Livonia couple stranded in Antigua after Venezuela military operation disrupts travel

ANTIGUA – A Livonia couple is stranded in Antigua after the military operation in Venezuela upended travel in the Caribbean.

Michelle Campbell and her husband were supposed to be heading home last Saturday after a week in the Caribbean.

Now, they may end up being there for two weeks, living without the medication they need and moving hotel rooms every day.

“It was somewhere, maybe around 11 or so, that I got a notice that our flight was delayed, and my first thought was, ‘Oh, it must be a snowstorm,’” Campbell said.

That was far from true.

Just a few hours before and about 600 miles away, a military operation in Caracas had just unfolded.

Soon before, they were wrapping up a trip to paradise. Then came a grim goodbye.

The flight cancellation finally came that night.

Campbell called American Airlines, and they had no options.

“We have tried to book to go to Canada because we figured, ok, well if we can get to Canada, somebody can come across the bridge and get us,” Campbell said. “We can’t find a flight to Canada.”

The other option is to fly to London and then to New York.

That would be about 33 hours of travel time.

“It still doesn’t get you into Detroit until Friday,” Campbell said.

They finally got a flight for this Saturday (Jan. 10) to Miami, a whole week after they were supposed to leave.

“I think there’s a misconception that some people are like ‘Oh, you’re stuck in paradise, it’s great.’ But, we are out of medication, we are out of cash, we are out of clean clothes, and just the uncertainty that we cannot get home,” Campbell said.

The hotel is telling them they have to move rooms nearly every day.

They are in their third hotel room just this week, because more guests are arriving.

Then comes their frustration with the financial situation.

She says the airline is not reimbursing them because it is a “government-mandated scenario” beyond their control.

Campbell and her husband have travel insurance, but they said it may not be covered.

“You can file a claim when you get back, and that it will be reviewed,” she said her travel insurance company told her.