A retired couple’s two-week vacation in Greece turned into a nightmare after dealing with cancellations, a 70-hour delay and lost luggage.
John Dawson, 72, and his wife Ann, 65, booked a return flight TUI from Manchester to Crete but due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ both their outward and return flights were affected.
The couple from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, were scheduled to have an evening flight to Crete on September 2, but the route was canceled due to a ‘disrupting passenger’.
The airline accommodated the couple overnight in a hotel in Stockport, about 10 miles from Manchester airport, before being transported to London for another flight from Gatwick airport.
They eventually arrived in Greece 27 hours after their initially scheduled departure time.
When they went home at the end of their trip, the couple had a “terrible deja vu” feeling after their flight was delayed many times before finally being cancelled, delaying their arrival by 43 hours.
The Dawsons are frustrated by the airline’s experience and alleged lack of communication. TUI claims it “maintained contact” with the couple during their delays and took care of them as best they could while fighting “circumstances beyond our control”.
John and Ann Dawson’s two-week vacation in Greece turned into a nightmare after dealing with cancellations, a 70-hour delay and lost luggage. The couple is pictured during their trip to Crete
The couple’s travel problems started on September 2 when their flight from Manchester to Crete was canceled at 6:35 pm.
Dawson, a former insurance agent, said they were taken to a hotel in Stockport and given “no information” about their new travel arrangements.
The next day, the couple were picked up from the hotel and taken by bus to London for another flight from Gatwick airport.
Dawson claims they were told the bus would pick them up around 1:00 PM on Sept. 3, but it didn’t arrive until 3:00 PM. He claimed they were also “kicked out of the hotel because there was a wedding going on.”
The couple say their trip to London was less than desirable, noting that the bus had no toilet and most travelers were hungry after eating breakfast alone.
Mrs. Dawson recalled how a pregnant woman, who apparently needed to go to the bathroom, insisted that the driver stop the bus.
The driver allegedly stopped along the highway, allowing the woman to get on another bus that was following her.
“Traffic flew by, we thought someone might be hit,” explained Mrs. Dawson.
When they finally arrived in Gatwick, the couple were reportedly given a £20 voucher for food and drinks.
However, the Dawsons claim that the airport’s shops were closing and they had few dining options. They found an open Wetherspoons, but the restaurant had closed its kitchen and only served drinks.
Dawson says the meal voucher didn’t apply to alcohol, meaning he couldn’t even buy a pint.
They finally left Gatwick around 11pm and arrived in Crete in the early hours of September 4. But when they landed, the couple learned that their luggage had never left Manchester.
“Everyone’s luggage was still in Manchester. There were babies without strollers. We had no clothes on and felt a little dirty and a little tired. We had to fill out forms to say what our luggage looked like,” recalls Dawson.
A bus then took the couple to their hotel around 6 a.m.
Dawson said a TUI representative instructed the couple to buy some clothes and toiletries while they waited for their luggage to arrive. They were told to reclaim the charges. It is unclear whether the couple has been repaid.
Their bags finally arrived at the hotel around 5pm the next day.
TUI told the Manchester Evening News that the outbound flight was delayed because a ‘disrupting passenger’ had to be unloaded, forcing the crew to exceed their legal working hours.
Due to the last minute delay, the luggage could not be removed from the flight, but was sent to the customers the next day.
A spokesperson said: ‘We fully understand Mr and Mrs Dawson’s frustrations and sincerely apologize for the delays they experienced in traveling to and from Heraklion.
“While we do everything we can to get customers on holiday and back home on time, there are sometimes circumstances beyond our control that do not allow this to happen.
“And unfortunately in Dawson’s case, a combination of unforeseen circumstances affected both their outward and return journeys. Our teams kept in touch with them during their delays and we provided accommodation, meal transfers and details on how to claim the compensation they are entitled to under EU 261 regulations. We would like to thank them for their patience and once again apologize for their unfortunate experience.”
The Dawsons needed some time to recover from the 27 hours of chaos and went on to have a wonderful vacation until they tried to get home.
“At least it can’t be that bad on the way back,” Mr. Dawson recalled saying to his wife, before adding, “But it was.”
The couple had booked a return flight with TUI from Manchester to Crete, but ‘unforeseen circumstances’ affected both their outward and return flights. People are sleeping on the ground at the airport amid the delays
The pair were due to fly from Heraklion Airport to Manchester on September 17 at 1.55am. They claim their flight was delayed several times before the airline finally canceled the route.
‘We traveled 20 meters on a bus to get the luggage from the plane, then we were kicked out of the luggage compartment and had to hang out for two to three hours. People slept outside on the sidewalk,” Dawson recalls.
“When it got light, we were put on a bus and sent to a nearby hotel at 10 a.m., in time for breakfast.”
He says they received a text that they would be picked up at 5pm that day to fly at 8pm. But the couple say that once they got back to the airport and were practically at the gate to board, they were told the flight had been canceled again.
With horrible déjà vu – the exhausted couple was taken to another hotel, where they stayed overnight. He says that after being given numerous flight times, they finally flew home on September 19 at 3:30 am and arrived in the UK at 6 am – 43 hours later.
Mr Dawson says that while he understands mistakes happen, he says all communication was via apps and texts.
He said, ‘I understand mistakes happen in life, but there was no correspondence. I booked my holiday in a shop and I don’t have modern technology or an app.’
Commenting on the delayed return flight, TUI said the company “completely understands customers’ frustrations” and thanked passengers for their “patience and understanding.”
The flight operator also stated that overnight stays had been arranged for all customers in Heraklion, customers were provided with food and drinks at the airport and a TUI holiday voucher, customers were notified of their new departure time via email and SMS and customers have right to compensation of EU 261.
“We fully understand the frustration of customers due to the delay of flight TOM2571 from Heraklion to Manchester, which was unfortunately delayed due to a technical failure that required the plane to stay overnight in Heraklion,” said a company spokesperson.