An easyJet passenger has been left fuming after he was flown to the wrong continent following a ticketing error.
A major security blunder at Manchester Airport saw Mark Jenkins, 45, accidentally board a flight to Turkey instead of Tunisia, resulting in a 2,000-mile detour.
The 45-year-old was mistakenly waved through by airport staff despite issues with his boarding pass scan, leading to him boarding the wrong easyJet flight on November 27.
The incident has raised serious concerns about airport security protocols after Jenkins ended up in Antalya instead of his intended destination of Enfidha.
Mark Jenkins boarded the easyJet flight at Manchester Airport mistakenly
PA
Jenkins arrived at the wrong gate where passengers were already boarding, paying little attention as staff attempted to scan his boarding pass.
When the scan failed, staff briefly checked a computer before waving him through despite the error.
The plane was only half-full, and by chance, Jenkins’s allocated seat was empty, allowing him to take his place without raising suspicion.
“I wasn’t really paying attention and staff scanned my pass,” Jenkins said. “But it didn’t scan properly and so they went on the computer for a second, before waving me through.”
Unaware of his mistake, Jenkins put on noise-cancelling headphones for the duration of the flight, missing all announcements.
It wasn’t until four hours later when the captain announced “Welcome to Antalya” that Jenkins realised his error.
“I got the shock of my life when I heard them say welcome to Antalya, but I told myself they wouldn’t have let me board the wrong flight,” Jenkins said.
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Jenkins arrived in Antalya and was shocked to find out he was on the wrong continent
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The crew were equally stunned by the discovery, and Jenkins was not permitted to leave the aircraft in Turkey.
Airline staff kept Jenkins on the plane for 40 minutes before flying him back to Manchester.
Upon return to the UK, he received “red carpet treatment” with accommodation at a Holiday Inn and a £15 meal voucher.
EasyJet arranged for Jenkins to fly to Tunisia the following day, though he lost approximately one-and-a-half days of his week-long all-inclusive holiday.
Despite the inconvenience, Jenkins praised the cabin crew’s response: “The easyJet cabin crew were absolutely incredible. They went above and beyond to sort it out and were so apologetic.”
The security breach prompted serious concerns from Jenkins’s brother about airport safety protocols.
Jenkins missed out on a day-and-a-half of his holidays in Enfidha
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“It’s a shocking failure of security. He could’ve ended up in Turkey illegally,” his brother said.
He raised further alarm about potential exploitation of such lapses: “What if this was exploited by terrorists? If this can happen to my brother then how often does it happen?”
An easyJet spokesperson said the airline was investigating the incident with Manchester Airport and their ground handling partner.
The company confirmed they ensured Jenkins’s safe return to Manchester and provided accommodation and meals.
The airline offered Jenkins £150 as compensation for the mishap, alongside booking his replacement flight to Tunisia.
“We have been in contact with him to apologise for the inconvenience caused and have provided him with a gesture of goodwill in light of his experience,” the spokesperson added.
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