HENS FORCED TO FORK OUT THOUSANDS AFTER FLIGHT CANCELLED
AWOULD-BE hen partygoer claims an easyJet attendant told her group: “I hope you’ve got your coats, because it’s raining outside” moments after their flight was cancelled.
Abi Parker from Newport and 19 of her friends – including the future bride – were supposed to fly to Malaga from Bristol Airport on May 31.
But the 32-year-old said the group were left devastated when the budget airline cancelled their flight without warning when they were in the departure lounge ready to take off.
Ms Parker said: “We were waiting in the departure lounge and the flight had already been delayed for 40 minutes. We were then told over the Tannoy that the flight had been cancelled. We were escorted out of the departure lounge by the police.
“There were only two members of staff dealing with everybody from the flight. There were children on the floor crying, we didn’t know what to do.
“Two of our friends went down to the customer service desk and that’s when we found out that it was because the staff had worked too long. They had been working for 11 hours and couldn’t work any longer. But we booked in September, they should have been prepared.”
Ms Parker said the group felt like “criminals” as police escorted them and other passengers out of the departures lounge and were disappointed with the lack of support offered by the flight company.
However, a spokeswoman for easyJet said if police escorted passengers away from the lounge, the decision would have been made by the airport or the police force – not easyJet.
“They told us there were no flights for the next week,” said Ms Parker. “The bride thought the hen do was going to be cancelled.
“One of the members of staff even turned around and said, ‘I hope you’ve got your coats, because it’s raining outside.’ That isn’t what people want to hear when their flight has just been cancelled.
“We were basically told to leave the departure lounge, get our suitcases and leave the airport.
“In the end, we managed to get new flights through our travel agent, but we had to pay £6,000 for the new flights. Half of the group had to fly from Stansted and the others from Birmingham and we had to split it onto two credit cards.
“easyJet wouldn’t even pay for us to use computers to search for new flights, we had to keep putting a pound in just to use it.
“We had to sleep in the airport until the next day when we were able to travel. We were devastated thinking the holiday was cancelled.”
easyJet confirmed it will reimburse Ms Parker and her friends the money they spent booking alternative flights and the party made it to Marbella the following day.
“It didn’t ruin our holiday, but it definitely put a damper on it,” added Ms Parker. “I definitely wouldn’t fly with easyJet again.”
A spokeswoman for easyJet said: “easyJet is sorry that Ms Parker’s flight from Bristol to Malaga on Thursday, May 31, was cancelled due to a crew welfare issue.
“easyJet did everything possible to minimise the disruption for our passengers and contacted passengers via email – including the lead passenger in Ms Parker’s group – providing advice on how to transfer their flight or receive a refund, as well as instructions on how to book hotel accommodation.
“easyJet has been in touch with Ms Parker to apologise for any inconvenience caused and to arrange for her party’s expenses to be reimbursed.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.”