A Cardiff family’s eagerly anticipated holiday to Palma took a disastrous turn today after a series of delays and poor handling by Ryanair left them stranded on the runway for hours, resulting in a lost day of their all-inclusive vacation.
Alesha Lewis, who was traveling with her parents, partner, and four young children, shared their frustrating experience that began with a 7 a.m. flight scheduled from Bristol to Palma. The family arrived at the airport by 5 a.m., prepared for a smooth start to their holiday. However, their journey quickly became a nightmare.
After boarding the plane on time, the family was informed of a 1 hour 45 minute delay. Initially, they tried to remain patient, but as the delay stretched to another hour, frustration began to set in. “We were stuck on the runway for three hours, with no clear communication from RyanAir,” said Alesha.
The situation deteriorated further when passengers were instructed to disembark, with a promise that the flight wasn’t canceled but rescheduled for 7:15 p.m. “After a sleepless night and an early start, this was the last thing we needed,” Alesha explained, highlighting the exhausting ordeal her family was put through.
In a gesture that did little to ease the growing tension, RyanAir initially offered a £6 voucher per person, later increasing it to £15 after continued delays. However, airport prices rendered these vouchers almost useless – a small sausage bap was priced at £7.99, and a bottle of Fanta cost £3.50. For Alesha’s family, feeding four children under these circumstances was both stressful and expensive.
“We’ve lost the entire first day of our all-inclusive holiday,” Alesha lamented. “The vouchers barely covered anything, and the lack of support from RyanAir made everything so much worse.”
When the family re-boarded the plane at 7:15 p.m., they hoped their ordeal was finally over. But just as they thought they were ready to take off, the pilot announced yet another delay, leaving them stuck on the plane until 10 p.m. To add insult to injury, passengers were informed that while drinks were being served, they would have to pay for them – despite many being unaware of the vouchers or the restrictions on their use.
Throughout the ordeal, Alesha noted a glaring absence of communication from RyanAir. The airline offered no updates or reassurance, leaving passengers in the dark for much of the day. “It felt like they didn’t care about us at all,” Alesha said. Another family on the same flight contacted their hotel to inform them of the delay, only to be told their airport transfer would not be available, likely forcing them to pay for a taxi if they ever made it to Palma.
Alesha’s experience is a stark example of the poor customer service and lack of communication that can turn a holiday into a nightmare.RyanAir’s mishandling of the situation, from inadequate vouchers to delayed information, left this family’s holiday marred by stress and frustration.
As they wait on the runway once more, Alesha and her family can only hope that the remainder of their trip will be a more enjoyable and relaxing experience. However, the memory of this chaotic start is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
We have reached our to RyanAir for comment