Hi
JacobRowe and welcome aboard.
The problem is that your friend has been given the right information, according to long established small print. When a flight is canx due to weather or other events the process is this:
The next flight that can operate, will carry all of it's DUE BOOKED pax.
THEN they will load as many extras from the canx flight/s. This will continue until all the folks that missed their flight are carried.
The reason is that:
If you take 100% of pax from flight 1 and 2 that did not operate, and put them on to flights 3 and 4, you have upset double the number of pax and caused double the amount of problems for everyone. Then you have to consider if you move 1/2 to 3/4, then you moved all those of 3 and 4 and put them on 5 and 6???
It is far better to keep to the original schedule and then get those other pax away by whatever means possible, including on other carriers etc. On mainland, there are other options of other airports and trains, coaches and hire cars. But an island has a very particular problem ...
I was in NYC when the large scale power cut brought the NE seaboard to a halt in August 2003. My flight was due to leave the next morning and I was already at JFK. That was Thursday night and my Friday flight did not operate. The earliest that BA could get me out was Monday from EWR. I then claimed on my insurance.
Since all the Carribbean islands are used to hurricanes, they have a well established process to get people off (and back on) their island. Sorry, but that is how it's going to be. No, I do not work for a carrier and you will probably find someone who does stops by this thread shortly.
Your friend can plead special circumstances with the carrier but so will every other pax!. Now, at the risk of sounding harsh, they are still alive and will be able to travel home. Yes, it is a pain and yes it may cost them money but - they are alive.
I just checked the BBC, here are the islans that they mention as having received damage of one kind or another.
- Bahamas
- Acklins and Crooked Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Dominican Republic
- The Turks and Caicos
- Mayaguana
- Cat Island
- Long Island
- Eleuthera
Sorry, but they will all want to get home or get back home. Unfortunately, on the US mainland, it is reported that 13 people have died.