A bride and groom's wedding plans turned into a nightmare after their two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive grade four brain tumour. The couple, from Wiltshire, were due to marry in June, and the groom had arranged a stag trip abroad with 14 friends, booking flights with easyJet for a total of £4,000.
After their daughter's diagnosis, the couple managed to secure refunds from other companies for wedding services and stag accommodation. However, when the best man contacted easyJet about the flights, the airline initially offered only a voucher for the groom's ticket and a tax refund for the others, arguing that the rest of the party could still travel.
The groom wrote to the Guardian, saying: 'This has caused significant additional stress at a time when my sole focus should be spending precious time with my little girl.' He also felt bad about his friends being left out of pocket. An easyJet customer service agent apologised, citing company policy as the reason for limited options.
Consumer writer Anna Tims contacted easyJet on the groom's behalf. She noted that easyJet's website mentions refunds or credit may be given in cases of sickness or bereavement, but does not specify whether this applies to the entire group. EasyJet argued that its 'compassionate serious illness policy' only applies if the ill person is the passenger.
Ultimately, easyJet granted a full refund to the groom and his stag do group. A spokesperson said: 'We are very sorry to hear about this customer's situation. To help customers unable to travel due to serious illness, easyJet provides a flight voucher for the unwell passenger and others on their booking. Whilst the policy would not ordinarily apply if the unwell person is not travelling, given these exceptional circumstances, our customer support team have issued all passengers on the booking a full refund.'
This incident follows another case where British holidaymaker Emily was repeatedly refused a refund from easyJet after being told her flight was cancelled. Emily was due to fly from Malaga to London Gatwick on October 5, 2025. After a delayed boarding and confusion over cancellation, she booked an alternative BA flight to Heathrow, expecting a refund. easyJet initially rejected her claim, but after the Mail intervened, the airline reimbursed her as a gesture of goodwill.
