Vicki Russell no doubt sympathizes with David Dao, the doctor bumped from a United Airlines flight. While she wasn’t dragged off a plane, screaming and bloody, she did miss out on her dream Galapagos cruise of a lifetime when Air Canada bumped her from her flight.

Bumped from Air Canada flight booked two months in advance

Russell told CBC News of her plight after she was bumped from the Air Canada flight on April 1 from Toronto to Miami. Despite the fact she had booked two months in advance, she was kicked off the passenger list, resulting in missing her connecting flight to the cruise ship.

Russell checked in for her flight and was handed her boarding pass with no problem. However, two hours after check in, she was told by an airline agent that the flight had been overbooked and her ticket was no longer valid.

Russell reportedly showed her travel documents to the agent and even asked the tour company to email the receipt for her trip in order to prove the validity of her ticket, but to no avail. The Air Canada flight left Toronto without her.

Unable to book a new connecting Air Canada flight

The agent sent her to Air Canada customer service to try and book a new flight, but by the time an agent saw her, there were no flights available at that time that get her to Miami in time to make her connection for the cruise.

She then had to wait sometime to get her checked luggage back. Reportedly if she had been told there was a problem when she arrived at the check-in counter, things could have been different. The next day she filed a complaint with the Canadian airline, saying she had missed her Galapagos cruise “dream vacation” due to being bumped off the flight.

Russell told CBC News her experience was “extremely upsetting” and that the agent couldn’t have been more rude and hostile. She said in all her years of traveling, she has never been treated so badly.

Air Canada did confirm the flight had been oversold but reportedly said their agent had spent "quite some time" looking at alternative options for Russell.

A spokesman for the airline has since apologized, saying in a statement that it was a “very regrettable situation.” The upset traveler has, reportedly, since received US$592 in compensation from the airline.

Galapagos cruise is still in her future

As reported by the BBC, fortunately for Russell, she will have the chance to rebook her dream Galapagos cruise in the Pacific Ocean off Ecuador's coast. Lindblad Expeditions, who organize the $10,000 National Geographic cruise, said Friday that they have been in touch with Russell throughout her harrowing situation.

The company has rebooked her cruise at no additional charge, including the flight from Miami to Galapagos. Russell has since confirmed she will be enjoying the cruise around the Galapagos archipelago in the future, but will definitely not be booking Air Canada this time.
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