Twyla Shannahan regrets the separation from her spouse’s ashes during a trip from Alberta to Newfoundland. The widow from Alberta is urging an inquiry after Air Canada momentarily misplaced her deceased husband’s cremated remains when she was instructed to stow them in checked luggage instead of carrying them on board.
Expressing her displeasure, Shannahan emphasized the significance of the ashes, stating, “This is not luggage; this is a human being. This is my husband, and he wasn’t accorded the respect he deserved.”
Following her husband’s passing in February, Shannahan decided to scatter his ashes in the ocean and arranged to transport his remains back to his native province. Although the couple had traveled extensively over two decades, Newfoundland held a special place in his heart, she shared.
Shannahan, a resident of Webster, Alta., was keen on fulfilling her late husband’s wishes. After coordinating a memorial with his relatives in eastern Canada, she booked a flight from Edmonton to St. John’s on June 10. Despite ensuring she had all necessary documentation and confirming with Air Canada weeks ahead to comply with the rules for carrying ashes in her hand luggage, she was instructed at the Edmonton International Airport check-in that the remains had to be in checked baggage due to alleged “new regulations.”
Upon arriving in St. John’s, Shannahan discovered that her bag containing the ashes was missing. Overwhelmed with despair, she lamented, “My soul just dropped right out of me. I felt like I failed him. I had one task and I failed him.”
After a prolonged wait for Air Canada to resolve the issue, she was informed that the ashes had been mistakenly sent to Montreal. Despite the airline’s offer to courier them to her, she insisted on retrieving them in person, emphasizing the flaw in the system and her obligation to honor her late husband.
In response to the incident, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) clarified that while cremated remains are usually allowed in carry-on luggage, the screening process may necessitate checking the container with the airline if screening alarms cannot be resolved due to materials like metal or stone obstructing X-ray machines.
Both CATSA and Air Canada expressed regret over the delay in delivering the cremated remains and assured compliance with regulations while treating passengers and their loved ones with dignity and respect. Air Canada acknowledged the delay and offered a $200 travel voucher as a goodwill gesture, which Shannahan found inadequate and offensive.
Despite successfully scattering her husband’s ashes as planned, Shannahan is unsatisfied with the airline’s response, believing it shifted blame and devalued her husband’s remains. She lodged a formal complaint urging Air Canada to escalate the matter for a thorough investigation and fair compensation, advocating for a review of the airline’s protocols to prevent similar incidents affecting grieving families.
Shannahan, who has been contacted by other affected travelers, stressed the emotional toll of such mishaps and called for improved policies to spare grieving passengers from additional distress.
