Search Cheap Flights and hotels
Ryanair couple end up 800 miles away after getting wrong flight.
A couple has shared their story on how they managed to end up 800 miles away from their intended destination, after catching the wrong Ryanair flight.
Elise Mallia and partner Jessy Jezequel were due to fly home to the UK after a trip to France, but accidentally ended up in Spain instead.
At the boarding gate for the Madrid flight, Ryanair staff failed to notice the couple had the incorrect boarding pass for the flight.
It was only until they were already in the air that they realised they were heading to the Spanish capital, rather than London Stansted.
Elise said: “An hour into our flight, Jessy said he thought he heard a flight attendant say Madrid, but we thought he had dreamed it. But after that we started realising all the flight attendants were speaking Spanish.
“When we asked, they told us we were going to Madrid – and we had no idea how that was possible. We had our boarding passes scanned three times before boarding – they assumed the passes were wrong, but they weren’t. We were baffled and so were the flight attendants. We got home in the end, but we still have no idea how it happened. It’s not like getting the wrong bus – we literally ended up in a different country!”
Check prices and Book Cheap flights and hotels Now
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “Mr. Jezequel and Ms. Mallia boarded their flight from Marseille to London Stansted through the correct gate.
“However, these passengers then failed to follow the allocated route to the aircraft departing for London Stansted, crossed an unauthorised area and wrongly boarded a flight departing to Madrid.
“Both passengers were able to occupy the same seats they had booked for their original flight, as this flight was not fully booked, thus not alerting them to their error at this time.
“An announcement advising passengers of their final destination and estimated time of arrival is made before every flight departure – which should have alerted Mr. Jezequel and Ms. Mallia that they were on the wrong aircraft.
“Upon arriving at Madrid Airport, these passengers then realised their error and Ryanair staff were notified of these misrouted passengers. Mr. Jezequel and Ms. Mallia were accommodated on a flight from Madrid to London Stansted later that day. It is each passenger’s responsibility to ensure they board the correct aircraft.”