Louis Vuitton Staff Stranded in Siberia
LOST IN SIBERIA: Members of Louis Vuitton’s social media team were among the passengers who spent three days stranded in Siberia after the plane taking them from Paris to Shanghai was forced to make an emergency landing.
The Air France flight, carrying 282 passengers, made an unexpected stop in the Russian city of Irkutsk on Nov. 11 after smoke was detected in the cabin of the Boeing 777 jet, the airline said in a statement.
A second aircraft sent to help them complete their journey also suffered a malfunction, leaving the passengers grounded. A third airplane finally flew the stranded passengers to Shanghai on Nov. 14.
Corine Lee, head of social media at Louis Vuitton, and Agnès Le Coroller, senior social media project manager at the French luxury house, were among the passengers stuck in Irkutsk as temperatures plunged to minus 20 degrees Centigrade.
The two were on their way to China for the opening of the “Volez Voguez Voyagez” exihibition at the Shanghai Exhibition Center on Friday.
“The Siberian Adventure to Remember… #LostInIrkutsk,” Lee wrote beneath a photograph of a street view. In her Instagram Stories, she explained that because the travelers did not have Russian visas, they were stuck in limbo.
“So we can’t take different flights, we can’t take our luggage with us, we have been booked hotels but we can’t go outside,” she reported. In a follow-up post, she thanked the locals for their hospitality.
“I don’t think my experience was real Russia — but I can say that I was really surprised by how sweet and generous everyone has been! I wouldn’t expect such hospitality from anyone! But it was really really cold,” she wrote.
“Air France regrets this exceptional situation and wishes to apologize to customers for the inconvenience and significant delay experienced. The safety of its customers and crews is Air France’s absolute priority,” the airline said.
“The company’s commercial department has contacted the customers concerned to propose suitable commercial measures,” it added.
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