A woman who was left visually impaired after developing a brain condition has said that she has been left to feel that budget airline easyJet doesn't care about vulnerable people after she spent 24 hours in Glasgow Airport as a result of her flight being cancelled.
Megan McKeown had been on a short break to Stirling with her boyfriend and had been due to fly to Belfast International Airport on 22nd December when her flight faced multiple delays before it was eventually cancelled.
Speaking to Belfast Live Ms McKeown said that the experience "ruined" her first Christmas with her boyfriend and that she has been ill since due to the stress that the situation caused.
" We got to the airport at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and our flight wasn't until 8:30 that night. We got there early because we had spent all of our holiday money, so we were completely broke by this point, and two days before Christmas, we had spent the last of our money on presents. We thought that we would be home in a few hours and so we would just eat then," she said.
"It was the day of the incident at Belfast City Airport and even though we were flying into the International Airport, there had been rumours that some flights were cancelled or delayed.
"Then at 8 o'clock we were told there would be a one hour delay. On the easyJet app it was saying that our plane was to fly from Southampton to Glasgow then it would take us to Belfast."
Megan said that as she requires special assistance due to her disability, they were informed of what gate to go to but when they got there, that area of the airport was empty of other passengers.
"We kept checking the app and then it said the flight was delayed until 10 o'clock, then it was 11 o'clock, then it was midnight but there was no easyJet staff around to ask what was happening.
"It got to the point where we left the departure lounge and went back to the baggage hall to see if there were any staff there who could help us but they told us that they were actually Swissport employees and had no information.
"We went back through security again and went to the gate and eventually at 20 minutes past 12 we saw a guy in an easyJet high-viz and asked him if he knew about our flight. He said that he was off to tell some passengers bad news but he would be back with us in a second and that was the last we seen him."
Megan said that eventually the flight disappeared from the screen and there were no easyJet staff in the airport to assist them. After calling easyJet's customer service line the couple were offered a hotel room in Glasgow city centre and that they could claim back their travel expenses to the hotel but due to the fact they had no money for a taxi and that she could not see well in the dark, the couple asked if it would be possible for the airline to put them up in the hotel at the airport to which the airline refused and the couple were left with no option but to spend the night in the airport until they could travel back on their rescheduled flight the following afternoon.
"It just seemed like they didn't care about vulnerable people. At no point during the delays were we even offered vouchers for food," she added.
"A t the time I was completely exhausted, I felt ill. To this day I still feel ill because obviously, it made me sick because of it, from the stress and everything.
"I t was just a horrendous time and it just completely ruined my first Christmas with my partner."
easyJet have been approached for comment but a response has yet to be received at the time of publication.
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English (United States) ·