Family ‘sitting on airport floor for 22 hours’ as TUI flight cancellations wreak havoc

The family were stuck at Birmingham Airport for almost a day hoping to start their Spanish break before being told to go home

A family who waited patiently for 22 hours for their flight to leave Birmingham Airport were furious when it was finally canceled and they were sent home.

Vaughn Brayne was hoping to fly to Spain with his pregnant girlfriend and three-year-old son on Friday as delays plagued them.

Finally, almost a full day after arriving at the airport, they were told to go home.

told Vaughn Birmingham Live said: “Having spent almost £3,000 and 22 hours later I’m being told by staff who don’t even work for the airline to just go home.

Are you caught up in the chaos at Birmingham Airport? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk

“I am absolutely furious and appalled by the treatment I have received.

“My pregnant friend [sought] medical help from the police because there was no staff at all. She had swollen feet, a bad back.

He added: “We were given a £30 voucher and had to go through security twice.

“It was a holiday for the whole family. The fourth flight they offered me was a 12 hour all round flight and a bus trip that should have been just a 2 hour flight.”

Vaughn claimed TUI tried to send him to two different parts of Spain, which would have entailed a seven-hour bus ride to his hotel.

TUI said: “The mid-year holidays are always an incredibly busy time with many customers looking for a short break. Unfortunately, due to various operational and supply chain issues, a small number of flights have been delayed or cancelled.

“We want to reassure our customers that we are doing everything we can to minimize delays and will be in direct communication should their holiday be impacted. We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this time.”

earlier this week everyone easyJet Flights were delayed or canceled due to a major technical failure.

Thousands of passengers are left confused and in chaos after systems crashed and planes were grounded.

The airline giant apologized to travelers for the problem and confirmed that all flights scheduled to leave the country between 1pm and 3pm have been affected.

Only two flights to Mallorca and Thessaloniki in Greece were allowed to depart from Gatwick Airport.

All other flights were delayed or canceled due to the issue.

EasyJet said: “We regret the delay in notifying some of these cancellations and the inconvenience caused to customers who booked these flights, but we believe this is necessary to provide reliable services at this busy time.

“Customers will be informed from today (Friday) and will have the option to rebook their flight or receive a refund and can claim compensation in accordance with regulations a quarter of which operates to and from Gatwick.”