The final group of Saratoga High School band students who had been stranded in Europe for days returned to the Bay Area on Monday.
The students were in Europe for a tour of classic concert halls, but their trip hit a major snag when Lufthansa Airlines canceled their flight from Prague to Frankfurt. That prevented them from making their connection back to the United States last week.
"I was just a lot more happy that I could be home before September and before school started again so I could actually have the finishing of the rest of my summer break," student Bryant Archer said.
Parents had initially criticized the airline for what they said was a lackluster response, saying they were told the students might not get home for weeks. They reached out to the CEO of the airline and the German ambassador to the U.S.
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"They got a barrage of emails – 331 emails that went to them – essentially asking them to have a little bit of a heart and get our kids out from Prague," Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar said.
Now, parents say Lufthansa deserves some credit for responding to the criticism and getting the students home on a chartered flight.
"I just came to note today that they went over and beyond – execs coming to the gates and terminals to make sure they were having a safe flight, giving snacks to kids, giving toys to kids," parent Arun Venkatachar said.
A charter flight was a viable option in this case because it was a large group with minor children who couldn't be booked individually on other available seats.
Airlines have canceled thousands of flights this summer, stranding travelers around the world. All carriers have been struggling with a spike in demand as travel restrictions eased and massive staffing shortages because they haven't been able to re-hire to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, a recent surge in COVID-19 infections is also affecting crew availability.
"The pilots, the flight attendants, ground handlers, all these people that make the planes go, they're no longer available for 10, 14 days," aviation consultant Mike McCarran said.
Aviation experts say the summer travel season will continue to be unpredictable, so they recommend having alternate travel options and allowing plenty of time to make connections.
