Montrealers escaping Hurricane Irma arrive at airport, shaken and relieved

At 7 a.m. Friday, the weather was still so mild thatStphane Gagnon's girlfriend went for a dip in the pool of their Cayos Santa Maria hotel in Cuba.

Then the sky started to turn.

"Now it's no joke," Gagnon said Saturday afternoon at the Montreal airport, pacing a little as he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the arrivals board.

It had been a tense 24 hours for the couple, who were forced to take separate flights home as they tried to escape the approaching Hurricane Irmabecause they'd flown in with different companies.

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Having arrived Friday himself, Gagnon was now anxiousto see his partner Lucie Lessard back home safely.

Gagnonappeared pained as he recalled having to leave his girlfriend at the airport. To him, it meanthaving to "put ourconfidence in the company. It's your family I don't like this feeling."

He was one ofdozens waitingat Pierre Elliot Trudeau on Saturday asplanes of tourists fleeing the Category 4 stormarrivedinto Montreal from Cuba.

Lessard said she'd be stuck at the hotel, bracing forthe hurricane alone had Gagnon not urged Sunwing staff to let her onto one of the 14 buses evacuating tourists to the Varadero airport, Friday.

Chaotic time

Lessardhad flown with Air Cubana, but says she didn'thearfrom the airline when it came time to leave.

"Even the staff from the hotel was being evacuated," she saidafter disembarking.

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The couple saidSunwingstopped short of letting them take the same plane, leaving the couple feeling ripped apart during the chaotic time.

Just hours before, on the drive toVaradero, the couple's evacuation buscollided with twoother buses in the convoy.

Friends and family members of other passengers were also waitingin anticipation as the flight experienced delaysbut finally arrivedafter 1 p.m.

KathleenAshworthtold CBC she was relieved that her daughter had finally gotten a flight out of Cuba after days of uncertainty.

"There was ageneral explanation on [Sunwing's] website, but you can't reach them in case of emergency because the lines are busy,"Ashworthsaid.

"Now that she's on the flight, I'm happy, very happy," she said before the flight touched down.

Plane hit 'very bad' turbulence

Delays weren't the only bumps along the way. Passenger Nella Malacria said the plane hit heavy turbulence as well.

"It was very bad, I was nauseous the whole way," she said. Despite it all, Malacria said she was satisfied with howSunwinghandled the situation.

"You know what, they did the best they could," she said. "There were good days and bad days, but they got us out of there safely."

Malacria was in Cayo Santa Maria as well and told CBC when she landed that she'd seen the water reachseven feet high.

As shelanded at Trudeau airport,she found her family waiting with signs bearing the hashtag "Escaped Irma."

Malacriahuggedher son. "I don't think I want to go anywhere anymore," she said through tears and a laugh.

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Following the ordeal, the tired travellers saidthey were relieved to finally be home.

"My god, I love our ice storms, I love our snow and, you know what, my next trip is not going to be down south,"Lessardsaid. "It's going to be [up] north!"