A Bristol couple claim they have been left stranded in Cyprus after TUI cancelled their flights back home "several times" since Saturday (May 28), describing the situation as an "absolute joke" which has left their six-year-old in tears.
Glenda and her husband Stephen Powell were due to travel back to Bristol Airport from Paphos, Cyprus with their two young children over the weekend - but were forced to stay in a hotel after learning their flights home had been cancelled twice.
The Avon and Somerset police officers told Bristol Live, that it's an "absolute joke" and "TUI won't even get us all-inclusive despite their utter failure to get us home".
Read more: Bristol Airport live: 'Hours' to get through security as people forced to queue outside
TUI has now issued a statement apologising to its customers for flight cancellations and claims to have been in contact with passengers to advise of new service departure times.
A spokesperson said: "We’d like to apologise to customers travelling on flight TOM6677 from Paphos to Bristol which was unable to depart as planned on Saturday 28 May due to operational issues. All impacted customers were offered welfare vouchers, overnight accommodation and meals while we worked through a new flight plan."
It continues: "We were in regular contact with customers and advised them of their new departure time as soon as we could. Customers are now due to arrive in Manchester this evening and transport back to Bristol Airport will be provided. We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding during this time."
Mrs Powell said the family was fortunate to have missed problems at Bristol Airport when they flew out on May 21 but were devastated to learn about the number of flights that had recently been cancelled.
She said she feels sorry for those people having to reschedule their holiday plans but said "there's a large bunch of us stranded in Cyprus and we can't get home.".
Mrs Powell took to social media last night (May 29) where she shared an image of her 'exhausted' six-year-old daughter crying because she is unable to return to the UK.
"2nd attempt to get home...So our Manchester flight is cancelled... Literally got off the coach at the airport to be turned straight back round to go back to the same hotel/room... Absolute joke... #tui this is the face of a six-year-old who is exhausted from travelling to an airport at 10pm and just wants to go home we were supposed to get on our flight 24 hours ago," she added.
Also read: TUI introduces new controversial ban across all its flights
Mrs Powell told Bristol Live of what she witnessed at Cyprus Airport from armed police patrolling which she describes as a lack of TUI representatives leaving many families "completely stressed out".
She added that Mr Powell was due to attend a three-day trial at 9 am on Monday morning to give evidence at Bristol Crown Court but has been forced to cancel his arrival.
"We were then told by email we would be put on the 1.20 am flight to Manchester on May 30 with a coach transfer to Bristol. Families were checking online themselves for the status of said flight and rumours were going around that it was cancelled.
"Sure enough, when we arrived at the airport and unloaded our luggage we did not even enter the airport as the information board displayed that our flight was again cancelled.
"My daughters burst into tears with the anxiety and just wanted to go home," she added.
The 40-year-old said they were then told their flight had been changed to 7.15 pm this evening instead but is not convinced "until we lift-off".
Last week Friday (May 27) Bristol Airport announced that 300,000 customers are expected to travel this week in light of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
More than 30,000 customers will be flying on some days between May 26 and June 5, the airport has said, as it again asked customers not to arrive early as check-in and security may not be open. The airport has said it is seeing travellers arrive five hours prior to flight departure which adds to the congestion in the airport.
In recent weeks, there have been long queues and delays at Bristol Airport as the airport experiences "huge pent-up demand for travel". People have had to wait for hours to collect their bags while hold-ups at security earlier this month saw passengers queueing outside the airport.
