TUI travelers who were stuck in Tenerife for almost two days on their way to Belgium | Interior

The TUI travelers who have been stuck in Tenerife since Friday 2 p.m. are on their way to Belgium. Due to a technical defect in the aircraft, they could not fly to Liège. “We had imagined the end of our holiday differently,” Nico, one of the affected travelers, told our editors. They should land in Liège around 2.30 pm.


TTR

8 Jan. 2023


Latest update:
11:57


Source:
Own reporting

The duped TUI travelers have been stuck in Tenerife for more than 24 hours due to a technical problem with the plane. © RV/Reuters

The travelers who had booked a flight from Tenerife to Liège could not leave on Friday as planned at 2.45 p.m. “We were told that our flight could not depart due to a technical defect in the aircraft. Everyone was taken to a hotel in the evening”, Nico tells our editors.

“This morning (Saturday, red.) we were supposed to be picked up normally, but no one showed up. In the end, we took a taxi to the airport ourselves,” he continues. “We have been given vouchers so that we can eat and drink something. We were able to check in this morning, but then it went wrong again. At 12:30 we saw on the flight information board that our flight is delayed.”

“The lack of communication from TUI is frustrating,” says Nico. “There is no one from TUI here that we can ask questions to. We had imagined the end of the Christmas holidays differently. We travel like many people with small children. You can barely sit here. That’s not ideal. Moreover, it is more than 28 degrees inside here. The air conditioning is not working.”

Duped travelers in Tenerife.

Duped travelers in Tenerife. © HLN

The aircraft was repaired on Saturday evening, but still had to be tested. Passengers were told to spend another night in a hotel. “They knew all day that they would put us in the same plane. They lied to us again for a second day. We no longer have clean clothes,” says Nico.

The duped passengers were able to board the plane this morning to fly back to our country. They should land in Liège around 2.30 pm.

Allowance

Piet Demeyere, spokesman at TUI, confirmed to our editors that the plane has a technical defect. “It couldn’t be solved immediately yesterday. We took the travelers to a hotel. A technician flew to Tenerife this morning with spare parts. The departure was scheduled for 2 pm, but solving the problem turned out to take longer. We have now handed out vouchers.”

TUI will provide the affected travelers with an allowance of 400 euros per person. “We will contact travelers to ask if they can confirm their bank account number. They don’t have to do anything else. They can expect the money in their account at the end of next week,” says Demeyere.

Passengers wait for their bags at the airport in Tenerife after unsuccessfully checking in today.

Passengers wait for their bags at the airport in Tenerife after unsuccessfully checking in today. © HLN

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TUI staff informs the duped travelers in Tenerife.

TUI staff informs the duped travelers in Tenerife. © HLN

Look. Even at the start of the Christmas holidays, there were already problems with a flight from TUI:

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