The cancellation of a Vueling airline flight from Lanzarote to Seville last Saturday, July 30, has left dozens of passengers on the island, some unable to fly to their destination until next Wednesday, five days later.
“We have been stranded on the island for a day and a half, from hotel to hotel, with children and elderly people with health problems,” explains one of those affected. “There are people who are going to have to be in Lanzarote until Wednesday, it's absurd.”
For the moment, the airline has been relocating passengers on different flights. Some have managed to leave this Monday, but others will have to wait until August 3, yes, most of them making a stopover, and even two, in other parts of Spain, such as Barcelona or Oviedo.
"We have been given unclear information about the reason for the cancellation. It is assumed that because it was delayed and when it arrived the airport would be closed," says one person affected. "I don't know if I should believe it."
Problems contacting Vueling
Throughout this process, those affected emphasize that contact with the company has been very “complicated” through telephone calls, since the airline does not have a headquarters in Lanzarote.
“It is regrettable that one of the most important destinations in Spain does not have a Vueling office and the app and its website are saturated, without even giving us the option to manage the changes,” says one of the passengers.
“Those from Vueling assigned you the flight, some have been able to change them costing them their lives, but others have not succeeded and will have to stay more days,” says another.
In addition, passengers criticize the treatment received from the company. "The three or four flight attendants offered claim forms and told us verbatim: madam, either accept what they offer you or reject it and fend for yourself. We cannot manage anything from here," says one woman.
From hotel to hotel and immersed in uncertainty
The flight to Seville was scheduled to depart at around seven in the afternoon last Saturday, but it was not until one in the morning when those affected were transferred to a hotel in Playa Blanca, six hours later. “It was known that it was canceled since before seven, but it was not until one in the morning that Aena came and told us that we could not stay there because the airport was closing. They had no choice but to find us a hotel,” they add.
Although at first the company's workers told them that they would stay in that hotel "every night" they needed, as soon as they arrived at the establishment they were told that Vueling had only booked one night for them.
"The best thing is that the next day the check out was at 12 and they had us waiting in the hall until 5 in the afternoon, luckily the hotel staff behaved well and let us wait in the common areas," says one of those affected. "We were calling and calling without any response for hours, until they finally contacted the hotel staff. I was surprised because having our emails and phone numbers they called the hotel, when they should have called me."
They spent the second night in a hotel in Puerto del Carmen and, according to another of the passengers who has the flight to Seville on the 3rd, they will most likely have to move to another hotel this Monday, since, despite having two nights booked in this second establishment at first, they have canceled the second one. "We don't know where we are going to sleep tonight," he says.
In addition, food and taxis have had to come out of their pockets, although they are keeping "all the tickets" to claim.
Compensation for cancellation that "does not compensate"
Passengers explain that initially, Vueling gave them several refund and compensation options, economic options with which they claim they were “clearly losing”.
It should be remembered that in the event of a flight cancellation, the airline is obliged to provide another ticket as soon as possible, as well as to cover all expenses in the meantime, including accommodation, food and travel between the hotel and the airport. In addition, it must pay compensation to each passenger if the cancellation is due to causes attributable to the company. However, if the refund is chosen, the passenger loses the "contract" they had with the company and could also lose all those rights.
“They wanted to compensate us with 150 euros, but fend for yourself on Saturday, July 30 in high season at one in the morning”, insists one of those affected. “Everything had to come out of those 150 euros, food, taxi, accommodation, it didn't compensate.”
Now, they assure that they are going to file an individual and a joint claim for what happened, with the hope that the ”company will take action regarding what happened.”
But for the moment, passengers hope that this nightmare will end as soon as possible. “All we want is to get home now,” they conclude.
