Alison Shah, 60, and her partner, Richard Kay, 52, were coming home from her birthday trip to Bangkok and Thailand when they got stuck in Dubai last Tuesday
A British couple trapped in storm-ravaged Dubai who were facing a 12-day wait for a flight back home have managed to get back to the UK.
Alison Shah, 60, and her partner, 52-year-old Richard Kay, were returning from a birthday trip to Bangkok and Thailand when they found themselves stranded in Dubai last Tuesday (16). Scheduled to fly back home to Manchester next Sunday (28) and with the airport in disarray due to chaotic weather, the couple resolved to take matters into their own hands.
They took a five-hour flight from Dubai to Istanbul before hopping on a shorter connection to Dalaman, followed by yet another five-hour journey back home. Alison, who works as an emergency control operator from Manchester, described the entire ordeal as a “nightmare”, indicating the urgency to get back to work. Their roundabout journey home took place over three gruelling days.
Driven to exasperation, Alison, who finally arrived home on Sunday, said: “We were originally due to get back on April 17 and we didn’t get back until the 21st. I have never experienced anything like this.”
Despondently she remarked that she never wanted to leave the country again – a bitter pill to swallow, considering her love for travelling. Bitterly reflecting on the experience she said: “We paid a lot of money for the holiday and it has ended in a nightmare.”
On their way back from Thailand to Manchester, Alison and Richard had stopped at Dubai. Despite knowing there were severe storms in Dubai, Alison continued on the journey. Alison continued: “I was waiting for information from the airline to say ‘don’t come to the airport’.”
She added that despite the lack of communication, the couple proceeded with their journey. She said: “We didn’t get any so we got on our scheduled flight. The plane circled above Dubai for an hour and a half before being able to land and we had a few hours to wait for our flight to Manchester.”
Their troubles didn’t end there. Alison explained: “Finally at 8am, we started to board the plane, the plane was there. We then sat there for two and a half hours in the holding area waiting to get on the plane. Nobody was answering any questions and people were getting frantic.”
The couple’s frustration peaked when they were informed of the cancellation. Alison added: “We were then told our flight was cancelled and we had to leave the airport. We went back the following day and joined another queue for seven and a half hours.”
“We were waiting to board the plane and it kept saying delayed, delayed, delayed. The screen changed from Manchester to Sydney and they sent us away again.”
After spending money on a hotel stay, they faced more uncertainty at the airport the next day when they were offered a flight to Manchester on April 28. “We couldn’t do that. We had to go to work and we had already been out of the country for a month,” Alison said.
“I asked if they could get us to another airport, if I could get near the UK I could work it out. They got us a flight to Istanbul.”
Upon landing in Istanbul on Friday (19), Alison and Richard were greeted with the news that their luggage had gone missing, meaning they had to buy clothes there.
The couple then made their way from Istanbul to Dalaman, Turkey, on Saturday in hopes of catching a flight to Manchester. “We’re pleased to be home, but really really upset not to be able to give the grandchildren the gifts and open the cases and do what you normally do when you get home,” Alison said.
“We are relieved to be back, when we walked in and my granddaughter was looking after the pets we had a nice welcome home. “The relief of being home is mixed with the upset with not feeling normal. We’re home but it is not over as we still have no luggage.”
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, penned an open letter stating: “The UAE experienced its highest rainfall in 75 years. Storm winds and torrential rain disrupted activities across the cities.”
“While our hub in Dubai continued to operate, albeit with reduced flight movements for safety reasons, the flooded roads hampered our customers, pilots, cabin crew, and airport employees from getting to the airport, and also affected the delivery of essential supplies like meals and other flight amenities..”
“We know our response has been far from perfect. We acknowledge and understand the frustration of our customers due to the congestion, lack of information, and confusion in terminals. We acknowledge that the long queues and waiting times have been unacceptable.”
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