Two devastated pensioners may have to wait another year to meet their grandson after they missed their connecting EasyJet flight to Portugal due to Birmingham Airport’s security lounge chaos on Tuesday (May 23), BirminghamLive reports.
Jean and Bob Hamilton, from Tamworth, who checked in online and dropped off their bags ahead of time, claim they were forced to wait two hours in the security queue. By the time they passed security their gate was closed, which left them among several other people who missed their flights.
They were due to visit their son and daughter-in-law in South America – who have recently had a baby. The fate of £3,000 they forked out on travel tickets remains unknown.
Read more: Passengers at Birmingham Airport angry and frustrated over two-hour security queues
Birmingham Airport said peak waits on the day to pass security were 45 minutes, and asked the couple to give more details so the matter can be investigated. EasyJet said they would also contact the family.
Speaking to BirminghamLive, Jean said: “When we got to security there were hundreds and hundreds of people queuing. This caused very long delays and it took us two hours to get through. The gate for our flight had closed and we were told we couldn’t board. We spoke to airline staff who said several people had missed their flights due to the queues at security.” she said.
To make matters worse, Jean explained that she couldn’t get anyone to take responsibility, with everyone “blaming each other” for the delays.
Jean added: “The airport told us they couldn’t help us and it was the fault of EasyJet. EasyJet told us they couldn’t help and it was the fault of Birmingham Airport. My travel insurance also said they couldn’t help. We were told we could get on another flight but it would cost £110 each plus €1600 each for the connecting flight at Lisbon. We do not have that kind of money.”
“We are pensioners. We had to save for months for this holiday which was to visit my son and daughter-in-law who live in Brazil. They have just given birth to our only grandson. The holiday was also to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary.”
Jean also revealed that the pair may have to wait another year before she can meet and hold her grandson for the first time: “Although we saved up for months for this holiday it is particularly heart-breaking that we cannot meet our one and only grandson and share such a special time with our family.”
“My other son lives in Istanbul and he came over especially to come with us for this very special family occasion. This was to be a holiday of a lifetime.” she added.
Bob and Jean have demanded for their money back so they can rebook their travel and visit South America in the future. A spokesperson from Birmingham Airport said the travel hub rejected the claim that they were waiting for two hours, but promised to investigate.
The statement read: “We sympathise with anyone who misses their flight as this is always distressing. Our data shows us that on the day in question, peak waiting time in the BHX security area was 45 mins, that 83 per cent of passengers cleared security in under 20 minutes.
“We have seen Mr Armstrong’s post on Facebook and have asked him to provide further details so we can fully investigate what happened here. Until we have had this dialogue with the customer and been able to establish the facts it is very difficult for us to offer any further comment on this case.”
An easyJet spokesperson added: “We are sorry to hear that the Armstrong family arrived too late to the gate to board their flight to Lisbon after being delayed through security. We know how disappointing this will have been for them and we will be contacting the family to understand more about their experience.”
Work has begun on a £40 million upgrade to the airport’s security lounge, which is expected to be completed in June 2024. The pair’s ordeal comes just days after chief executive Nick Barton warned passengers not to worry.
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