optimom

My family of four was scheduled to fly Nature Air from Drake Bay to SJO on Dec 31, 2017.

We arrived at the single-strip airport, the only passengers, somewhat apprehensive about heavy rain that had just started (note: this is the dry season in Costa Rica). The agent on scene had weighed our luggage and us when he got a phone call that our flight was cancelled. We initially assumed weather was the reason. Only then did we learn of the fatal crash earlier in the day, which resulted in all Nature Air planes being grounded. (I can't include links to articles - too few posts - but the crash was in Guanacaste, shortly after take off. All 12 aboard were killed, causes still under investigation, high winds and/or mechanical failure suspected.)

While we were on the line with our travel agent trying to figure out what to do (we had flights back to the US the next day) Nature Air was also coming up with a plan. They offered us immediate ground transportation to our destination, involving a series of vehicles; we essentially became the baton in a three-stage relay that delivered us directly to our hotel in under 6 hours. The drivers were all in communication with each other along the way, and the hand-offs were flawless; it was a better and more efficient arrangement than we (or our travel agent) could have come up with.

It took significant work for Nature Air to come through for our family, in the face of a tragic loss of life and painful day for the airline. We were grateful for and impressed by the effort they made in our behalf.