Mistaken flight: Disabled British retirees land on the wrong Spanish island after airport blunder
Linda Trestrail, 69, and Wendy Russell, 71, had chosen to vacation in Majorca due to its relatively short flight time. They had thought everything was well arranged; they would depart from Bristol airport and land on the Spanish island a few hours later. However, they ended up in Minorca.
8:11 PM EST, January 14, 2024
"The reason we chose Majorca was because of the short flight. Knowing our mobility is challenged, we didn't want to be in transit for too long since we are disabled retirees," Trestrail explained to the "Daily Mirror".
Since both women used wheelchairs, they were assisted onto a bus and then onto the plane. Strangely, they had to present their boarding passes five times throughout the process. Even on the flight, a crew member examined their tickets.
They only recognized the mistake shortly before landing.
"Suddenly, the captain announces we're about to arrive in Minorca. Chaos ensued. I informed the stewardess that we were on the wrong plane, and she simply laughed," Trestrail told "The Sun".
They finally arrived in Majorca with their luggage about 17 hours after leaving their homes. They were exhausted and upset, alleging that the airline had ruined their vacation. The women reported receiving no compensation.
Statement from the Airline
Jet2, the airline in question, has apologized for the incident, emphasizing that it was an "isolated case" that was urgently investigated.
"We can confirm that the passengers correctly passed through security and their luggage was accurately routed. However, an external company, contracted to provide special assistance, directed the passengers to the wrong plane. Regrettably, incorrect boarding passes were not detected once on the plane. We deeply regret this error and apologize for the oversight, which was due to human error," explained a spokesperson for the British carrier.
The spokesperson noted that additional training to prevent such missteps in the future has already been initiated.