One man fears for his next holiday following a "horrific experience" which saw passengers diverted to an airport in a last minute change.
Leon Kearney and his partner Lucy booked their first holiday together back in 2020 but it had been pushed back due to covid. The pair expected to fly out to Turkey from Manchester on June 17 and couldn't wait to enjoy their time together abroad.
Despite a few issues with delays, they were "not too fazed" and enjoyed a "great holiday", until they experienced a "nightmare" when flying back with TUI on June 25. Leon told the ECHO their flight from Antalya was delayed for over three hours, but eventually they were on their way back home to Manchester, with their transfer booked to get them back home to Liverpool.
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However, with less than one hour before they were due to land, Leon, from Wirral, said the pilot made a "random" announcement telling passengers they were no longer landing at Manchester, and instead would be heading to London Gatwick due to issues arising with crew hours.
He said: "This came out of nowhere. We weren't told about this beforehand, if we had we would have been prepared. We were told there would be coaches to get us back to Manchester but when we'd got our luggage, the reps told us there were no coaches and we had to make our own way home and claim it back.
"We didn't get any help. It was a shambles, there was no communication. I feel sorry for the staff but it felt premeditated. We had to rush around getting trains but there were strikes in London. We managed to get a train from Gatwick to London Victoria, to Euston and then to Manchester and then to Lime Street.
"We had our transfer ready to meet us at Manchester Airport which cost us another £80 to get him to change it so we could get home. Me and my partner were due in work on the Saturday but we couldn't make our shifts so lost out money there. It's appalling."
Leon added that despite trying to claim back compensation, he has not managed to do so. He added: "We got a taxi quote for £400 that would only take us to Crewe so our only option was the train. I know some people paid £500 to get home. It put a massive dampener on the holiday.
"No-one has been away for two years and it just causes unnecessary stress. We'd had virtually no sleep for 24 hours after the delayed flight and then getting home. You can't have a go at the staff. I've worked in the hospitality industry. The pandemic has nailed the travel industry, and now we are trying to get it back. People were forced to get other jobs but these trades are now needed. The staff need to be looked after more.
"What's bothering me is the technique, we got off the plane and were told to make our own way home. We are flying with TUI to Tenerife in August and I'm worried.
"A normal person wouldn't know what channels to go down for compensation. We paid out £120 which isn't a lot of money in the scheme of things but what if you had no money? The form you fill out is very basic and you can't get hold of anyone."
Have you experienced any issues with flights this year? Let us know in the comments section below.
A spokesperson for TUI said due to local events in the area and transport links, taxis and shuttles were fully booked and so passengers were advised to arrange their own transport where possible, but for those unable to, taxis were arranged by the team. They added: "We’d like to apologise to customers travelling on TOM857 from Antalya to Manchester Airport on June 25, which was diverted to London Gatwick Airport due to an earlier delayed flight.
"We communicate with customers as quickly as we can if there are any changes to their holiday and offer transport, overnight accommodation, meals and refreshments as needed. Our teams worked hard to secure transport back to Manchester for all customers, however events in the area and rail strikes in London meant this took longer than usual.
"We’ll be directly contacting customers shortly to explain how they’ll be reimbursed for any additional expenses incurred in relation to the diversion. We understand that last minute delays and diversions are incredibly disappointing and would like to reassure customers that we do everything we can to get them home as planned. We’d like to apologise again for the inconvenience and we thank customers for their understanding."
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