‘We're stranded in Croatia with a sick mother and 18-month-old baby after UK air traffic systems meltdown'
Lauren Harding, 36, and her partner had been saving 'for years' for her brother's 40th celebration in Dubrovnik, which was going to be a chance for the wider family to come together on holiday.
After travelling to the airport on Wednesday evening, they were left dismayed to receive an email cancelling their 10.30pm EasyJet flight - an hour after it had been due to depart.
'The most horrific part of this situation has been the fact that there was no representation from EasyJet at Dubrovnik airport to relay any information to us regarding the disruption and what this would entail for customers.
'We were unable to book a flight home until 2 August and were then informed by the app that there were no hotels available and we would need to try and find our own accommodation.'
Adding to their distress, Mrs Harding's 66-year-old mother suffered a serious heart attack last January, and is now dependent on medication to stabilise her condition.
'As you can imagine, we are extremely upset and anxious,' she said. 'It's bad enough to be delayed, but it's the lack of help and information available that has made this whole ending a complete nightmare. We still have had zero contact and cannot seem to make contact with anyone either.'
Due to the limited accommodation in the area, they have now managed to book a room at a three-star hotel, which does not have a cot for their baby.
Despite emailing the CEO of EasyJet and their customer services, they are unsure if they will be able to reclaim their lost finances through the airline or through insurance.
'It has been so stressful and exhausting! We're still worried about trying to get medication for mum so not being able to talk to anyone from easyJet has been so unnerving,' she said.
'The children are so worried about the Nan and I know mum is trying to put on a brave face but it feels like she's in a dire situation and not knowing if this could potentially turn into a critical matter. It's horrifying.'
The family are now due to return to London Gatwick on Saturday morning, but have now had to budget for an additional three nights.
They are not the only passengers to be left disgruntled on Thursday, with Karyn Harris and her husband left waiting at Gatwick for over nine hours to board their flight to Arrecife.
They had been due to depart at 6.10am for a summer getaway, but were left with little information throughout the morning, and only given £12 each for the delay from the airline.
Another woman has been left devastated after being forced to miss a friend's wedding because her flight was cancelled on Thursday.
Monica Clare, 68, from Brentford, west London, was onboard an Aer Lingus plane preparing to take off from Heathrow for Shannon, Ireland, when the problem began.
She said the plane remained on the tarmac for about three hours before the captain announced his 'shift was going to finish' so the passengers would need to return to the terminal.
The retired maintenance manager returned home after being told Aer Lingus had no available seats on flights which would enable her to attend her friend's wedding in Limerick on Friday.
She said other routes, such as travelling to a port and taking a ferry, were impractical and too expensive after already paying out for flights.
Ms Clare said: 'I'm absolutely numb. I'm so upset. I'm heartbroken.
'It's disgraceful. I think it's absolutely unbelievable in this day and age that something that went down for 20 minutes has caused havoc like that all over the country.
Officials have said a 'radar-related issue' caused the air traffic control (ATC) failure that grounded flights across the UK on Wednesday.
National Air Traffic Services (Nats) chief executive Martin Rolfe was summoned to speak with transport secretary Heidi Alexander on Thursday morning, a day after thousands of passengers were disrupted by the technical problem which forced the cancellation of more than 150 flights.
A spokesperson for Nats said: 'This was a radar-related issue which was resolved by quickly switching to the back-up system during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety.
'There is no evidence that this was cyber related.'
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The Guardian
39 minutes ago
- The Guardian
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Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
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Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
easyJet charges passenger '£96 extra' at airport and her journey 'gets worse'
An easyJet passenger has shared her "unfair" experience after travelling to Paris, and claimed to have been charged a hefty fee before her journey took a turn for the worst It's widely known that navigating through an airport can be incredibly stressful, and matters become even more chaotic when complications arise. One woman, who recently travelled with easyJet, alleged she endured a particularly dreadful journey after being hit with a substantial charge and watching things rapidly deteriorate from bad to worse. Emi, who goes by on TikTok, recently shared details about her trip when journeying from London Luton Airport to Paris, and the ordeal left her completely disappointed. She reported being "unfairly" billed and had a "poor experience" during her flight, which made her Paris getaway rather miserable. In the footage, she alleges easyJet charged her £96.00 for carrying a rucksack that "met cabin policy", and which she believes comfortably fitted beneath the seat. She stated the charge was imposed at the "last minute", and she considered the decision "unfair" - though travellers are advised to verify baggage regulations before departure. To compound matters, she also alleged the aircraft was filthy, and she encountered delays as well. She wrote: "The experience only got worse on board. The airplane was dirty, with poor hygiene and cleanliness conditions. "The flight was delayed without clear updates." In the footage, Emi mentioned the journey occurred on July 24, and she displayed her receipt as well as showing what the aircraft looked like. There were crumbs and discarded rubbish on the floor beside her seats, and she wasn't particularly impressed. The clip has racked up dozens of views since being posted online, with viewers rushing to share their own experiences and opinions. One person revealed: "This happened to me. I complained to easyJet and they gave me the amount in a voucher." Another chimed in with: "I had the same thing at Luton." A third responded: "I've used the same backpack for the last three to four years with different airlines." Meanwhile, a fourth also remarked: "Follow the rules, no charges - simple." However, some viewers leapt to the airline's defence, offering a different viewpoint. One person pointed out: "Please bear in mind the staff have six to eight minutes to clean the plane and, if they are late, it's 90% of the time not their fault. "It can be if the plane in front of them was late taking off or landing - it delays others." Another supporter added: "Blame the set of passengers for leaving the mess, not the crew. If they were to tidy it, the flight would be delayed and they would get bother from the airline for being late and the passengers too." Emi failed to display her bag in the footage, meaning viewers couldn't judge exactly how large it was. She simply revealed the receipt handed to her by staff following payment of the charge. easyJet was unable to provide comment on the particular incident, however the carrier did issue a response regarding its baggage policy. A spokesperson stated: "easyJet's bag policy is well understood and all customers can bring one small under seat bag for free. "We provide clear information on bag allowances including dimensions clear when booking, via email before travel and on our boarding passes and our ground handlers check bags to ensure they will fit in the cabin, and in fairness to customers who have paid to bring additional bags."
