By Tony Winterburn • Published: 23 Mar 2021 • 23:27
Easyjet Boss Says Travel to Spain Should be Possible From July. image: EasyJet
British Expat Pensioner Left In Tears After Being Refused Boarding By EasyJet At Malaga Airport. A BRITISH expat was left in tears on Saturday, March 20, when easyJet staff refused to let her board her flight to Luton. Janet Gillett, 78, a grandmother who lives in Calahonda, Mijas Costa, had left her home that day looking forward to seeing her family and especially her grandchildren. Janet had taken a Covid test in a medical centre in Calahonda, which was clear, in enough time to satisfy government requirements – that is within 72 hours before arriving in the UK. She had already downloaded and filled in the required form from a Covid service provider in the UK that would enable her to take the two Covid tests on days two and eight – another government requirement. A friend even agreed to pick and drop off the tests for her while she was isolating in the UK. Everything was going to plan, at least that was what she thought until she arrived at Malaga airport and discovered her flight was delayed – after roughly an hour extra of waiting she was finally called to board the flight. As she approached the desk she noticed some people sitting down filling forms in. Not thinking anything of it she turned her iPad towards the check-in assistant to show them her Covid test form for the UK, this is where the trouble started. Janet was told the form was incorrectly filled in and the reason given was that there was a lower-case ‘e’ before the seven numerals – ‘this was not acceptable’ explained the easyJet check-in assistant. After the shouting, the arguing and the crying, Janet was led downstairs where other refused passengers were collecting their baggage as the captain of the easyJet flight refused to wait any longer and decided to take off without them! Janet had tried in vain to redo the form, but with all the stress just couldn’t connect to the internet at the airport and to make it worse the other easyJet operative downstairs at baggage collection said her form was correct and didn’t understand why it wasn’t accepted. To make things worse it meant Janet had lost the train fare she had paid for and would now need to book another next available flight which was tonight, Tuesday, March 23. Of course, she now had to book yet another Covid test in Calahonda and taxi fares back and forth – all a very expensive and highly stressful experience. Here is the email Janet sent to me explaining the final phase of her horrific story. ‘Sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday but I spent all afternoon trying to find information from government websites and providers of Covid tests, then I did at least two Locator forms so that I could perhaps have one correct that would be accepted by easyJet. In the early hours of this morning, a notice popped up ‘latest update from government’ confirming necessary letters or numerals. I contacted the third Covid test provider (info not available easily on recommended providers) to ask if they could reassure me that the code for my purchase of the Covid test in the UK was correct. It had two hyphens which I didn’t think had been mentioned! I got the normal machine reply not exactly answering the question. Today I can’t find the information on codes anywhere. ‘However, I did read an article that there was a seven-hour hold up at a UK airport because of paperwork. Should I actually be able to fly this evening I may not make my train and will therefore have to book a hotel. ‘All the rules are changing again on Monday! Fines of £5,000 for going on holiday. Talk of banning all other countries from entering the UK. No holidays abroad July and August. Did I mention last night that the site for recommended quarantine holidays has disappeared? Total chaos.’ ‘Too weary to fight it any more.’ Regards Janet Update: easyJet sent Janet an email saying they are sorry to see she was a ‘no-show’ on Saturday… Let’s hope all goes well for Janet, she wrote to EWN in the hope no-one else would have to suffer this horrific experience. We will keep in touch with her and inform our readers of her hopefully safe arrival in the UK.
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She should be sitting on her butt at home. Now it is not time for unnecessary traveling.
One lesson we can all derive from this story – DO NOT USE EASYJET!
The form must have been correct in the first place otherwise it would not have been possible to download it. Sometimes forms are rejected with slight errors but a message appears saying something along the lines of reconsidering an answer. You correct such errors as lower/uppercase and all is well. Seems the Easyjet staff got it wrong this time.
Such a simple and short lesson that these people do not seem to recognise is that ANY form of unnecessary travel at this time in the pandemic is blatant stupidity. This is how the virus has spread so successfully, world wide !!! I am exasperated that we share this same planet with such weak willed and feeble homo sapiens.
Weak willed? Feeble? The lady clearly did all that was required but made a simple error with an ‘E’ / ‘e’ on what sounds like complicated documents. It’s the mindless pub crawling idiots, the rioting protesters, corona deniers & anti-vaxers who are more deserving of your nastiness. Don’t pick on someone wanting to see her grandchildren. [Mine are in NZ so I know what it’s like…]
Rude, she did all that was required of her [just an e/E error] took tests and prepared to isolate. Save your exasperation for rioters, morons, anti-vaxers, protesters and drunken party goers – they are the feeble and weak-willed. This lady wanted to see her family, not break rules.
This woman did all that was required by the country on the date she did it. Whoever you are it isn’t your place to call a pensioner weak willed or feeble. How many wars have you been through you nasty piece of work. And who are you to decide whether or not one should visit grandchildren or travel on a plane using legal tender. A plane I might add that is still flying, that is seeking recompense for people travelling to another country. Still flying I might add is another term for getting people to their destinations!
I’m assuming that at her age she has been vaccinated. She’s taken test to prove she is negative. Where exactly is the risk? The foolhardy bit is that she probably won’t be able to come back. Easyjet seem to have taken a ‘jobsworth’ attitude all too common these days, rather than applying common sense.
why are my comments being dumped?
They are not being dumped – each comments is reviewed and provided it is not offensive or spam is posted as have yours.
Infections are rising again and could be worse than before according to news updates however allowing masses to travel to Mallorca…test or not it’s still generates a risk factor…holidaying or visiting family is not essential…
How much longer do you think Britain can keep this “infections are rising” up? The rest of the World has chosen freedom, whilst you shiver in fear and isolation in your house year on end, without end. Visiting family IS essential. Having a holiday IS essential. It’s essential to human mental well being and psychology. How many more do you want to suicide just incase YOU should fall ill with a virus that has a 97% recovery rate.
The entire World has come out of lockdown and is dumping restrictions, except for Britain. The Chinese isolated for one month, and their economy is booming, whilst ours is in ruins, but still the misery continues.
My experience was worse. I am Irish and was in transit through London to Dublin from Malaga. Easyjet denied me baording at Malaga because I did not have an appointment for a covid test in London. I explained I would be to hours in london but they insisted that I had to show an appointment for a test two days after landing in UK. Lost
I totally agree with you Hen. We’ve been flying backwards & forwards for 11 years now, Easyjet are usually very good
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