Travel firm apologises after Northern Ireland holidaymakers left stranded in Rhodes

It comes as holidaymakers who were due to travel back to Belfast on July 20 were met with long delays and eventually cancelled flights.

Carrickfergus man Thomas Haighton travelled to the holiday hotspot on Wednesday, July 12 with his in-laws, Robert and Shirley Huddleston, as well as his children Leah and Lewis. The family were expecting to return to Belfast the following Thursday, July 20.

"We had a brilliant holiday while we were there, but when we went to go home on the Thursday, we got a message when we were already in departures to say there was a delay with the flight,” Thomas said. “Then, we were told the flight was cancelled due to a technical issue with the plane."

The family were given accommodation for the night in a hotel some 45 minutes away, the standard of which Thomas said they were “happy” with, before returning to the airport the following day.

"We checked our bags in again, went through security again and got to the gate, then everyone was just standing there waiting and waiting,” the local man said.

"We were then told that the flight had been cancelled, again. Everyone was so disappointed; the kids were crying. The reps were standing around, but the communication from them was terrible.”

The local family were further dismayed by the alternative accommodation offered by TUI on the night of the second cancellation. “The hotel we were sent to was disgusting; the toilets were dirty and there were dead insects lying around,” Thomas claimed.

“They kept throwing vouchers at us [for food] but the only place we could use them was a sandwich shop. It was horrible and we didn’t want to stay, so we decided to go back to the airport instead. My wee boy ended up sleeping on the floor there.”

The family finally departed for Belfast in the early hours of Saturday, July 22.

However, the experience left Thomas and his family unwilling to use the operator’s services in future. "We wouldn’t travel with them again,” he said. “I know with the recent wildfires the situation could have been a lot worse, but we still feel TUI could have done more. If the communication from them had been better, there wouldn’t have been as much hassle.”

East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson said the situation that had unfolded in Rhodes over the past number of weeks was “utterly unacceptable”.

The Alliance representative, who is the the party’s spokesperson for the Economy, Travel and Tourism, encouraged travellers affected by delays and cancellations to contact the Consumer Council on their return home.

“Many families, some with young children, [were] stranded, forced to queue for hours, and made to endure unliveable hotel conditions,” Mr Dickson said.

“Many of these families, including constituents of mine, needed to return to work or face the potential of being out of pocket. It’s high time that large corporations such as TUI demonstrated a real sense of responsibility towards their customers, and not hide behind standardised responses.

“My constituents, like all travellers, should be able to trust their chosen operator to deliver a reliable service and offer effective solutions when things go wrong. They have been completely let down.

“TUI must adequately compensate not only for the tangible losses but also for the emotional distress caused. I would also advise customers affected to contact the Consumer Council, who can offer excellent advice and support.”

Commenting on the issue, a spokesperson for TUI UK and Ireland said: “We completely understand the frustration of customers who were due to depart Rhodes on flight TOM1335 on July 19, and we would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.

“The Sunwing operated aircraft was delayed due to a technical issue which meant the flight crew were over the legal working hour limit.

“Customers were then given a new departure time for July 20. Unfortunately, the technical issue needed further work so with the safety of our customers and crew in mind the difficult decision was made to extend the delay. All passengers were provided with overnight accommodation; however some chose to stay at the airport.

“Those who stayed at the airport were provided with vouchers for meals and refreshments. A gesture of goodwill has also been offered to all customers.

“We are sorry to hear that some guests were not satisfied with the accommodation provided. Our teams will be in direct contact with customers to investigate further.

“We know that this is not how anyone wants to end their holiday and would once again like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. All customers are entitled to claim EU261 flight delay compensation.”

A popular holiday destination with UK tourists, Rhodes has already been in the spotlight in recent weeks due to devastating and widespread wildfires.

With many resorts threatened by the flames, there were reports of holidaymakers sleeping at the airport or in makeshift rescue centres.

Last week, Jet2 was one of several airlines working to bring UK customers home after the fires left thousands of holidaymakers stranded.

The airline operated a repatriation programme in tandem with its programme of scheduled flights in order to meet the demand.

Meanwhile, authorities in Greece continue this week to deal with the aftermath of the fires.

Blazes were also reported on the islands of Evia, Corfu and Zante.