Family miss out twice on holiday after ‘wrong test’
A FAMILY claim they have been refused boarding to a plane twice in one week due to “confusing” travel advice.
Michelle Lewis, 50, was due to travel to Gibraltar with her husband Andrew, 57, and daughter Mali-Gwen this week. They were looking forward to getting away for a bit of sunshine after a tough year.
The family from Aberdare were excited about their week abroad but claim they have now been put off travelling after being sent packing from Bristol Airport twice this week after attempting to fly with EasyJet.
Michelle said the guidance on travel due to the coronavirus pandemic has been “confusing” and has led to the family paying a lot of money for a holiday they haven’t been able to go on.
Michelle said: “We booked the flights ages ago at Christmastime and we were going to go on Tuesday to Gibraltar.
“They didn’t let us go away because my daughter needed a test. They said my 12-year-old needs a test for Covid19. That wasn’t made clear to us at the time. I would have done it if it was.”
Michelle said following advice, and after looking at the guidance again, she then took her daughter for a test and re-booked her flights for Thursday morning but, after arriving at the airport during the early hours, disaster struck again and the family were told they were unable to travel for a second time. Michelle said they were told EasyJet “can’t accept NHS tests”.
She added: “We were told they are not good enough. They wouldn’t let us get on the plane.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through it. We were meant to fly at 6.30am so we were up at 2.15am.
“I have booked two flights. I have had to pay for two flights. I had to pay another £230 to go on Thursday morning.”
The mother, who travels regularly, said she was told by staff that the test had to be carried out privately for the family to be able to travel, which she said wasn’t made clear in any advice or guidance given. Michelle said she was told the travel firm “don’t recognise” NHS tests.
If she doesn’t get her money back she now faces losing up to £2,000 for a holiday she’ll never get to go on.
Earlier this year it was confirmed that PCR tests are required before travel to many destinations and on return to the UK for all passengers but travellers can expect to fork out anything from £45 to £200 for a test package.
However it is advisable to check the entry requirements of each individual destination.
“We need a holiday,” Michelle added. “We go away regularly so we are used to the airport but people who go away once a year will find it challenging. It’s a nightmare at the moment. I wouldn’t travel anywhere at the moment until the whole Covid thing has disappeared.”
EasyJet said the requirements for testing are specifically spelled out on the Government website. A spokesman for the airline said: “All airlines require passengers to provide the correct documentation as stipulated by the authorities in order to be able to fly. This is the responsibility of the passengers.
“We communicate to passengers to advise them to check government websites for all the latest information about travel and entry restrictions for their destinations before they travel.
“Passengers travelling to Gibraltar are currently required to present a negative Covid test on departure in which includes providing documentation from a private provider with details of the passenger and the date the test was taken.
“Should passengers be unable to provide this unfortunately we are unable to carry them. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused however we do require passengers to have the correct documentation as required by the authorities.”