A father, Darren Rainey, expressed anger towards easyJet for allegedly abandoning his family in Croatia after diverting their flight to the wrong country. The family, traveling from Luton Airport to Crete, faced an unexpected overnight delay in Split Airport due to an emergency landing. Despite easyJet’s initial promise to arrange accommodation, they later claimed inability to do so, leaving the family to spend the night on the airport floor.
Darren Rainey, a 41-year-old groundworker from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, recounted the distressing experience of being stranded at the airport with no clear information on their replacement flight schedule. Despite his complaints, easyJet initially refused compensation, citing the emergency landing as the reason. It was only after media intervention that the airline offered a refund for the night spent in Croatia.
Describing the ordeal, Darren criticized the lack of communication and support from easyJet during the incident. He highlighted the inconvenience of being left without food options as the airport shops were closed, forcing his family to spend the night on uncomfortable airport floors. The family’s replacement flight departed Croatia the next day, causing them to lose almost a full day of their vacation in Crete.
Expressing disappointment and frustration, Darren emphasized the negative impact the incident had on his holiday, leading to stress and exhaustion. Despite his wife’s subsequent complaints to easyJet, the airline reportedly refused to provide any compensation, further adding to the family’s dissatisfaction.
In response to the situation, an Easyjet holidays spokesperson expressed regret for the inconvenience faced by the Rainey family and attributed the diversion to a crew member’s urgent medical issue. The spokesperson explained the challenges in arranging overnight accommodation in Split due to high seasonal demand but assured that efforts were made to assist passengers. Easyjet stated their intention to refund the costs incurred by customers who made their own arrangements and offered apologies, a refund for the lost night, and a gesture of goodwill to Mr. Rainey.