‘Faulty airplane toilets, lost luggage – a holiday to remember’: Furious traveler accuses Tui of ‘ruining’ 30th wedding anniversary trip to Lanzarote that went wrong almost every time

It was a holiday you will never forget.

A disgruntled traveler has told how a 30th wedding anniversary trip with Tui almost always went wrong.

John Salter, a 56-year-old living in Merseyside, recently traveled with his wife from Manchester hoping to enjoy a sunny package holiday in Lanzarote.

But the couple arrived in the country 14 hours later than planned and experienced serious delays on their way home. And had to wait six days for their luggage to return.

The first Tui traveler said the company ‘ruined’ their trip.

A disgruntled traveler has told how a 30th wedding anniversary trip with Tui almost always went wrong

In a letter shared with MailOnline Travel, John explained the September ordeal and said Tui first informed them of changes to their 7.10am flight by email at 3.41am, revealing that their flight had been canceled on Tui’s behalf would be operated by SmartLynx.

The couple said they arrived at the airport at 4:25 a.m., with “a lot of time” to spare, and were told the original flight had been split into two separate planes. At 8:20 a.m., John said the passengers had boarded his plane, but that there would be delays “due to an issue with the onboard toilets.”

Around 10am, John said they had been ‘informed that anyone needing to use the toilet will be transferred back to the gate’.

After ‘one of the worst flights’ he had ever taken, operated by GetJet, Tui customer John arrived in Lanzarote 14 hours later than planned (pictured). He said he and his wife spent most of their second day ‘recovering’

HAVE YOU BEEN IN A SIMILAR SITUATION? FOLLOW WHICH’S ADVICE? TRIP…

To help travelers stuck in similar situations, Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, has shared some important advice with MailOnline.

FLIGHT DELAYS

Which? says passengers are entitled to compensation for delays of three hours or more.

Rory says: ‘Unfortunately no compensation is payable if the cause is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance, for example due to extreme weather or a natural disaster. However, issues like staff illness and broken toilets are fairly common occurrences, so passengers should still be compensated if minor issues lead to major delays.

‘If you are not convinced by the stated reason for the delay, challenge the airline – and if you are not satisfied with their response, consider escalating your claim to an alternative dispute resolution body.

‘You should also bear in mind that whatever the cause of the delay, your airline should look after you and ensure you have vouchers for meals and drinks while you wait.

‘If your delay is longer than five hours, you have more options because you have the same rights as if your trip had been cancelled. This means you have the right to ask for a re-routing, which means you can be put on a different flight if other flights are flying, or you can request a full refund.’

DELAYED LUGGAGE

Rory said airlines should “do everything they can” to get a passenger’s luggage back as quickly as possible.

He adds: ‘If you need to purchase some basic supplies to tide you over until you’re reunited with your luggage, your airline should let you know how much you can claim back per day – but if you’re on the return journey, the airline should let you know how much you can claim back per day. The amount could be less, or nothing at all, since the assumption is that you have most of the things you need at home.

‘Make sure you keep receipts so you can make a claim later and submit it to your airline. If all else fails, your travel insurance should also be a useful hint to recoup your costs.”

CLAIMING COMPENSATION FROM PACKAGE HOLIDAY PROVIDERS

Which? advises travelers to book their holidays as a package, because they then have ‘better protection’.

Rory says: ‘That means if your holiday is cut short, or you turn up and there’s a car park where the pool should be, it’s up to your holiday provider to make this right.

‘So, for example, if you missed a day of your holiday through no fault of your own – and thus had the opportunity to use the all-inclusive facilities you paid for – you may have grounds to make a claim against your provider. If you feel that the amount you are being offered is not sufficient, the first step is to file an appeal through their internal complaints procedure.

‘If you are still not satisfied, please consider escalating your complaint to a trade association if your provider is a member. Both ABTA and AITO have arbitration routes, but please note that fees may apply. In the case of ABTA, making a claim in this way means that you will no longer be eligible to take your case to the subdistrict court in the future.’

For more expert advice please visit Which? trip.

John and his wife disembarked to use the restroom facilities, but returned to news that his plane was being taken out of service “due to problems on board.”

They were then asked to wait for further updates.

After several delays and changes to flight times throughout the day, John said they flagged down a ‘confused-looking’ Tui staff member and asked him if they could go home.

John continued: ‘He said we were free to leave the airport and go home, but because we were breaking our contract with Tui we were not entitled to a refund of our holiday costs. He also told us that a further update would be sent at 4pm.”

Finally, at 8:55 p.m., the pair boarded a GetJet flight.

John said: ‘The plane looked quite old, and I have to say this was probably one of the worst flights we have been on. There was very little space between the seats and it was a very uncomfortable journey.’

He continued: ‘Given that this was supposed to be a Tui flight, there was no evidence of Tui personnel being present anywhere on the aircraft.’

After missing their first day of vacation entirely, the couple arrived at the hotel at 2:40 a.m. the next morning and said they spent most of the second day “recovering” from the trip.

After spending just under a week at the all-inclusive hotel, John claimed his last night was ‘ruined’ by a Tui email about their flight home.

He explained: ‘Due to operational issues, our inbound flight was now split between two aircraft. Our last night was immediately ruined as we worried about our flight home and what could go wrong.’

The couple arrived at the airport for their 12:41 Tui flight, again operated by SmartLynx.

John said everything “seemed to be going well” and boarding began at 1 p.m.

However, two hours later, the captain announced that Tui would remove all luggage from the aircraft and transport it at a later date in an effort to “reduce fuel consumption.”

At that point, John claimed that some passengers had left the flight because they “refused to leave their luggage behind.”

Meanwhile, John and his wife remained on board the flight as they were told that Tui staff would be there on arrival to ‘help’.

Three hours later than planned, he said the plane “finally took off.”

The couple arrived in Manchester at 7.40pm claiming there was no sign of Tui staff so they eventually left the airport without their luggage.

It was eventually returned to them six days later, with the couple having to purchase several items that were packed in their suitcases.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, John said he received compensation from Tui, including £1,400 for both flight delays, £48 for seat changes, £150 for the six-day delay in returning their bags, and £88 for failing to return them on time of their suitcases. bag costs caused by the delay in the luggage.

This was after Tui offered them £24 for the 14 hour delay, which he ‘refused to accept’.

Despite the compensation, John slammed Tui for his “terrible” customer service and stated that he would never fly with the company again.

Tui also sent the couple vouchers worth £200, which John said they ‘won’t use’.

In his letter, John said: ‘I cannot put into words the disappointment and frustration we have experienced at the hands of Tui,’ adding that he and his wife have been ‘deterred by the dishonorable service’ and have been given a ‘holiday to remember ‘.

Tui declined MailOnline’s request for comment.

The names have been changed upon request.