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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Samuel Port & Lucy Leeson & Sara Odeen-Isbister

Fuming traveller 'kicked out' of airport after airline cancels flight at boarding gate

A traveller says she and other disgruntled passengers were "kicked out" of Leeds Bradford Airport when their flight to Belfast was cancelled.

Anna Wynd claims she ended up missing her godson's first birthday because she wasn't allowed to return to the lounge to buy another plane ticket.

The 35-year-old told Yorkshire Live that she and other passengers had gone through security and were at the boarding gate on Friday when the flight was cancelled and they were told to leave.

Anna, from Morley, West Yorkshire, was angry that she wasn’t allowed to return to the lounge to book another flight.

She said she would have had to go all the way back to check-in after booking again, where queues had already piled up. So she decided to cancel the trip, meaning she would miss her godson's first birthday.

Flybe have reimbursed Anna for the flight but she says she'd like her travel to the airport covered too (Anna Wind)

Anna, who works in HR, was waiting for hours for her flight to Belfast which was due out at 11.30am, only for Flybe to cancel it at about 1pm.

She said: "I am fuming but I have no energy to argue with anyone. I felt like I was treated worse by the airport than the airline. I’m so disappointed with them because they kicked us out. I wish I didn’t have to return to them but I have no choice.

"I’m more fuming with the fact that they did not let me go back to the lounge so I could book another flight with another provider without going through the check-in again."

Anna says the whole situation had been confusing even before she was told to leave, with the departure board erratically changing between cancelled to delayed at one point. The 35-year-old claims it directed passengers to Gate 1.

Anna said: "Earlier you could see on the screen it said ‘cancelled’ but then suddenly it said ‘Go to Gate 1’. We thought maybe there was just a glitch.

Anna says she is angry at how staff at Leeds Bradford Airport treated her and other passengers (Matthew Lofthouse SWNS)

"Everyone just ran to Gate 1 and then we were queuing and eventually when we got to the gate, they only then told me the flight was cancelled. They said ‘Sorry, your flight is cancelled, and you need to leave the airport’.

“I asked if I could go back to the lounge but they said ‘No, please just leave’. Then they just let us out to arrivals.”

Anna managed to get a refund from Flybe but also wants her travel fare to the airport paid for. She’s also angry she wasted a day of her annual leave just travelling to the airport and back home.

A Flybe spokesperson said: “Flybe Ltd confirms that unfortunately flight BE734 Leeds Bradford-Belfast City was cancelled on 10th June.

"Flybe has made every effort to re-accommodate customers and alternative flights were offered for same-day travel. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or difficulties this cancellation caused.”

Leeds Bradford Airport has also been asked for a comment.

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