A 14-year-old boy was left stranded overseas by Wizz Air after they told him there wasn’t room for him to get on a flight. Alfred was travelling back from Rome, Italy, to Iceland on August 10 with a group of around seven other teenagers and an accompanying adult, after a fencing trip. When the group reached the airport and Alfred headed to the check-in desk, he was informed that he didn’t have a seat on board the plane - despite having bought a ticket.
“As it got closer and closer to the gate closing, it became apparent that they wouldn't have a flight seat for him and they did absolutely nothing to help,” his mother, Arna, 39, told the Mirror. Have you been abandoned by a plane not knowing what to do? Email us at [email protected] “I was on the phone with him while this was going on, and they just said that they hadn't realised his age and they had no regard for the fact that he has no connections in Italy.
" Arna added that her son's age was on the booking. “He [Alfred] was upset by the situation. He was really, really frightened, I think.
I think it just felt very, very unnerving and frightening for him,” she said. Before the flight took off Arna paid an extra £34 in order to be allowed to the boarding desk, his mother claimed. There he was told that he would not be able to get on the plane, despite having made the extra payment.
Feeling very alone and a long way from his home in Reykjavík, Alfred had to watch as the plane full of his friends took off without him. Luckily for him, a friendly couple had also been bumped from the flight and were keen to help him out. “In the end, luckily there was a couple bumped from the same flight who offered to sort of look after him.
Otherwise, I’m not sure what I would have done. I would have probably flown over on the first available flight or contacted the Italian police ," Arna said. Sign up for FREE to Mirror Travel and discover dream escapes, latest travel advice and more JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP: Discover your next dream getaway in the UK or abroad by joining our free Mirror Travel WhatsApp community HERE .
GET THE NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror Travel newsletter for a weekly dose of the best holiday deals, travel warnings, expert advice and hidden gems, straight to your inbox. Alfred's miserable airport adventure wasn't over however. He made his way to a service desk after being told by staff they were entitled to some compensation, only to be told he was entitled to nothing.
A member of staff then told Alfred he would fly out on the next available flight, which was one week away. Arna was not prepared to leave her son in Italy for seven days by himself however. “I ended up just liaising with a couple on which flight they would be travelling on.
I booked a really expensive flight for him. So they travelled all of them together. And they helped him reclaim his luggage, something which didn't even help him do," she said.
Arna had booked the replacement flight through Icelandair, whom she said were "really, really helpful.” Despite calling Wizz Air numerous times, and sending in a formal complaint, Arna is yet to hear from the airline. “There's no way of getting through to them,” she said.
The group’s accompanying adult was also put in a difficult position when she was told she could let all the kids go on the flight by themselves, by giving up her seat for Alfred. However, if she was to do this, it would mean leaving the entire group unaccompanied - and she would not get a refund or reimbursement. Fancy earning money when you book a holiday? Thanks to Quidco, you can.
After signing up for free, Quidco gives you a chunk of money back every time you spend. If your first purchase is within 30 days of signing up and is £5 or more, you'll receive cashback on that purchase and a £15 bonus. Between the accompanying adult and Arna, it was decided the best option was for her to stay with the group of children already onboard the flight.
A Wizz Air Spokesperson said: “Our policy allows children aged 14 and over to travel without dependents and this information can be found on the Wizz Air website. We would like to apologise to the impacted passenger for the inconvenience and we are reviewing the situation internally.”.
