A family has accused Ryanair of "abandoning" them after a special assistance vehicle at Alicante Airport took them to the wrong plane, leading to them missing their flight and being sent to an airport 125 miles from their destination.
Daniel Laws, 47, and his three children were attempting to fly from Alicante, Spain, back to Bournemouth, Dorset, on Friday. The bus, operated by Alicante Airport, reportedly took the family to a Tui plane despite Mr. Laws' objections.
By the time the family was returned to the terminal, the intended Ryanair flight to Bournemouth had already departed. Mr. Laws stated that they were then directed to the Ryanair help desk, where they waited on the floor for two hours.
According to Mr. Laws, Ryanair staff offered to rebook them on a flight to Stansted Airport, which is approximately 125 miles from Bournemouth. When he inquired about assistance for the family's journey from Stansted to Bournemouth, he claims staff "laughed and walked away."
Upon reaching Stansted Airport, Mr. Laws reported another hour-long wait before being told that they were responsible for arranging their own transportation home. The family eventually booked train tickets, which included further delays on the London Underground before reaching Bournemouth late that evening.
Mr. Laws, a former teacher who is now a full-time carer for his brain-damaged eldest daughter, said his children, aged 10, 14, and 16, were in tears and had not eaten since breakfast.
The original Alicante to Bournemouth flight was scheduled to depart at 10:20 a.m. The family ultimately took a flight from Alicante to Stansted at 2:15 p.m. and did not arrive home in Bournemouth until 9:30 p.m.
Mr. Laws incurred £167 in train fares and criticized the treatment his family received. He is seeking a full refund for the missed flights and compensation for the additional expenses and distress.
A spokesperson for Ryanair stated that special assistance services at Alicante Airport are provided by the airport itself but are funded by Ryanair. The airline expressed regret for the error by the special assistance provider, Alyzia, which failed to bring the passengers to the correct aircraft. Ryanair confirmed they reaccommodated the passengers on the next available flight to Stansted at no charge and are working with Alicante Airport to prevent similar incidents.
The incident occurred on July 31, according to Ryanair's statement.