A family who shelled out ‘hundreds’ to fly from a different airport after they were told their holiday was cancelled have vowed ‘never again'.
Lois Corso and husband Jonathan, 41, of Litherland near Liverpool, had paid more than £3,000 for an all inclusive TUI package holiday for themselves and their two young children to Kos for Lois’s best friend’s wedding.
Two days before their scheduled departure from Manchester on June 1, they received a text telling them their flights and their holidays had been cancelled, Lancashire Live reported.
A frantic scramble to book alternative flights followed, with chief bridesmaid Lois determined she would make it.
“Not going was not an option", the 38-year-old said.
However, unable to contact TUI online or over the phone, the couple resorted to heading down to the TUI shop in Ormskirk.
Lois said: “The next day after we got the email, we couldn’t get through to TUI on the phone, and we spent hours trying to get through to them, looking at flights from Doncaster and all sorts. They just couldn’t do anything for us.
“So in the end we went to the shop in Ormskirk. I just went in and said, 'You've got to sort this out because I'm the chief bridesmaid, for my friend’s wedding, and it’s not an option for us to not go'.”
Fortunately, staff at the Ormskirk shop were able to cancel their original arrangements and book alternative flights from Bristol Airport and accommodation near to their original booking.
The new arrangements meant they had to drive down to Bristol with their children, five-year-old Oliver and three-year-old Francis, and pay for a week’s airport parking.
The total cost of all of the extras stretched well into the hundreds of pounds.
Lois said: “We must have spent hundreds with the fuel and the airport parking. And we won’t get that back.
"And on top of that, just the stress, because the kids were distraught when they found out that the holiday had been cancelled, then there was the extra travel time for them - it was just a nightmare.
“But we didn’t have a choice to walk away from this holiday because of the wedding; it was not an option for us, so we spent more because we had to drive to Bristol then stop off on the motorway and get the kids something to eat and all the rest of it.
"We spent hundreds more getting there on top of the £3,000 holiday that we paid for on one wage, that we had scrimped and saved for for two years, only to almost have it taken away from us at the last minute."
Yet the chaos was not over.
When they finally arrived at the hotel in Kos, a three hour delay followed due to confusion about where they would be staying.
Staff at their original hotel claimed their reservation was still valid, while TUI staff said the opposite.
Lois said: “We got there, and after all this huge travel, with suitcases, and the kids being exhausted, there was a girl at the hotel reception saying, saying 'it’ll take a couple of hours'.
"The Greek staff at the hotel were amazing and gave us wristbands, and let us go and eat and swim and leave our bags until it was sorted out but it took another two and a half hours.”
Lois said most of the 40-strong wedding party from Blackburn had similar tales to tell, with one family recounting how they had their original holiday cancelled at the departure gate at Manchester Airport.
She added: “The bride was so stressed - she spent the first few days going back and forth to the reception and the TUI staff, trying to sort everything out and get everybody there.”
Their ordeal was to continue on the return leg of their week long break when the family were boarding their easyJet flight back to Bristol.
The family claim they were told they would be split up on the plane, which meant five-year-old Oliver sitting alone, and Lois only being able to sit next to three-year-old Francis thanks to other kind passengers who moved seats.
She added: “I was like, unless I’m sitting next to my three-year-old, we're not getting on the plane; we’re not doing it.
"And luckily there was a family who all shuffled around so me and Francis could sit next to each other - they were really nice about it. But Oliver had to sit on his own next to strangers.”
A spokesperson for TUI said: "We would like to apologise to Mrs Corso and her family for their experience.
"Unfortunately, due to operational issues we took the decision to cancel Mrs Corso’s flight to Kos on Wednesday 1 June.
"We contacted Mrs Corso as soon as we became aware of the change, offering the option to cancel their holiday for a full refund.
"We understand how frustrating and disappointing this will have been and are very sorry for the inconvenience caused."
The spokesperson said customers were advised they could make a claim from 72hours after their flight was due to depart.
They said customers affected by flight cancellations had been sent a link to make a compensation claim, and that customers should receive their refund within 14 days.
A spokesperson for Bristol Airport said that discounts were available via advance booking on the airport's car parking offers, adding: "Regarding car parking this would be because the customer was using the car park without the advantages of discounts with car parking being booked in advance.
"As a Rewards member (details on the website Bristol Airport Rewards parking promo code and discounts | Bristol Airport) discounts are available by booking in advance on the various car park products we have available and other offers available when travelling from Bristol.
"On a separate note the customer would be advised to check their travel insurance, as this may cover additional costs incurred depending on the travel insurance acquired."
EasyJet was contacted for comment.
