The Pentecost weekend was fraught with flight cancellations, and for passengers en route to Ibiza, their journey proved particularly trying. Their plane was forced to make a return journey when they were just 30 minutes shy of their destination.
Lynn, a pseudonym used to maintain anonymity, reached out to RTL on Sunday evening to share her frustrating experience. Her travel ordeal commenced with an unexpected delay announced on the morning of her flight. Her originally scheduled 1 pm flight to Ibiza was postponed to 6 pm, with no reasons provided.
Upon arriving at the airport in the early afternoon, she found no further updates from the airline. After check-in, security checks, and a wait in the terminal, passengers were informed that their flight would be transferred to German Airlines.
Once airborne, the passengers believed their travails were over — only to learn that the plane was returning to Findel. “We were just 30 minutes from Ibiza airport!”, Lynn expressed, baffled by the lack of explanation from the airline or cabin crew.
The return flight to Findel was equally chaotic. The cabin crew had apparently prepped passengers for a potential evacuation but seemed unresponsive when queried about the situation. Furthermore, all on-board snacks and beverages were depleted.
Upon touchdown at Findel, the aircraft was delayed from reaching the terminal for unspecified reasons, leaving passengers stranded on the tarmac until 10 pm. Upon finally entering the airport, they were directed to a service counter to facilitate their home return or arrange hotel accommodation.
However, some passengers were denied hotel stays, with the explanation that it was only viable for those living more than 20 kilometres away, says Lynn. She remains concerned for those who were unable to return home.
Luxair was silent on alternative arrangements until 1 pm the following day, at which point a new departure time of 2.50 pm on Sunday was announced, which proceeded without delays or diversions. Despite finally reaching the Spanish island and settling into her holiday, Lynn hasn’t dismissed her ordeal and seeks compensation.
On reaching out to Luxair, our counterparts at RTL Infos learned that the scheduled aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, encountered technical difficulties, and awaited spare parts from the US, leading to significant delays. This necessitated a replacement from German Airlines, which was later found mid-flight to have technical issues, making it unserviceable.
Luxair issued a press release apologising for the Sunday cancellations and delays at Luxembourg airport. “Luxair would like to apologise for the flights that the airline was forced to cancel and for the delays caused over the weekend”, the statement reads.
However, whether this appeases the affected passengers remains to be seen. A passenger from a cancelled Lisbon flight warned that Luxair’s premium pricing and subpar organisation could tarnish its reputation. A subsequent cancellation of a Monday morning flight to Bucharest is unlikely to assuage concerns.
