‘Birthday trip has become a holiday from hell’
A BIRMINGHAM couple claim they are “stranded” in the Dominican Republic after the collapse of holiday firm Thomas Cook.
Noel Harding and his fiancee Stacey Chell say they are among a party of 35 holidaymakers who have been “forgotten” after being left behind by one of the rescue flights.
And they say their dream £4,500 trip has turned into a holiday from hell.
Noel, 32, and Stacey, 29, from Northfield, flew out from Manchester Airport with Thomas Cook for a two-week holiday and were due to return on Monday. The trip was to celebrate nurse Stacey’s 30th birthday later this year.
Mr Harding, a manager for a water company, said they were aware of the collapse of Thomas Cook, but were assured they would be flying home as planned on Monday.
He said: “The coach arrived and took us to the airport and we were told it was a Spanish airline which would be taking us back to Manchester.
“We got to the airport and were then told, ‘sorry, you can’t get on the plane, it’s full’.
“There were 35 of us behind at the airport.
“We were there for seven hours with no food or water and we weren’t allowed to leave the airport because of security.”
Mr Harding said eventually another coach came along and took the “forgotten 35” to another hotel.
He said: “We were just dumped there – even the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) didn’t know we were there, they assumed we’d got on the plane.
“The hotel we’ve been left in is horrible – there are cockroaches and lizards running across the floor. We’ve been bitten by insects and bugs.
“We’ve run out of money, toiletries and clean clothes and so far my phone bill is up to £230 because I’ve been making that many phone calls.”
He said the other 33 stranded passengers are spending most of the time in the hotel lobby because the bedrooms were “really horrible”.
He said: “The British Consulate staff at the airport were clueless and were no help at all. No one’s been able to tell us when our flight home will be. We’ve heard we might get a flight on Friday, but it could be as long as Monday.
“Luckily our employers back home have been really sympathetic and understanding. But my car is parked at Manchester Airport so God knows how much the charges will be when I eventually get back.
“This was meant to be a dream holiday to celebrate Stacey’s 30th birthday – but it’s turned into a holiday from hell.”
After Thomas Cook collapsed, the Government announced that the CAA would be flying home the 155,000 British holidaymakers stranded abroad.