A British couple in their 60s were left stranded on airport tarmac in St Lucia after British Airways removed them from their flight home from Tobago, despite having medical clearance to fly.
Pauline Hope and Michael Cole, from Cheshire, have spent nine months battling the airline for compensation after being forced to spend £4,000 on alternative arrangements.
The ordeal began during what was meant to be a “perfect” one-week Caribbean holiday booked through British Airways Holidays, but turned into a nightmare that has left the couple still fighting for reimbursement.
When Pauline was struck by a stomach bug on their second day in Tobago, a local doctor’s house call failed to improve her condition, leading the couple to spend most of their holiday in the corridors of Tobago’s only hospital.
A British couple in their 60s were left stranded on an airport tarmac in St Lucia after British Airways removed them from their flight home from Tobago, despite having medical clearance to fly (Stock)
PA
Before their flight back to Gatwick the following weekend, the couple returned to the hospital to collect medication – after which Pauline was declared “fit to fly”.
During their return journey, the flight stopped in St Lucia to refuel and collect passengers – during which time, as she needed to appropriately time her medication, Pauline asked a steward about meal times.
Shortly after this exchange, she claimed that the steward informed her that the captain had deemed her too ill to fly.
The couple were then removed from the aircraft at 10pm, with the doors shut behind them on what was the last flight of the night.
“We were standing at the top of these stairs looking around waiting for somebody to tell us what to do. They literally just left us on the tarmac,” Pauline says.
The couple found themselves stranded without local currency, nor any accommodation arrangements for the night.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
“How can an airline just dump people in a foreign country? It beggars belief,” Pauline said.
“I am trying to laugh about it, you see this picture of two old fuddy-duddies at the steps of a plane on a beautiful island at 10 o’clock at night. I try to see the funny side of it.”
Since Pauline had already boarded the flight, the insurer had no obligation to cover hotel costs.
A member of the ground crew eventually assisted by arranging an airport ambulance to take them to hospital and, after a two-hour wait in A&E, another doctor confirmed Pauline was fit to fly.
The couple relied on hospital staff to contact the airport and arrange ambulance transport to suitable accommodation, as they had no method of communication.
The following morning, Michael – a recovering bowel cancer patient – sought help from the airport, managing to wrangle two tickets on a Delta Air Lines flight, although it would not depart for three days and cost the couple an eye-watering £2,500.
The couple found themselves stranded without local currency, nor any accommodation arrangements for the night (Stock)
PA
After Pauline contacted British Airways Holidays’ helpline, they offered to put them in a five-star resort two hours from the airport, at $900 (£738) per night.
“I said, are you having a laugh?” Pauline recounted. “My husband does not drink, I’m hardly eating anything.”
They eventually opted for a more convenient BA flight instead of the Delta booking.
British Airways Holidays has offered to refund the package holiday but refused to take responsibility for the flights, telling the couple to deal with its airline division directly.
Neither branch of the company has provided a refund, despite the couple submitting evidence of their hospital bills and additional flight costs.
The prolonged dispute has affected Pauline’s health, forcing her to see a heart consultant due to stress, and has led her to cancelling work trips since she no longer feels comfortable flying.
A spokesman for British Airways said: “We’re currently investigating the matter and are in contact with the customer.”
+ There are no comments
Add yours