A woman from Tameside whose £4,000 dream holiday to Rhodes turned into a nightmare says she is stranded with no idea when she can return home after her flight was cancelled.
The 32-year-old from Ashton-under-Lyne flew to Rhodes with her partner last Tuesday (September 1) for a week-long holiday with TUI. They were due to fly back to Manchester Airport in the early hours of Wednesday morning (September 9), but on arrival at Rhodes airport they were told their plane had been caught up in chaos caused by an air traffic control system failure in the UK.
Chaos at UK airports
Hundreds of flights across the country were cancelled, including 19 at Manchester Airport, where more than 100 were significantly delayed due to a 'technical issue' with the system at air traffic control service Nats.
The customer service worker for a concrete company said that as soon as they arrived at Rhodes Airport on Tuesday night, a TUI representative boarded their coach and informed them their flight had been cancelled. "Everyone was absolutely fuming," she said. "Why take us to the airport when they knew there was no flight?"
Stranded with limited funds
Shortly afterwards, she received an email saying that due to 'limited availability at your destination' they were being asked to source their own hotel, transport, and meals 'for a minimum of two nights.' The holidaymaker said she thought the company were 'taking the p**s.'
"We splurged out," she said. "This was a £4,000 holiday. We then had spending money on top. And they were expecting us to pay even more money out. I only had 40 euros left in my account, my partner's mum had to transfer us some money."
They managed to find a hotel for the night, but described it as 'absolutely disgusting' with 'ants crawling all over the floor.' The food was 'awful', the pool 'looked like it had never been cleaned', and they suffered a three-hour power cut this morning, she added. They then returned to their original hotel, where they paid for a day pass and then a room for the night. So far, they have spent more than 700 euros on hotels and transfers.
Awaiting confirmation
Despite being told she will be compensated, she worries about recovering the money already spent. They hoped to fly on Thursday night or early Friday, but had still received no confirmation from TUI. She described the 'lack of communication' from reps as 'appalling' and believed their treatment had been 'absolutely disgusting.'
"We both just want to get home," she said. "We have animals at home and have had to extend people looking after them. People have said 'make the most it.' But you can't. You can't enjoy yourself because you have no idea what's going on. We can't stay any longer as we haven't got anymore funds. If we had all the money in the world, I wouldn't give a s**t. I would be relaxed then. But not everyone is a millionaire. If we have to stay any longer we are screwed. My partner is at breaking point."
TUI said they were unable to comment on individual cases. However, the Manchester Evening News understands the woman and her partner are in the process of being booked onto a new flight and that any costs incurred will be reimbursed.
In a statement on their website, the company said: "If you are currently overseas and your return TUI flight has been affected, please be assured that returning customers home is our priority. We are working through alternative travel arrangements for all impacted customers and will contact customers directly with details of their new flights once these arrangements have been confirmed. We understand this disruption will have been frustrating and disappointing for affected customers and we apologise for the impact on their travel plans. Customers are encouraged to check their email and booking regularly for the latest information. Thank you for your patience and understanding."
