Woman misses mother’s funeral after airline bars her from flying
An Estonian woman living in Shetland missed her mother’s funeral after being told she could not fly home because of Covid restrictions despite being previously assured it was permitted, The Scotsman has learned.
Lana, who has asked for her last name not to be published, suffereda “mental breakdown” at hearing the news when she arrived to check in at edinburgh Airport for a flight to Frankfurt and another on to Estonia.
She said she had checked two days before with both her airline lufthansa and the german border police that her journey on january 17 would be allowed.
However, she was told by check-in staff she could not travel “because of Brexit”.
They later informed her via Edinburgh Airport that only German citizens were permitted to enter Germany.
Lana, 28, was forced to watch the funeral via video link having spent more than £700 on travelling to Edinburgh and hotel accommodation.
She was further angered by Lufthansa then offering to refund the cost of her £423 air fare as a “goodwill gesture” when she had bought a refund able ticket and had already waited two months for her money back.
This week, Lana finally received the refund – minus a £63 administration fee – days after The Scotsman raised it with the airline.
The airline has offered her no apology or indicated whether it would provide any compensation.
The Estonian honorary consul in Aberdeen, who intervened on Lana’s behalf by speaking to check-in staff by phone when she was refused travel, said: “The ‘computer says no’ was the essence of their reply.”
Lana said: “The reason I was given why i could not fly via germany was due to Brexit.
"However, the official immigration website provided proof that transit was possible regardless as a matter of urgency.
“The German ministry of immigration also confirmed via email that a transit was possible through Germany.
"How bizarre, an Estonian, European citizen is not allowed to travel to Estonia via another European country to attend her mother's funeral.
“An Estonian citizen who has all the required documents to travel and who put their health at risk to travel through Scotland, only to be rejected.
“A couple of days later, I got information that in fact my transit was possible, and the Embassy of Estonia confirmed I should have been allowed on the flight.
“I feel that someone needs to answerfortheiractionsforpreventingme,anestoniancitizen, from travelling tomy homeland to say my last goodbyes to my mother.
“When I was told there was no way I could get on the plane, I had a mental breakdown and was told to move out of the way because I was delaying boarding.
“Nobody came to check on me, no staff member provided any sort of mental health support to me.
"If only Lufthansa or the German border police had told mei was not able to travel via Germany when iphoned them two days prior, I would have gone to London and on a direct flight to Estonia.