money back for a 7 night package as we have paid way too much based on that value.

Sunwing absolutely needs to recognize and address this issue immediately to the fullest extent if they ever expect to stay in business themselves. There are many customers who went through the same horrible ordeal with Sunwing and would agree. First, Sunwing needs to compensate their customers for the loss of an entire day at their resort in the form of a cash refund. Secondly, Sunwing needs to refund the $99 fee for an elite premium package when I did not receive priority checking, champagne flights, 30kilo luggage allowance, or priority seating as what was indicated. The also need to send a formal letter of apology to each and every one of their once loyal customers who were treated absolutely horribly because they sacrificed their own customers to go help SkyService. Why didn't they send that terrible Omni Air Int'l plane to get Sky Service passengers instead!? Certainly, the priority of their own customers did not matter to them.

I am planning to post my complaint regarding Sunwing on every travel website until this is corrected by Sunwing. As well, a copy of this is also going directly to their CEO and President.

Just horrifying! Redeem yourself!

Bear in mind that I will be contacting the Canadian Transportation Agency air Travel Complaints Program and will publish this exact complain in tripadvisor and all the travel websites I can.

I had booked my vacation on January 22 and had paid ($1565+tax) $3666.00 for 2 people. This for a trip on March 21 to March 28, Montego Bay. 3 weeks after I had booked this the price went down to $1215+tax) I have called and ask to be refunded but was given a NO answer. This is a difference of about $350 per person. By this time, I am already out by $750. I had booked the Secret Wild Orchild, I was notified 2 days before my trip that I would be thrown somewhere else which was not acceptable. How can you sell something not knowing what you are selling will not be open in time? I was not even notified by my travel agent nor you're agency, I had to call you and inquire before you even knew about it. Just such bad customer service at this point. I was so nervous and disappointed by this point. Then, on March 21, the flight was delayed because the plane had not arrived yet. I tried not look at the better side being this is the star of my vacation and ignored it. However on my trip to come back to toronto. Remember folks, this is suppose to be a 4 hours non-stop flight form montego bay to toronto. We were supposed to be flying at 8:45 pm flight number WG733 and arrive at 1:45 am, the following day March 29. Our vacation was cut short a few hours earlier. We were PIcked up at the hotel at 2:30 for our flight WG733 to depart at 6:00 pm and arrived at 2040 pm March 28. We didn't arrive until 3:30 am on the morning of March 29. The plane was just in a bad condition. There was a piece of gum stuck on my seat and i ask the flight attendant if there was anything to remove it. She gave me a piece of paper and ask me to put it on top of the gum. There was garbage all over the plane. Used headphone from the passengers that came from Toronto and drop to Montego Bay. Did I mentioned that there was vomit at the floor. The entire plan stunk from vomit. This was simply unhygienic. I could have rode in a TTC bus which was cleaner than this. This is simple unacceptable with any airline standard. We then had to drop passengers from Toronto, to Punta Cana and get some more passengers from Punta Cana to fly with us to Toronto. We had to wait about 2 hours for the passengers to go out of the plan, refuel, bring in the baggage, get new passengers and at one point the pilot even said we were just waiting for some paperworks. The flight attendants were also misserable. I ask for a cup of water because I was so dehydrated and was given 1/4 cup. I then proceded to get more, She said that she will get more but never came back. At one point while the plane was park waiting for all the comotion to settle down, I decided to stand on the walkway to just stretch. At this point, I felt that I was going to faint. I ask my husband to be at my side while I go to the washroom. We were then told that they can not have that many of a passenger standing becuase it would be chaotic. What if I fainted and have no one to catch me. Would you blame me for this? When we got home out of the airport it was 4:45. I did not get home until 5:30 and I live in Markham. By this time, my head was spinning of exhaustion and dehaydration. I went to the doctor the following day and the doctor had said that I had catch a flu and bronchitis. I did not go to work on March 29 and today March 30. I work form 10-8:30 pm and would not have been able to make it. I am still right now as I am writing this I am so upset at sunwing, I should have listen to my instinct and book with air canada or west jet. Sunwing, If you have accommodated me with my price difference the first time I tried to reconcile with you, I would have let this go. I live with the saying you get what you paid for but in this case, after paring hundreds of dollars for a trip. I did not get what I paid for. I paid more but got sick, exhaustion, loss of pay for not being able to go to work 20 hours. I do not know if I am even ready to go back to work tomorrow. If you need documentation that I have been to the doctor. I can send this to you at anytime. I am asking for compensation for all this incovienience that you have caused me. You ruined my trip!

In addition to this, in checking in our luggage at Sangster International Airport, the check in personnel of Sunwing his name is andrew called me a liar because he wanted to charge me $80 US dollars because he said that I was overweight. We had 2 luggage, one weight 22.9 and one 21 kg. I had told him that it clearly states that on the e-ticket that I have on my hand, if flying international we are allowed 25 kg per passenger. If I was dumb and didn't bother to read what I am allowed to then you would have been able to get $80 more dollars from me. Sunwing, why do you have such bad business practice.?The personnel treated me like I am a thief and and animal. Don't treat you're customers like this. After I showed him the paper and read it himself, he started to ask me money for an upgrade. I asked him if the upgrade would give me more leg room he said no. I told him then what it the point? he whispered that I am cheap. I was about to cry and my husband was able to calm me down, Don't embarrassed me like this. This is such bad business practice.

SUNWING

Bonjour,
Nous planifions notre voyage pour celebrer mon 30e anniversaire de naissance du 21 mai 2009. Nous recherchions un grand resort avec :

500 chambres et plus

plusieurs restaurants a la carte

plusieus bar

un snack bar 24 hrs

boissons servies 24hrs

plusieurs piscines dont une avec un bar ( swimbar )

beaucoup d’animation et d’activites

discotheque

bar sur la plage

C’est pourquoi de tout les hotels qui etaient disponibles pour ces dates, nous avons choisi Oasis Varadero 1920.

Nous sommes extremement decu de notre choix, puisque ce qui etaient affiches sur votre site, ne refletait pas du tout ce que nous avons eu.
Pour debuter, le resort était vide puisque la grande partie était ferme pour renovations.

Il y avait seulement 3 restaurants a la carte au lieu de 6. De plus, les repas n’etaient pas servis a l’endroit dont ils etaient supposes, mais plutôt ou le buffet du midi était servi ( a l’exterieur, entoure de chats ++)

Le snack bar 24hrs était ferme tout notre sejour

Aucune boisson n’était servi apres que le piano bar soit ferme, soit 12h45am

Sur 3 piscines, il n’y en avait qu’une d’ouverte et ce n’était pas celle avec le swimbar

La discotheque était fermee durant notre sejour

Aucun bar sur la plage

Toutes ces accomodations etaient pourtant dans la descritpion de l’hotel.
Je desire preciser que c’est le 5 voyages que je book avec selloffvacations et le troisieme avec sunquest.

On aurait grandement apprecie etre informe de la situation de cette hotel avant notre recherche, puique nous en aurons choisi une autre qui correspondait a nos attentes. Ce n’est que rendu sur le resort qu’on nous a informe que l’hotel devait etre fermee pour renovations et que Oasis Varadero avait accepte d’ouvrir partiellement afin de vous accommoder.
Ce qui nous porte a croire que vous n’informer pas vos clients des changements et me fait douter de la qualite de vos services. Cette experience nous a fait perdre confiance de ce que vous affichez. Nous doutons fort de faire affaire d’avantage avec votre compagnie pour nos voyages annuels. Vous devriez mettre a jour l’informations que vous transmettez a vos clients.

We were to depart Vancouver at 1:55p.m. on a flight to Cuba and were told to arrive 3 hours before the flight. We arrived 5 hours before the flight and the departure time said it was on time. Just about 10 minutes later, the board said it was delayed to 3p.m. There were no Sunwing employees or a Sunwing desk in Vancouver! And there was only an answering machine when we called the Sunwing phone number. By the time we finally saw them starting to check people in, the flight was then delayed to 6p.m. By the time we left Vancouver, it was almost 8p.m. We were in the Vancouver airport for 11 hours. The airlines employees told us that it was due to weather that it was so delayed. But when we finally took off, the captain told us a crew member was sick in Cuba and they couldn't take off until another crew member was flown back to Cuba! Later during our stay in Cuba, we were told that the crew member was in jail! Not sick! We lost basically a day's stay at our resort and now have to fight with tripcentral.ca to get a refund on a missed day at the resort which adds up to $320! They are giving us the run around and telling us that it's Sunwings problem. Now were are dealing with our credit card company and withholding payment until we are compensated! Wish us luck!
The bottom line...Don't fly Sunwing...Don't book with Tripcentral.ca Do your homework and read all there is to read about your airlines/travel agent BEFORE you book!

can i have a phone call back to many complaints to list [protected] or [protected] ty hope to haer from u sson

Bonjour, mon nom est Christopher Nehme, et jai voyager avec sunwing vendredi le 17juillet2009.Apres avoir ete referer a un hotel 4etoiles qui se nomme arenas blancas
a varadero, nous avons constater que lhotel etait en pleine renovation, des chambres fermes a peine de lelectriciter, nourriture sales hotel sale, refus de nous chamger de chambre, moi et mon ami avons decider de faire un transfert dhotel apres 2jour soit dimanche le 9juillet vers un hotel aussi de 4etoiles.Le Bella Costa, nous nous sommes presenter voir notre representant sunwing au lobby de lhotel pour la faire part de notre insatisfaction et de notre desir de vouloir changer dhotel . Le probleme est que Sunwing nous a faites payer une PENALITER de 222, 00$can pour le transfert vers un hotel de meme categorie 4etoiles.Ont a payer un taxi de nos poche ils ne sont meme pas porter volontaire au moin pour nous guider ou quoi que se soit. Tu parles de service!Boff .Cettre lettre est pour la penaliter quont a payer de 222, 00$can .Je ne devais pas payer cette sommes de transfert, je demande un remboursement ces pas comme ont a transferer vers un plus cher !En plus sunwing a perdu ma valise au retour, en tout cas jaimerais quont me repondre le plus rapidement possible sur mon addresse couriel ou mon numero de cellullaire [protected]
merci beaucoup
Christopher Nehme numero de vol 686 et 687 au retour javais deja faite une plainte en juillet lors de mon retour, et cetit ecrit que sa prenait 4semaines avant davoir des nouvelles, , ont est le 1octobre je la renvoit
svp me contacter [protected], , ou email [protected]@hotmail.com
merci