Out of the many times she had flown, this was the only time she was treated this way. All she wanted was to go home to her kids but she got quite an unpleasant surprise.
The Unpleasant Surprise
When this woman got to her gate, she was ready to finally go home. However, she was denied her flight and was forcibly taken out of the plane… Why? Because of her clothes.
The Unpleasant Surprise
Taking A Holiday
Harriet Osborne was 31 years old and she had had a much-deserved holiday in the southern part of Spain. She and her friends went there to get some sun, fresh air, and relaxation. She took time off her busy life so she could have some peace of mind.
Taking A Holiday
Break From Reality
She lived and worked in England. She was a makeup artist and a mother. She went on a vacation to get a break from all the stress of balancing work while raising kids. It was the perfect opportunity to get some sun as well as cleanse her mind.
Break From Reality
Vacation Attire
Harriet says that she never wore clothes which revealed her body back home, especially around her children. However, she thought of dressing more liberally because she was on vacation. She was feeling spontaneous.
Vacation Attire
Letting Loose
The entire time she was on vacation, she felt free. She wore nothing but a bikini while walking around the beaches, and she did not worry about being judged. She had no clue that she would be in tears at the end of her trip.
Letting Loose
Homesick
By the time her stay ended, however, she wanted to go back home to England. She had been away for some time. She brought presents for her loved ones, thrilled to see them the soonest possible time.
Homesick
A Breather
She enjoyed the time she had some freedom somewhere far away from home, and she took in the beautiful sights and beaches. She even got to work on her tan. It was the perfect and much-needed getaway.
A Breather
Sea And Sun
Costa del Sol, which means ‘coast of the sun,’ includes several towns and the City of Malaga. Many British tourists visit this Southern Spain beach, and it is easy to see that the tropical paradise lives up to its name.
Sea And Sun
Something Missing
Harriet has not had the chance to relax at the beach together with her best friends for a long while. Nevertheless, she still felt as if something was missing the entire time.
Something Missing
Far From Home
They went to the perfect vacation spot as it is practically the opposite of England. Since the seasons in the two places are opposite, she got away from Britain’s cold winter and got the chance to be in the hot sun. She enjoyed the blue skies and laid on the sand for several hours, something that she could not do back home in the UK.
Far From Home
Their Last Day
She knew their vacation would end and she would need to go back to the UK soon. She had her bags packed and was excited to reunite with the kids. However, she decided to go shopping one last time.
Their Last Day
Pampering Herself
Along with her friends, she caught a cab to go to Av. De Andalucia, where there were high-end fashion shops. Dazzled by the selections there, she had no idea that the day would end up being the worst ever.
Pampering Herself
Her First Mistake
They went inside El Corte Ingles, where she saw a beautiful top on display. Although the blouse was sheer, she could not believe her eyes when she saw its price.
Her First Mistake
Encouragement
Feeling disappointed, she decided not to get it. However, one of her friends told her she should try on the top, at least. She could not resist this point! Her friend was insisting as well.
Encouragement
No Harm
She was reminded by her friends that they were on vacation. Nothing was wrong with trying on this blouse, right? She picked it up and headed to the changing rooms.
No Harm
Match Made In Heaven
When she checked herself out in the mirror, she was shocked. The top looked amazing on her. It was impossible for her to forget about it. She decided to charge it to her card. Little did she know, however, that her new top would become a source of controversy.
Match Made In Heaven
She Regrets It
Holding the bag with her new top inside, she tried to forget about how much her impulse buy cost. Harriet and her friends had lunch in Spain for the last time before they left for the airport. Prior to checking out, she surveyed the hotel room.
She Regrets It
Too Late
At that moment, she saw the bag containing her new designer top at the spot where she put it down: a chair in one corner. Nausea swept over her. Why did she ever buy that top?
Too Late
Crossed The Line
Even at that time, she had no idea that her next steps would lead to one of her worst days ever. She had no clue she crossed a line the moment she paid for the designer top.
Crossed The Line
Impulse Decisions
She later paid the price for her actions. Her impulse decision became the reason she was unable to fly back home that night. She will likely consider her decisions some more next time. So, what exactly happened?
Impulse Decisions
A Feminist
A feminist in her heart, she believed women should be free to choose what they want to wear. What she wore wasn’t an invitation for any unwanted attention and catcalls. How come men could wear whatever they want? Her clothing should not cause such chaos.
A Feminist
Unexpected Reaction
She took no risks when she was alone at a party or club. She never thought that this would happen to her. She was only shopping with friends but she got the biggest shock of her life.
Unexpected Reaction
Another Impulse
She did buy the top, though, so there was no going back. Feeling spontaneous, she took out the blouse, put it on, and was impressed. It showed off her tan pretty well.
Another Impulse
No Judgement Zone
Since she was on vacation, there wasn’t any reason for to be self-conscious. She was in a foreign country and no one there knew her. This was what she thought, at least. However, the exact opposite ended up happening.
No Judgement Zone
Ready To Go
She was confident wearing the top as it was taped in all the places that it needed to be. Also, she was set on getting the most out of it. When she got to the airport, she checked in her luggage.
Ready To Go
Last Stop
She visited the duty-free store to get even more presents for her family and friends. She finally heard the flight announcement. Keep reading to find out what happened when she boarded her plane…
Last Stop
Where It Started
Seeing all the families with kids at the airport lounge made her feel sad. The good thing, however, was that soon enough, she would be with her children as well.
Where It Started
Smooth Sailing
After the flight attendant checked her passport, she wished Harriet a nice flight, waving the passenger down the tunnel. Harriet walked towards the airplane door, but something completely unexpected happened.
Smooth Sailing
Denied Entry
Standing at the door was an air hostess who was greeting the passengers warmly while they were getting onto the plane. However, when she saw Harriet, her face suddenly dropped. As you can imagine, Harriet was speechless.
Denied Entry
Ignored It
This treatment shocked Harriet, who could not think of anything that she did to offend the flight attendant. Harriet thought the air hostess might have mistaken her for someone else, so she just shrugged it off. She continued to go in, but the same woman stopped her.
Ignored It
What Was Wrong?
The same air hostess walked towards the other flight attendants, and the group started talking in hushed tones. Harriet wondered what was going on, and she started to feel fearful as the minutes passed.
What Was Wrong?
The Hesitation
A lot of things ran through Harriet’s mind while she pondered what they could be discussing. Then, the flight attendant who stopped her walked up to Harriet to tell the passenger what the issue was. Harriet felt incredulous by what she heard.
The Hesitation
Mistaken Identity
Harriet couldn’t see what she had done wrong. She was sure that the woman had mistaken her for someone else. Harriet hesitated and waited for the air hostess to speak to her. However, her heart was already racing.
Mistaken Identity
Access Denied
“You’re not coming on my plane like that — you need to put a top on,” Harriet heard the woman tell her. The flight attendant then tried to cover Harriet up with the use of her hands. It was true that her top was rather revealing, but Harriet made sure to tape areas to be more modest. She did not understand why this was happening to her.
Access Denied
The Issue
The air hostess told Harriet that she received complaints from other passengers regarding her top being inappropriate. Remember that Harriet had not boarded the plane yet at the time. The mom was annoyed by how the stewardess talked to her.
The Issue
Won’t Budge
She started arguing with the air hostess then and there. Feeling humiliated, Harriet was in no mood to give in. However, when she noticed the woman would not budge, Harriet finally gave in.
Won’t Budge
But How?
Harriet did not believe this. She thought it was the cabin crew who had the issue since she had not even gotten on the plane. It was impossible that she offended or made the other passengers uncomfortable.
But How?
Embarrassed
Harriet was not only annoyed but she was also humiliated. These people had no right to tell her how to dress. However, she really wanted to go home to her kids, so rather than fighting to prove herself, Harriet just grabbed a sweater.
Embarrassed
Ashamed
Harriet was ashamed she was singled out in public. She made her way to her seat, though it was impossible not to see that all eyes were on her.
Ashamed
Moving Foward
She told herself that at least she was able to get on the plane. She did this as an attempt to console herself. Soon enough, she would forget it even happened. What mattered was she was almost back home with her family.
Moving Foward
Seething In Anger
As she sat there, she was seething in anger. Even though she did her best to keep calm, nothing was working. Out of the many times she had flown, it was the first time that she ever got this kind of treatment.
Seething In Anger
Ticking Bomb
She was indignant. She tried her best to remain calm and quiet, but she found it really hard to do. When the air hostess passed her by, Harriet could not hold back. There was so much she wanted to say.
Ticking Bomb
Telling Her Off
At that moment, Harriet raised her voice and told the stewardess she felt mortified and cheapened by what happened. Like all the other passengers on the plane, Harriet paid for a ticket, so she could not understand why she was singled out because of her clothes. In addition, the rest of the staff did not have any issues with it.
Telling Her Off
Kicked Out
The crew huddled together once again and started whispering. Harriet felt more worried. What was the problem this time? She was already covered up as they requested. What they told her next blew her away.
Kicked Out
Victim
Harriet had no idea where everything was coming from. To begin with, why hadn’t someone at the airport told her there was an issue with her outfit? She was tired of getting blamed. Now, she started to worry.
Victim
The Last Straw
The crew told Harriet she had to leave the plane. Understandably, she felt even more infuriated. Not only did she have nowhere to rest, the ticket that she paid for would go into waste.
The Last Straw
It Got Worse
As the conversation began to heat up, security had to be remove Harriet from the airplane. She was forced to spend the night at the airport. She also practically wasted her $200 ticket.
It Got Worse
Tantrum
She later recalled in an interview, “I just burst out crying.” She also noticed police officers approching her. They explained to her that according to the cabin crew, Harriet was kicked out due to her disruptive behavior.
Tantrum
Pilot Escort
The pilot actually intervened. She watched him speaking to the head flight attendant. He kept looking at Harriet. After they spoke, she was removed from the flight. She felt like everything was a nightmare.
Pilot Escort
No Choice
Luckily for Harriet, the police officers understood her side. They all agreed she should not have been forced to leave in the first place. Nevertheless, nothing could be done about the ticket that was essentially wasted.
No Choice
Stuck
As if what happened wasn’t bad enough, the last flight out was the one she was supposed to take. Since she could not afford a hotel room, she was forced to stay at the airport through the night. The following day, she made sure that she dressed modestly, but she was still mad.
Stuck
Media Frenzy
After getting home, she made sure she talked to everyone about everything that she went through. News stations learned of the story and they asked her for interviews. The story went viral soon enough. It caused a stir but did Harriet go too far?
Media Frenzy
Opposing Views
This is one comment that the story got: “She can wear whatever she wants… she is getting on a plane with peoples screaming brats. The stewards are not the fashion police they are there to serve you.”
Opposing Views
Controversial
Not everyone agreed with Harriet. A Facebook user commented, “Why would any sensible person get on a plane wearing something like that? I mean, personally I wouldn’t care she was nude! But she’s not wearing “flying” clothes!”
Controversial
Different Opinions
After netizens saw photos of Harriet wearing the outfit, they had different opinions. Many said it was too revealing for flying. Others disagreed, saying it was up to Harriet to wear what she wants. They also said nobody had the right to shame her for it.
Different Opinions
Their Simple Request
The airline released a statement about the controversial situation. “We can confirm that a passenger traveling from Malaga to Stansted on 23 June was unable to travel due to behaving disruptively,” an spokesperson for EasyJet told Fox News.
Their Simple Request
Doesn’t Add Up
They continued, “Following concerns about her clothing crew politely requested that the customer wear an additional top for the flight which the customer agreed to.” Why did Harriet get booted off the plane when she did comply in the end?
Doesn’t Add Up
Lesson Learned
The statement continued, “However, she then proceeded to act disruptively towards a member of our crew. Our cabin and ground crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately. We do not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior towards our staff.”
Lesson Learned
The Lone Suitcase
This story is about EasyJet flying the suitcase of a lady from Luton to Bordeaux but leaving the 88-year-old herself behind at the airport. This story is about the experience of Joy Burton, who lives in Bedfordshire. When she got to EasyJet’s home base, she still had a lot of time to spare before her flight leaves for southwest France.
The Lone Suitcase
Family Visit
She was going to Bordeaux to meet her son who lived there. Her other son came from Canterbury and had to make a four-hour round trip to take his mother to the airport. He also helped her when she checked in her luggage. Then, the two said their goodbyes and she went through security.
Family Visit
Gone Wrong
All of that was done over an hour and a half before departure time. However, something went wrong with ground handling which should have provided special assistance. Because of this, Ms. Burton missed her flight. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she was told she had to wait for 90 minutes to get back her luggage, which included a walking aid and suitcase.
Gone Wrong
Finding Out
The airline eventually learned her luggage was flown to Bordeaux in spite of the fact that she herself wasn’t on the plane. Before takeoff, all baggage on the plane is scanned. Also, aviation security is supposed to make sure a passenger’s bags are offloaded when that person doesn’t board the plane.
Finding Out
Another Flight
The next flight of the airline was on the following day, but it was full. Although Ms. Burton was offered other flights, the first direct flight available was two days later. This meant she would need to wait 48 hours!
Another Flight
Keeping Them Safe
Her walking aid and bag were waiting for her in Bordeaux. This meant mobility was an issue for her at home as she waited to travel. When it comes to the law, she was entitled to £215 as compensation for getting denied boarding and should have been immediately informed.
Keeping Them Safe
Reaction
Hugh, Joy’s son, said this: “In order to benefit from lower costs, we have all had to toughen up to deal with the vicissitudes and occasional indignities of the low-cost carriers. However, when my 88-year-old mother is treated by easyJet in such a thoughtless and unintelligent way, it shows that the care for old and vulnerable people has been washed away in the cost-cutting.”
Reaction
Important Matter
“This needs to be addressed by their chief executive, as it cuts to the core of the values at the heart of the organization.” At the time, a spokesperson for the airline apologized, saying it “understands how difficult this will have been for her,” he added.
Important Matter
Apology
This was the statement of the airline: “EasyJet is very sorry that Ms. Burton was unable to travel from London Luton to Bordeaux on 22 May and understands how difficult this will have been for her. We know how crucial it is for our customers who require special assistance to feel confident when traveling and as such, we have urgently asked CCS [the assistance provider] and London Luton Airport to investigate what went wrong and ensure that lessons are learned.”
Apology
Compensation
“A member of our customer team is in touch with her concerning denied boarding compensation. EasyJet carries over 500,000 passengers who needed special assistance every year. Last year the customer satisfaction amongst this group of passengers was 83 percent, 12 percentage points above all passengers. The safety and welfare of our passengers is always EasyJet’s highest priority,” they continued.
Compensation
More Stories
As it turns out, there are many odd stories like this involving EasyJet. One claims that on a Malaga-Bristol flight, 29 passengers were not boarded because the airline forgot. Still waiting to board, the passengers were very much surprised when they were notified their plane had taken off.
More Stories
On Hold
When the plane took off, the luggage of the said passengers was in the hold. 58-year-old Lain Locke, one the 29, said the group got “trapped” in the corridor leading to the boarding gate. He recalled, “The stairwell was full, and people were getting on the plane, but then boarding seemed to stop.”
On Hold
Trapped
He continued, “After wondering what was going on, I looked through the doors onto the airport apron and the plane had gone. I turned round to the guy beside me and said ‘I don’t want to alarm you, but the plane has gone.”
Trapped
Raising The Alarm
Recalling what happened, he said, “I just couldn’t believe it.” He went on, “We were banging on the doors for about ten minutes trying to raise the alarm. It was a bit freaky being locked in there — especially for the people with young children.”
Raising The Alarm
Issue
When asked about the incident, EasyJet said it was an “issue at the boarding gate.” Nevertheless, they contacted the affected passengers and apologized. Would that be enough for the passengers?
Issue
Launched Investigation
In addition, an investigation was conducted. The passengers involved got a refund and flight vouchers. According to EasyJet, their offer of a flight to London at a later time was accepted by 19 of the passengers.
Launched Investigation
In Spain
The 10 passengers decided to stay in Spain on EasyJet’s expense. They were not charged extra for flying to Bristol on another day. If something like this happened to you while traveling, what would you do?
In Spain
110 Passengers
In spite of the fact that 110 passengers had already boarded the missed flight, the crew somehow didn’t notice that 29 people were missing. This is really surprising because when boarding cards are issued, the passengers are automatically placed on the list of individuals due to fly.
110 Passengers
Aware
The crew knew these passengers were in fact in the building, but the crew just didn’t realize the passengers hadn’t boarded the plane while it was taking off. Even though this is rather odd as the crew is composed of many people, the fact remains it happened.
Aware
Disneyland
Yet another story that involves EasyJet. Jack Gray, together with his 5-year-old son and his partner, was going on a trip to Disneyland. At 4:30 am, the family arrived at the airport. However, they still missed their flight at 7:30 am. What was the reason? Confusion over the line for boarding.
Disneyland
Waiting
Mr. Gray recalled, “We were waiting for the fast-track passengers to board, but we hadn’t seen the normal passengers were queuing behind a pillar. It wasn’t signposted.” In the end, the 28-year-old paid an extra £244 so that he and his family could get on another flight to Paris at 6:30 pm.
Waiting
How?
So, how did Jack and his family miss the flight? They had no issues checking in and were waiting around to board. At 6:50 am, the gate number was released. By 6:55 am, they were at the gate.
How?
Fast-Track
They saw a sign pointing to the fast-track line, so they thought that fast passes were boarding first. They waited because they had regular tickets. At 7:05 am, they saw the board indicating the gate had closed at 7 am.
Fast Track
Running Behind
They thought the flight was just running a bit behind schedule, so a minute later, after the lines had been through the gate, they approached the help desk so that they could get an update. Mr. Gray recalled, “As we got there, the doors were closing. The women at the desk said we’d missed our flight.”
Running Behind
Missed Flight
The dad was baffled, so he asked how it was possible that they missed their flight if there were no signs pointing them to the queue for regular tickets! How would they know when to board the plane? Mr. Gray recounted, “One of the women said she’d radio through to try and get us on, but the departure people on the other end said no.”
Missed Flight
Bus Ride
A staff member at the desk told them the family might be able to get on a bus which could take them to the plane. Mr. Gray went on, “The woman radioed through again and I heard her say, ‘I already told them you said no, so it’s down to you.’”
Bus Ride
Unhappy
This turn of events definitely did not sit right with the family. They got very frustrated with how the airline dealt with the situation. Mr. Gray revealed that EasyJet staff said that there was no last call on the speakers owing to the “silent airport” policy.
Unhappy
Information Desk
Mr. Gray also said that a Bristol Airport information desk employee had told him that the airport had no such policy. Besides that, he found out from the information desk that the gate had closed at 7:12 am and not at 7:06 am.
Information Desk
New Tickets
The family ended up having to buy new tickets for £244. They had already spent £360 for their original tickets. Mr. Gray explained, “We have lost a day at Disneyland. We were going to have two and a half days there, now it will just be one and a half.”
New Tickets
Airline Spokesperson
This is what the airline’s spokesperson said about the incident: “We are sorry Mr. Gray and his family missed their flight to Paris on December 9 but we do not accept that this was as a result of inadequate signage. There are 100 digital screens positioned throughout the terminal, including at each boarding gate where airline staff is also on hand to help with any queries from passengers.”
Airline Spokesperson