Your boarding pass has been checked, you’ve plodded down the aisle to find your seat and strapped in ready to take off – the holiday has begun.
It feels like you can finally relax when those cabin doors close, and the plane makes its way to the runway. Everything is going perfectly, and you can’t wait to jump in the pool the moment you get to the hotel.
The last thing you’re expecting is to get an email ruining everything. But that’s exactly what happened to this mum.
Kerry Andrews had booked a holiday with easyJet to Alicante as a celebratory trip for her 16-year-old daughter completing her exams.
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The duo set off from Manchester airport seamlessly but while they were in the air, the mum received a devastating email.
Andrews was told their entire holiday package had been cancelled. And like many of us would, she just assumed the message must have been a mistake, especially as she’d been able to check into their hotel upon arrival.
However, when they got back to Alicante airport to fly home, they were told they didn’t have a booking.
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"When I went to the check-in desk they said 'you've got no flight'. They didn't offer us anything - no alternative flights. They just basically said find your own way home," the mum said.
"I was told they'd cancelled my whole holiday while I was in the air - I don't know if they wanted me to jump out the window or what."
In a little bit of luck, the pair were accompanied by special assistance due to her daughter’s autism, who helped them to an alternative airline's desk where they were able to book the last two seats on a flight back to Manchester.
But not so luckily, they were left out of pocket for double the flights as they hadn’t yet been refunded for their original one.
Since getting back, Andrews has got a refund but she’d ended up having to borrow money to keep afloat in the meantime.
She said it has been 'impossible' to get any straight answer out of easyJet as to why they were left stranded in the first place.
"I'd been able to get my flight there, check in for my hotel, all the transfers came through, they didn't cancel the whole holiday," the mum added.
"But if we hadn't had any money they would have just left us in Alicante airport."
However, she praised the special assistance she received there, calling the staff 'wonderful'.
An easyJet holidays spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry to hear of about Kerry’s experience after receiving an email in error that we had cancelled her holiday. We’re pleased Kerry’s holiday was able to go ahead as planned however we’ve organised a full refund for the holiday. as well as a refund for the cost of the alternative flights home she booked.”
Jess Battison