A Cardiff woman claims she is owed thousands of pounds after having two flights cancelled by easyJet as she tried to go on a holiday booked three years ago.
Sarah Thomas, from Rumney, booked the trip to Turkey for herself and her two daughters before the coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in their trip being delayed time and again.
The family was finally due to fly from Bristol on 26 May 2022, however when they got to the gate they learned their flight was cancelled.
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They were told to travel to Gatwick for a flight the following day, with easyJet reportedly promising to cover the cost of a hotel, but upon arriving at the gate for the second time they were once again told their flight was cancelled.
Speaking to WalesOnline about the experience, Thomas said: “When we got to the gate again they just said it was cancelled I literally broke down. My legs went beneath me.
"I was on the floor crying my eyes out. I couldn’t believe this was happening again. Not just one flight but two. We had travelled all the way to Gatwick.”
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The mother and children got a bus back to Cardiff in the middle of the night, and though they were finally able to get on holiday the next week they ended up missing five days of their trip.
Thomas filed her request for compensation straight away, but six weeks later she is still yet to receive any money.
She explained: "This was for the lost days of the holiday, the flights that were cancelled, as well as the travel to London and the hotel. I haven't heard anything about the compensation for the travel or hotel."
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In total, Thomas believes she is currently out of pocket by £3,455 due to the lack of compensation, taking into account £1,050 for the flight from Gatwick, £1,050 for the flight from Bristol, a £700 refund of the Bristol flight, £305 for a hotel at Gatwick and £350 for a taxi.
On 8 July, she received confirmation saying she would get a total of £1,050 in compensation relating to the Gatwick flight, amounting to £350 each for her and her daughters, but the same claim for the flight from Bristol has been rejected.
The airline said it was rejecting her request for compensation because the Bristol flight was cancelled 14 days before departure, however Thomas has argued this wasn't the case as she was able to check in and go all the way to the gate before the cancellation was announced.
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"It is still so stressful," Thomas said. "All the money for the extra spending I borrowed because I was told I would get it back but they haven’t and I need to pay. We haven’t had an apology or anything from them. Not even a phone call."
In response to Thomas' ordeal, a spokesperson for easyJet apologised for her experience and said the airline had 'provided customers affected with options to rebook or receive a full refund'.
They told LADbible: "We nonetheless fully understand the disruption this will have caused to their plans.
"We would also like to apologise for the delay in processing her claim and expenses. Our customer support team is in touch with her and the claim for compensation and expenses has been processed.”
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Emily Brown