A father has accused Tui of abandoning his family at a Greek airport after a six-hour delay left his disabled son in distress. Dean Bateman, from Wallsend, said he, his fiancée, and two sons felt 'helpless' when their return flight from Heraklion was delayed overnight.
Five-year-old Joey, who has autism and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, became so distressed he vomited. Mr Bateman told BBC Radio Newcastle the 'amazing' trip turned into a nightmare, as he could not get his son comfortable in the airport.
The family were due to fly at 00:40 on Wednesday but were alerted by friends 12 hours earlier that a delay was likely. Mr Bateman said he received no information from Tui until an email at 18:30 confirmed a delay until 07:00 the next day. He called to explain his son's condition and was assured they would be placed in a hotel, but this did not happen.
'Joey has a life-limiting muscle-wasting condition... He has a big bed at home but at the airport we had the choice to force him to sleep in a cramped buggy or sleep on a stone-cold, hard floor,' Mr Bateman said. He branded Tui 'a disgrace' on social media, saying his son was 'absolutely traumatised'.
Tui acknowledged the family's frustrations and said they could claim compensation for the delay due to 'operational issues'. It said overnight accommodation was not offered because of a 'lack of availability', adding: 'We accept we fell short of our usually high standards.'
