Veronica King and her friend Sam Lee were denied boarding on two KLM flights to South Africa as they tried to reach Donna Hadfield, who has been battling cancer since November 2023 and has just days to live.
Donna's condition took a devastating turn, leading to more than £9,000 being raised to help fly the 51-year-old Hartlepool native and her wife, Steph Berry, back to the UK to create lasting memories with her family in her hometown. Tragically, on October 12, family and friends were told she had just days to live.
Sam, who organised the fundraising campaign, used the money to book flights for herself and Veronica to travel to Cape Town.
Twice turned away in one day
Sam, who has been friends with Donna for nearly 40 years, told Teesside Live: "This has been deeply distressing for me and Donna's mam. To be turned away from a flight not once, but twice in one day was just awful.
"We have a few precious days left to spend with Donna and every second counts. The oncologist told us on Monday that Donna has only days left. For the airline to put us through this horrible heartache, after we spoke to them and explained it all, is unforgivable."
Donna's mam has had enough heartbreak. She just wants to get to see her daughter and hold her hand as quickly as possible. We were just sat in tears and disbelief in the airport twice."
Flight changes and return ticket requirement
Having booked the flights online, Sam phoned KLM to outline the circumstances and enquired whether any specific requirements were necessary. The 50-year-old claimed she was assured everything was in order and that they were confirmed on the 5:45am flight.
Upon arriving in the early hours of the morning, Sam and Veronica were informed they were unable to board the first of their two flights, as an aircraft change meant there were no longer sufficient seats available. Sam said KLM had emailed her regarding the overbooked flight just hours before they departed for the airport, but she had not seen the message and had received neither a phone call nor a text.
Heartbroken, the pair returned to Hartlepool after being rebooked onto a later flight that same afternoon. But upon arriving back at the airport at 2:30pm, they faced a queue of over an hour just to check in their luggage. When they reached the front desk, they were informed they would be unable to board the aircraft until they could prove they had a return flight booked - a condition Sam claims had never been raised during any previous dealings with KLM.
Reunited with Donna
Despite desperately attempting to secure a return flight, Sam said the gate shut before they had any chance to do so. The pair subsequently travelled to London by train to catch an alternative flight departing from Heathrow on Thursday, October 15, and have since been reunited with Donna.
"My main issue is that I called KLM customer service [on Tuesday] morning and explained the situation in detail and explained it was vital we got on that flight," Sam said. "I asked if there was anything else I needed to do to make sure we got there ok and was told 'no it was all fine' and we were definitely on the flight."
Sam said despite multiple conversations with airline staff, they were not informed of the return flight requirements until the second occasion they turned up at the airport. A refund request has been submitted, but they have been advised it could take up to 10 days to process.
A spokesperson for KLM said: "KLM apologises for the distress caused to Ms Lee and Ms King, who were denied boarding on 14 October. They were scheduled to travel from Newcastle to Amsterdam on flight KL952, connecting to KLM flight KL597 from Amsterdam to Cape Town.
"KLM rebooked them on flights from Newcastle via London Heathrow to Johannesburg, with onward travel to Cape Town. KLM paid both passengers denied-boarding compensation in accordance with UK261.
"The booking was purchased through and issued by Expedia for outbound travel to South Africa on KLM. The decision to deny boarding on the rebooked flight related to immigration requirements. Under KLM's Conditions of Carriage, passengers are responsible for ensuring they have the correct travel documentation."
Donna has been battling metastatic small-cell lung cancer since November 2023 and it has advanced from her lungs to her liver and pancreas. Despite encouraging outcomes from initial chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, the cancer has continued to progress.
