A distraught family say that have been left £10,000 out of pocket after being refused onto their flight for the holiday of a lifetime due to a surname mixup.
Tina Cribb and her relatives were reportedly turned down at the gate during a holiday from Manchester to Orlando after their names were the wrong way around, an issue they insist is not their fault.
The holiday, booked via Trip.com, was brought to a halt when an Aer Lingus worker blocked them from boarding the flight to the USA. According to the Mirror, the Cribbs bought a new set of tickets for the following day in a bid to salvage the holiday, but they are now thousands out of pocket.
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The party of nine's efforts to retrieve their money have failed so far, with the airline refusing to make changes to a booking through a third party. Tina, told the Mirror she's "shocked and appalled at how we've been treated".
She added: "It took the shine off the holiday. I just think it's wrong. I think it could've been put right."
The family had turned up to Manchester Airport at the start of November, excited for a rare winter break to Florida in what was described as the "trip of a lifetime."
The Cribbs collected their tickets three and a half hours before take-off and it was at that point they noticed that their surnames and forenames were mixed up, meaning they didn't match their passports.
Tina, who praised the Aer Lingus staff at the airport for keeping check-in open as long as possible and being kind, said the family spent hours frantically trying to correct the problem.
The 56-year-old claimed the booking department at Trip.com was closed when they desperately tried to get in touch. An email from the company had their names printed correctly, leading Tina to believe they were behind the mistake on the tickets.
According to Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of independent travel agents Advantage Travel Partnership, it's the responsibility of "whoever books to key in the information correctly".
She said there aren't general rules dictating how names must be entered on a ticket, but that "it's up to the airline, a lot of the time it's the discretion of the staff".
"Most people would just see the same names and not even notice it," Julia continued.
"It's a bit like a spelling mistake, but your passport and ticket have to match. If there is a mistake it's down to the airline's discretion.
"It seems very very unfair doesn't it? These are not random names. It does unreasonable, but the rules are it's down to the airline."
A spokesperson for Aer LIngus said: "We're sorry to learn of Ms Cribb's experience. Unfortunately, we are not able to make changes to bookings made via third parties such as Trip.com.
"While we do allow names on bookings made directly with Aer Lingus, terms and conditions may vary between online travel agents.
"In order to be accepted for travel the name on a booking must match that of the passport."
Trip.com was contacted for comment.
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