A family's World Cup trip was thrown into chaos after a booking blunder left a mother and her one-year-old daughter stranded at Edinburgh Airport, forcing them to pay nearly £1,600 for replacement flights.
The Booking Error
Rosie McQuillan Irvine, 59, from Dundee, was set to travel to Florida on June 17 with her husband Stewart, son, daughter-in-law Danielle, and grandchildren Forrest, 5, and Finley, 1. The family paid over £6,500 for the trip to Orlando, centered around Scotland's World Cup match against Brazil in Miami on June 24.
Upon arrival at Edinburgh Airport for their 9:15 am Aer Lingus flight to Orlando via Dublin, Danielle and Finley were denied boarding. Finley, who turns two on June 29, had been booked as a child instead of an infant, which meant she should have traveled on her mother's lap. Airline staff said the booking was incorrect and they could not board.
Panic at the Airport
Rosie described the scene as "absolute panic." Staff told them the only option was to cancel Danielle and Finley's seats. Unable to reach holiday company On the Beach for help, the family paid £1,580 out of pocket for Danielle and Finley to travel on a later Virgin Atlantic flight, while the others rushed to catch the original flight.
"I told my husband and son just to get on the flight with our grandson as they've followed Scotland all over," Rosie explained. "Danielle reluctantly said she would just go separately. She was left to fly on her own with a baby, two suitcases, and a pram. While there were two empty seats on our plane!"
Tartan Army Support
Rosie praised fellow Tartan Army supporters who helped Danielle as she traveled alone with a baby. "Everyone was quick to help her around the airport as she waited for her flight that afternoon and also as she traveled. We don't know what she would have done without them."
Further Complications
The family later discovered their return flights on July 2 had also been cancelled because Danielle and Finley were recorded as no-shows. Rosie spent the first day of the holiday on the phone but could not reach a human. However, On the Beach has now agreed to pay the costs and rebooked the return seats, along with compensation.
Rosie joked, "All I can say is Scotland better perform now after all the stress we've been through!"
Company Response
An On the Beach spokesperson said, "We're very sorry for the disruption Rosie and her family experienced. We're investigating with the airline the circumstances that led to boarding being refused. While those enquiries are ongoing, we've spoken to Rosie, reimbursed the cost of the alternative outbound flight, arranged replacement return flights, and provided a goodwill cash gesture."
Aer Lingus has been contacted for comment.
