A British couple’s holiday got off to a nightmare start after an airport mix-up landed them in the wrong airport, thousands of miles from their intended destination.
For most people, ending up on the wrong flight is just something that happens on TV shows and romantic comedies, but it’s nothing to worry about at the airport.
Unfortunately for Andrew and Victoria Gore, this nightmare turned out to be a very real situation after they embarked on a family trip to Spain, only to land on the other side of Europe.
The couple, from Mountain Ash in south Wales, were part of a group of 12 heading to Spain’s Costa Brava as a gift for Andrew’s 47th birthday.
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Victoria and Andrew Gore. (Rhys Davis)
Andrew, Victoria and 10 others headed to Bristol Airport for the trip, hoping to spend a week in the Mediterranean sun.
Mr and Mrs Gore had arrived at the airport early to catch their 8.15am flight on May 25 as they had both booked in to receive special assistance as Andrew is an amputee and Victoria is autistic.
Because the couple had special assistance, they were housed separately from the rest of their family. After noticing that she couldn’t see the rest of her family on the flight, Victoria asked the cabin crew if they had boarded and was “assured” that they were all on the same flight.
However, once their Ryanair flight landed, it became very clear that they were in Kaunas, Lithuania and not Barcelona, their intended destination.
The couple used special assistance when flying from Bristol Airport several times and initially did not realize anything unusual had happened.
The couple had booked a Ryanair flight to Barcelona. (Omar Havana/Getty Images)
“We’ve been away many times and we’ve always had special assistance, so this was nothing new for us,” Victoria said in an interview with The Independent.
He went on to add that their boarding passes had been checked several times, before and after boarding the flight.
Recalling a conversation she had had with Ryanair cabin crew about changing seats to be next to her husband, Victoria added: “I asked the flight attendant if we could sit together because I’m afraid of flying. She checked our boarding pass again. once and put us in the second row.”
The couple then enjoyed a couple of drinks before falling asleep on the flight to Kaunas.
“I was distraught and scared. I couldn’t stop crying,” Victoria added of the experience. “It was my worst nightmare.”
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The couple was ‘distraught’ when they realized they were not in Barcelona when they landed. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Distraught, the couple alerted the flight’s captain, who became “furious” upon learning of the mix-up and demanded airport staff ensure the Gores reached Barcelona.
Their ordeal didn’t end there, however, as Andrew and Victoria were sent on a 150-mile Uber ride to Riga, in neighboring Latvia, before boarding a 1,400-mile flight to the Spanish city.
The couple arrived at their hotel on the Costa Brava the next day and were told their luggage had been removed from the Bristol-Barcelona flight. He later left by plane and arrived two days later.
“I’ve heard about suitcases going to the wrong place, but not people. There are so many checks these days. How could this happen?”
A Ryanair spokesperson has since told LADBible that the airline does not provide special assistance, saying: “On arrival at Kaunas airport, these passengers notified the crew that they were on the wrong flight and Ryanair immediately arranged accommodation for both passengers. . on the next available flight to Barcelona, which was due to leave Riga airport the following morning (May 26).
“As these passengers did not board their flight to Barcelona, their bags were removed from the plane in accordance with standard security procedures. When it was realized that these passengers had been diverted and diverted to Barcelona, their bags were rushed from Bristol airport to Barcelona.
“We sincerely apologize to these passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of ABM’s error and have assured them that they will be fully compensated by Bristol Airport.”
A Bristol Airport spokesperson added: “We have worked with our commercial partners to investigate this incident. The airline or its ground handling agent checks all customers’ travel documentation before boarding a plane. Since being informed of the problem, Bristol Airport has worked with our airline handling agent and special assistance provider to investigate the circumstances and make improvements for the future. We will contact the customer with information to direct their complaint to the correct business partner for resolution.” .
Featured Image Credit: Rhys Davis / Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Topics: Travel, Ryanair
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