A British couple from Birmingham have described being stranded in Phuket, Thailand, as a 'holiday from hell' after their flights were cancelled due to the Middle East conflict. Laura and Paul Webster, both working in the insurance software sector, had planned to fly with Emirates to Dubai for a stopover before returning to Birmingham, but flights were cancelled because of airspace shutdowns.
The couple, who have young children in the UK being cared for by former partners, have been told by their travel agent that there are no flights available for two weeks and that they must 'fend for themselves'. Mrs Webster, 40, said: 'We've got work, we've got kids. We want to get back ASAP. We don't care if that means four flights.'
The travel agent has tried to rebook them on Emirates via Dubai, but those flights keep getting cancelled due to the conflict. The couple have searched for alternative routes via Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, but found a flight via Japan costing £10,000 each, which they cannot afford. Mrs Webster noted: 'Unless you have a direct flight that's already booked from Bangkok to London, you're stuffed for two weeks at least.'
Approximately half a million travellers use airports in Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi daily, but many flights have been suspended due to airspace shutdowns following the Iran-US conflict that began on 28 February. Passengers travelling with non-UK airlines like Emirates are not protected by UK consumer law, meaning they have no right to be rebooked on another airline.
Mrs Webster said there are 'loads of people in our hotel who are all stuck'. Their travel agent secured three extra nights' accommodation, but after that they will have to fend for themselves, as insurance does not cover war-related claims. She added: 'It's just horrible. It's literally a holiday from hell. We had two days of a nice holiday, and then since Saturday we've just had such stress and anxiety of not knowing when you can get home to your kids.'
Emirates has announced a reduced flight schedule until further notice, stating that passengers transiting in Dubai will only be accepted if their connecting flight is operating.
