A man told of his "travel nightmare" after a TUI flight was delayed for 36 hours and his hotel room occupied by another family.
The 46-year-old man from Mossley Hill, who asked not to be named, was due to fly out of Manchester Airport with his wife, 40, and two children, 11 and 14, at 7am on Sunday, July 24. The family had booked the £6.5k holiday to Larnaca through TUI as a package deal.
Once they arrived at the airport, the family managed to get through security and sat waiting at the gate ready to board. When the time came to get on the plane, the family claimed they were told the aircraft needed to be cleaned so there would be a delay.
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The dad said this was just the start of their problems. He told The ECHO : "So the first time they said the plane needed to be cleaned. Then we were told they were struggling for cabin crew and then they were struggling for a pilot.
"Then I get this email through from TUI saying out flight needed to be rescheduled for 'operational disruption', no announcement over the tanoy or from TUI at the airport. So all 350 of us, because it was a Dreamliner, had to go home or be put in hotels.
"We were brought back the next day and they took us to a different check-in line where the computer wasn't working. We were stuck for six hours between security and the terminal. Little children and adults were crying, pensioners didn't have anywhere to sit, it was bedlam."
While waiting to board the plane, the family said a man was arrested for "having too much to drink". The dad said: "Police were there and had him on the floor with their knee to his head. He was pure bleeding from his head and it was my wife who said to the police it looked like he needed medical attention."
Later that evening the plane took off for Larnaca, with the family thinking their problems were behind them. But when they got to their hotel at 5am their room had been given away.
He said: "We couldn't believe it. We called TUI but they told us it wasn't their problem. The hotel was absolutely fantastic with us and they upgraded the room and gave us drinks.
"TUI didn't tell the hotel our flight was delayed and they just gave the room away because they thought we were no shows. I wouldn't call this the holiday from hell because it's lovely now we're here, but it was definitely a travel nightmare."
The family of four said they would never fly with TUI again as they have "no faith in them". They also wanted to warn elderly passengers against flying with the company if they do not have a phone.
The dad said: "We for sure won't be flying with them (TUI) again. I just want to let other people know the experience we had and how we were treated. I would also urge people who are elderly or not on mobile phones or email, not to fly with TUI as they do everything over the phone.
"Imagine if you were elderly and just sat in the terminal not knowing the flight was delayed, where to go or what to do."
A spokesperson from TUI said: "We fully understand the man's frustration following his experience. Unfortunately, the aircraft was delayed as a result of knock-on operational disruption from the previous inbound flight. We’re sorry for the misunderstanding with the man's booking on arrival at his hotel. We can confirm that the man's room was upgraded as an apology for the confusion.
"Our teams are currently processing the man's refund for the two nights of his holiday he’s missed."
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