Paradise turns into uncertainty for Mississippians left stranded at airport for a week by global computer glitch

A group of 20 Mississippians was stranded in the Caribbean for nearly a week after a global computer glitch canceled their flight home. Delta will fly them home soon, and they will have quite the story to tell.

Andrea Beeson Waldrop of Brookhaven has shared the saga in a series of videos on Tik-Tok. She told The Daily Leader Tuesday the group was supposed to fly home on Friday, July 19. They loaded a bus and went to the airport only to find out that a global computer glitch canceled all flights leaving them stranded on St. Lucia, an island in the Caribbean.

The security person at the airport told the group to go back to their Sandals resort. Delta told the group they were on their own and had no delta reps there to help. All of the local hotels were booked which meant the group had to find a hotel 2 hours away from the airport.

The group were all online with their travel agent Lori Farmer of Sisters Sell Travel trying to find flights out with no luck. She said they tried other airlines like American with no luck. One flight with American Airlines was offered at $4,000 per person. Waldrop said they waited on the phone for eight hours plus just to speak to Delta airline reps.

“It was the uncertainty that impacted all of us,” Waldrop said. “10 couples. Some had kids at home, some with jobs to be back at on Monday. Some needed prescription meds that were unavailable to get. Clothes that needed washing because naturally we tried to pack light and just enough for the five days that were planned.”

The group finally found flights out of St. Lucia with some leaving this Friday and others leaving Saturday. Waldrop said a Sandals rep has stayed in contact with the group and got them discounted rates at Sandals La Toc and Grande.

She said the group is all close friends from Lincoln County that booked the trip last October.

“We are all trying to make the best of a bad situation. However, being stranded at a Sandals resort in St. Lucia is not too shabby,” Waldrop said. “I think now that we all actually have scheduled flights put our minds at ease a little. We are just hoping we don’t get canceled again.”

Together, they have shared a memory and a dramatic saga.

“The thing I will most remember is the conversations between friends trying to come up with solutions to get out of here. Some were sensible and some not so much,” Waldrop said. “It has been an experience for sure and one thing I’ve learned is that even though your husband tells you not to take your whole wardrobe with you on a five day vacay, do it anyway. A lot of great memories have been made and I am forever grateful for great friends. We are just ready to get back home to Brookhaven.”