Fuming sunseekers have vowed never to fly with TUI again after being stranded at Gatwick Airport. The holidaymakers were diverted away from their intended destinations after a hot week in the sun due to lengthy delays and airport restrictions. Among those affected were Gary and Julie Pick, who are battling to win compensation after a nightmare journey from Turkey.
The couple, aged 65 and 60, faced hours of delays when travelling from Antalya in Turkey bound for Bournemouth. They were told while in the air that it was too late to land at Bournemouth and the plane would be diverted to London Gatwick. Airports such as Bournemouth do not run 24 hours per day, meaning there may not be the staff to welcome an arriving flight late at night.
In this case, the flight was diverted to Gatwick Airport which can accept flights throughout all of the night. (Image: Gareth Fuller / PA) But when the plane finally landed, Gary said almost 200 passengers were left stranded, dressed in shorts and flip-flops, with children crying and no coaches for them. “It was absolute carnage there, people were pushing, shoving and shouting,” said Gary.
“TUI just don’t seem to care.” Eventually, the couple booked their own taxi with two other people and took the 100-mile journey to arrive home at 4.30am.
Gary added: “We fly from Bournemouth because it’s convenient and we live here, so we’re prepared to pay a premium price for that. If we wanted the cheapest holiday we would have gone to Gatwick.