Holidaymakers stuck in Majorca till next week as flights cancelled
HUNDREDS of passengers spent the night trying to sleep on an airport floor after their Ryanair flights were cancelled and they were forced to queue for help.
Among travellers stranded at Palma Airport in Majorca were Tony and Joanne Johnson, due to catch a 9.20pm flight to Manchester which was scrapped at the last minute.
Ryanair, who blamed French air strikes, said they tried to find alternative flights and are doing all they can to help people affected.
But Tony, 48, a caterer, says he and Joanne, 47, a Bet Fred manager, were forced to queue overnight for help from staff.
The couple from Eccles, Salford, were among hundreds of passengers to start queuing at around 8.30pm on Tuesday.
They queued until yesterday evening before securing a flight back to Manchester on MONDAY.
They have been put up in a bed and breakfast.
Tony, a caterer, said before securing the flight: “We’re stuck, we’ve no money left. I tried to find another flight but the cheapest is £306 each on Saturday.
“And we’ve been told if we find our own flights Ryanair won’t put us up in the meantime.
“People have slept on the floor, they keep taking chairs away – it’s terrible. No food, no water, nothing. At one point they called the police because we were asking questions.”
Tony and Joanne, who had enjoyed a two-week holiday, arrived at Palma Airport and checked in for their 9.20pm flight. But after moving them to an alternative gate, Ryanair cancelled and passengers were directed to a desk downstairs that Tony and Joanne said was manned by just two staff. Passengers then queued overnight for help. Many reported being given tickets to fly at the weekend via other cities. Flights are now reportedly full up for days.
Tony, a grandad, said he originally planned to get a boat to Barcelona and drive back to the UK but Ryanair staff persuaded him not to.
He added: “We weren’t offered anything by Ryanair staff – no food, drink or assistance.
“My wife’s a manager at Bet Fred. Staff get a Christmas bonus for attendance and she was supposed to be at work on Wednesday – this is going to ruin that.”
A Ryanair spokesman said the cancellations were a result of French Air Traffic Control strikes affecting all airlines operating to, from and over France. He said they were forced to cancel a number of flights on Tuesday as a result and they had apologised to all affected customers by email and text message, also advising of their option for a full refund, free rebooking to the next available flight or transfer to an alternative flight.