COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Hundreds of flights were canceled on Saturday after the Federal Aviation Administration closed airspace near Venezuela, in response to U.S. military strikes and the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, including one couple from Ohio’s flight.
Among those affected are Ohio University graduates Gina Biviano and Jacob Sapolin, who are stranded in St. Lucia after their honeymoon. The couple, who graduated in 2021, were set to come home Saturday when they received a message from their airline that their return flight was canceled.
“My wake up text was from Delta that our flight was cancelled. They couldn’t re-book us,” Sapolin said. “I was on hold for three hours.”
The newlyweds found themselves unable to book an alternative flight, with the next available option not until Thursday.
“Luckily our resort yesterday, they let us extend by a night,” Sapolin said. “This morning, we got up. They told us that we had to leave today. They couldn’t have us at their resort, so immediately we’re researching where are we going to go from here.”
Sapolin said he and his wife have been speaking with other tourists on the island about next steps.
I just talked with a guy from New York who came down with his kids and grandkids. They were in a villa, and he just spent $80,000 to charter a private plane.
Other tourists he said he the couple has spoken to said they might charter a boat to get to a larger island in the Caribbean that has more flights leaving to the United States. If their rescheduled Thursday flight gets interrupted, Sapolin said that’s their next move.
“This isn’t we’re missing work because we slept through our alarm like there’s nothing we could have done to control this,” he said. “A lot of people have just been calling this whole situation stupid.”
The couple has gotten an extra hotel stay until they can leave the island, but all of the rescheduling has cost them an extra $5000. The couple does have travel insurance.
“However, there is an exclusion in most travel insurance policies for acts of war,” Sapolin said. “Even though the conflict is 600 miles away, there is going to likely be an argument about getting covered for any of this because it could be considered an act of war.”
For now, Sapolin said he and his wife are soaking up the extra sunshine and leaning on one another throughout this experience.
“We had an earthquake two nights ago of a 5.6 magnitudes, so that was the night before everything happened with Venezuela,” he said. “It’s going to be something we’re going to talk about for a long time. Very much a memorable honeymoon. We’re just taking it day by day and making the most out of a less than convenient situation.”
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