Stranded in Majorca: Brits' airport ordeal amid easyJet chaos
A family from the United Kingdom whose return flight from vacation was suddenly cancelled spent two nights on the airport floor. Further issues and the airline's lack of assistance made their journey home a nightmare.
Lowri Gallagher, her partner, and two young children—a one-year-old and a two-year-old—were returning from a vacation in Majorca. Their flight, operated by easyJet, was cancelled just a few hours before departure due to bad weather conditions and issues at Palma de Mallorca airport.
Flight canceled, what next?
The family arrived at the airport at 2:00 PM EDT, and their plane was scheduled to take off at 7:20 PM EDT. Just an hour later, the easyJet app notified them of the flight cancellation. On-site, they received no specific instructions, which caused them concern. The carrier only informed them to wait for more information.
It was mid-August, so hotel prices exceeded $2,400 per night, so they decided to spend the night at the airport. The younger child slept in a stroller, and they stayed on the floor with the older one. Gallagher recalls being forced to borrow diapers for her son and spending significant money on food and drinks at airport outlets.
The airline eventually offered them a flight at 9:30 AM EDT the next day. Unfortunately, they were informed of a delay again, and ultimately, their second flight was also cancelled. The lack of any assistance from easyJet forced the family to look for alternatives on their own.
Eventually, the family found another flight to the United Kingdom, but to a different destination airport. The new ticket cost almost $990. The family also paid for local transportation afterward, as they landed nearly 500 kilometres from home.
Upon returning home, Gallagher contacted easyJet to obtain reimbursement for additional costs, which she emphasizes amounted to nearly $1,650. After six weeks of disputing with the airline, they received only $390 as a voucher. "The voucher is worth absolutely nothing as I'll never fly with easyJet again," she admitted in a conversation with British media.
A representative from EasyJet told the Daily Star that the carrier apologized to the family and offered a cash refund instead of the voucher it initially offered.
