Two easyJet passengers were forced to sleep on the floor at Edinburgh Airport after their flight was cancelled and the airline failed to find them a hotel.
James Collins, 32, and his partner Ashley Norman, 33, who has a mental disability, visited the capital for the first time on July 5 to take in the zoo and the Royal Mile for King Charles' visit.
After having a great break, the couple, from Kent, were informed their flight back to London Gatwick was delayed. At first, the pair did not mind as they expected some delays due to Charles' procession and ceremony at St Giles'.
READ MORE: East Lothian teacher dies suddenly as tributes pour in for 'one in a million'
However, after finding out the flight was cancelled, James and Ashley were supposedly told by a easyJet member of staff on the phone that a hotel would be booked by the airline and a taxi to take them there would arrive in under two hours.
After 90 minutes, there was no taxi or email confirmation, and when James attempted to call the number, he claims it would not connect. After complaining to a member of staff at the airport, who eventually got an easyJet manager to speak with the couple, they were reportedly informed that their policy does not involve arranging alternative accommodation if a partnered hotel is full.
Consequently, James and Ashley were forced to sleep on the hard tiles at the airport until their new flight on the morning of July 6.
After being contacted by Edinburgh Live, easyJet has apologised for the experience James and Ashley experienced, saying the service falls below what they expect for passengers. They also confirmed the flight was cancelled due to air traffic control restrictions on a previous flight which left staff over their safety regulated operating hours.
Speaking about the ordeal, James says he has been left "shocked" by the lack of duty of care and says Ashley suffered immensely due to his mental disablement.
He said: "We just needed a little break and decided to visit Edinburgh for the first time as we heard about the panda's and that they were leaving. King Charles was also visiting at the time so we wanted to see him.
"We had a fantastic time until the flight home. We were told at midday that the flight was delayed but we weren't too bothered. We were then told it would be severely delayed but we couldn't speak to anyone.
"It was then cancelled without any explanation. My partner is mentally disabled and suffers with extreme anxiety so would typically get bothered by little things most people wouldn't.
"Our first priority was to book another flight but there was none until the next day. We were told to book a hotel and we would be reimbursed but there were no hotel available as they were all full.
"We called the emergency number and they sorted a hotel and said a taxi would arrive in the next 90 minutes. That time period came and went without any taxi and from then on we were essentially stranded."
James tried to explain to staff at the airport that his partner did not have the mental capacity to spend the night sleeping in an airport, but claims he was offered no help.
When James complained enough to a member of staff he eventually got to speak with an easyJet supervisor who he claims rubbished the idea of being given a room by the airline if one of their partnered hotels were fully booked.
As a result, James claims he was "fobbed off" and endured a "horrible" night without any pillows or blankets.
The support worker continued: "We feel let down by everyone. My partner was completely distressed and it took him two days after we returned to calm himself down.
"The supervisor we spoke to basically said it is not their policy to find alternative accommodation if there is none available. There is no duty of care and no plan B for cancelled or delayed flights.
"The whole process was just shocking to be honest. We have flown with easyJet numerous times in the past and never had any issues like this. I reached out on Twitter that night and have had two responses but heard nothing back in six days.
"If they had just said initially that it wasn't their policy to book a hotel then we would have accepted that, but we were promised something we never got. An explanation as to why the flight was cancelled would be nice too.
"There was another disabled woman on her own who was in a wheelchair and if we hadn't of helped her book an alternative flight she would have been stuck too. The response on Twitter was even basic. They asked for the flight number and booking reference and I've not heard anything since.
"We even initially planned to drive up but thought we'd lose too much time travelling, what a mistake that was.
"That night we were extremely tired and slept without pillows and blankets, which I did try and ask for. They don't seem to care that they could have caused my partner to have a severe anxiety attack."
James, who works with children and adults with disabilities, says there should have been several plans in place to avoid passengers being stranded with no options, especially those with a disability of some capacity.
A spokesperson for easyJet said: "We are sorry that Mr Collins' flight from Edinburgh to London Gatwick on 5 July was cancelled due to air traffic control restrictions on the previous flight, which led to the crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours.
"The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and we did everything possible to minimise the impact of the disruption, notifying customers directly of their options to rebook an alternative flight for free or receive a refund. Unfortunately there were limited hotel rooms available in the area and while we provided accommodation where available and advised customers who sourced their own that they will be reimbursed, we fully understand what a difficult situation this will have been for Mr Collins for which we are very sorry.
“Our team have been in contact with Mr Collins to apologise for his experience, reimburse his expenses and provide a gesture of goodwill. We are also looking into his feedback about his experience at the airport as this is not the level of service we expect for our customers.”
