A couple's first holiday ended in disaster after they missed their easyJet flight back to the UK - despite arriving at the airport three hours early. Chloe Lightfoot and Chelsea Robinson, both 23, were left stranded at Amsterdam Airport after getting stuck in a three hour queue for security due to staffing shortages.
The couple say they had taken the airline's advice and arrived hours before their 2pm flight back to Manchester on Monday, September 26. However, understaffing meant they never made it through security in time, leaving them to watch on in horror as the plane took off without them.
The pair then had to pay roughly £350 for an alternative flight to Edinburgh the following day and a hotel room in Amsterdam for the night. EasyJet said they were aware of significant delays at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and have since reimbursed Chloe and Chelsea for their flight home and the hotel.
Speaking on the nightmare experience, Chloe told Manchester Evening News : “When we arrived we were saying ‘these lines are taking a while’. We saw other people saying their gates were about to close and security managed to get them through. So we asked the security and they said they couldn’t help us.
“By the time we got to the gate we could see the plane flying away. It was literally so sad. We just kind of stood there staring in shock until a man asked us if we were from Manchester and said we just missed our plane.
“We were in contact with easyJet but we were going around in circles. We just didn’t really know what to do because there was no help from the desks or anyone else.
“The lady at the desk said they recommended people come there four hours before because they were really understaffed. The easyJet app said come two hours early, but we came three hours early and we still missed our plane. I feel like the app should know how busy airports are.”
A spokesperson for easyJet said: “We are aware of longer than usual security queues at Amsterdam airport yesterday, caused by a shortage of airport staff and while this was outside of our control we did all possible to assist any customers who missed their flight as a result of these queues, offering free flight transfers and hotel accommodation where required and so we are refunding Ms Lightfoot and Ms Robinson for their new flight and reimbursing them for their hotel expenses.”
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol have been approached for comment.
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