A Belfast family has been forced to book new flights home from Turkey with another airline after easyJet canceled its return trip.
It comes as passengers were facing another weekend of disruptions after several easyJet flights to and from Belfast were canceled.
Passengers were stranded after the airline canceled services between Belfast and places such as Gatwick and Manchester.
Read more: Co Down couple left for Turkey an extra week after easyJet flight cancellation
Meanwhile, those traveling from Dublin Airport were also affected over the weekend by long security queues, which led officials to warn passengers that they could miss their flights.
An easyJet return service between Belfast and Dalaman was one of the canceled on Saturday.
Lisa Browning, 32, and her Dundonald family arrived at the Turkish resort on May 14 and were due to return home on May 28 after enjoying a late vacation with family and friends.
However, the family of five’s plans changed abruptly after easyJet canceled its flight home with little notice and left them in the lurch.
“Our flight to Belfast from Dalaman at 10pm on Saturday night was canceled 14 hours and 30 minutes before we had to fly,” Lisa told Belfast Live.
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“We were ready and ready to go at that stage and then the text message and email arrived at 7:34 am (Turkish time). We followed the instructions, but when we made the next flight available with easyjet no it was up to 10 days later (June 7).
“Email details only indicated that if no flights were available for the same day, they would offer a hotel room for the night of the canceled flight.
“They never made it clear that if there was no flight for 10 days, what would we do for accommodation. We couldn’t even ask for accommodation until the flight was changed because God knows where they would have put us.”
Lisa explained: “We were originally a group of 18 holiday friends and we had a great time after this happened. The other families had booked a package with easyjet, so tonight they were given alternative flights to the mainland UK .
“Some went to Bristol and Manchester and others took them to Glasgow. However, they didn’t give us that option because we only booked flights with the airline and we feel completely abandoned.”
As her alternate flight was not until 10 days later, Lisa and her family had no choice but to book with another airline and will return home on Thursday with Jet2.
“My family and I didn’t have enough medicine for another 10 days and we didn’t have the money to pay for the hotel for nine more nights,” he added.
“We also had to go back to work on Monday, so we had to call and explain that we were trapped in Turkey. My partner and I work for the NHS, which already has a small staff, so we had to be granted an annual emergency leave in addition to the two weeks of vacation we have already had.
“One of the guys on our trip is self-employed and had a reserved job all week and a delivery for the jobs that arrived on Monday. He had to spend all day on Saturday calling suppliers and customers to cancel everything and he lost his salary for a week. “
Lisa’s flights were originally booked for October 2020 in Spain. Due to Covid, they were canceled and rescheduled in May 2021, but this trip was also canceled and rescheduled until this year.
More EasyJget flights to and from Belfast have been canceled. (Image: Justin Kernoghan / Belfast Live)
However, the family faces a moment of distress when they also return home.
“Fortunately we were paid on Friday, so we had the money to book alternative flights and extend our stay at the hotel where we are currently. However, on our return home, we will not be paid again until June 27, so I won’t. We know what we’ll do for the food and the bills until then, “Lisa said.
“It cost us more than £ 2,000 for alternative flights and to expand our accommodation. We have already submitted a claim form for Easyjet, but we have not been assured that we will be reimbursed for the money we had to pay. of the cancellation of our flight home.
“It simply came to our notice then.
“It’s been a disaster after such a wonderful holiday with family and friends to end it like this!”
Lisa said the experience has pushed her to fly with the airline in the future.
“We will never use easyJet again,” he added.
An airline spokesman said: “We are very sorry that Mrs Browning’s flight EZY6786 from Dalaman to Belfast on May 28 was canceled. We offered customers options to re-book or receive a full refund. as well as accommodation at the hotel, along with information on how to do so – Organize online or through the app.
“However, we fully understand the disruption this will have caused to your plans and we are very sorry.
“Our team is contacting customers to offer them more assistance and reimburse them for their alternative flights and any other reasonable expenses.”
Over the weekend, the travel company said that “several operational and supply chain problems” are to blame for the cancellations of flights, after canceling 200 flights from the airports next week. United Kingdom.
“We deeply regret the late notice of some of these cancellations and the inconvenience caused to customers booked on these flights, but we believe this is necessary to provide reliable services during this busy period,” he said.
Read more: TUI passengers “stuck” when flight to Spain was delayed due to technical problems
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