Airport ‘carnage’ after the collapse of Thomas Cook
TOURISTS have described the “utter carnage” they faced when trying to fly back to Cardiff from Antalya in Turkey.
Caroline Doogle, 39, was part of a group of around 200 people who were forced to sleep at the airport as their flights were cancelled or delayed.
The shop assistant had booked a package holiday with Thomas Cook costing £1,500 for her and her three children, Cai, 12, Kian, 12, and Jac, 11. It was their first time on holiday.
She flew to Antalya on September 21, and just a few days later news broke of the firm’s collapse.
She said: “The airport was utter carnage. There were at least 200 people who had been promised a flight back but no-one knew what was happening. The first night we got to the airport on September 28, the flight was showing as cancelled. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) were trying their best to sort things out but there were communication issues.
“Elderly people were slumped on the side, there were babies who had no nappies and parents were running out of money for food and water, it was absolutely disgusting.”
Caroline, from Swansea, says they were put on a priority list with those who had kids, or were disabled.
Although many people were meant to fly back to Cardiff Airport, hundreds were put on flights to Gatwick or Glasgow. The first priority group were taken to a nearby hotel where they were told there was another flight for them at 1pm the next day.
“We arrived at the hotel and had to wait another hour for a room and by now it was nearly 2am. The kids were tired and hungry and the mood just was not nice,” she said.
“In the morning we were messed around again with the timings and ended up leaving the hotel three or four hours later than we were meant to. But eventually after plenty of arguing we were put on a flight back to Gatwick. It wasn’t ideal but I just wanted to get my kids home.
“When we did get on the flight though, there were so many empty seats. I was shocked because there were so many people at the airport who were obviously stuck.”
When they finally got back to Gatwick late Sunday night, she says they were greeted with water and sandwiches and the hospitality was really good. They were put on a free coach back to Cardiff, but there was one major issue. Only 20 suitcases had come through to Gatwick Airport, with the rest of the luggage left in Turkey.
Caroline said: “I honestly couldn’t believe it when they said there was no luggage, there were a lot of problems but this just tipped me over the edge.”
She added: “Anywhere you went you’d find British people who had booked with Thomas Cook and we all spoke about the uncertainty of getting home.
“There are still hundreds of people out there who can’t get home.”
If you have been stuck abroad or know of anyone who is, email aamir. mohammed@walesonline.co.uk or contact 02920 243 622.