Ryanair couple who booked flight to Spain end up in GREECE after boarding mix-up at Stansted

A couple were left stunned after an embarrassing airport mix-up meant they boarded the wrong Ryanair flight to Greece and ended up 1,200 miles in the wrong direction – only to be confronted by ‘laughing’ Ryanair staff when they finally realised their mistake.

Humaira and Farooq Shaikh were excited for their autumn get-away after their son booked them onto the budget airline’s Seville flight from Stansted Airport. 

After checking in successfully, they boarded what they believed was their flight without any issue after displaying their boarding passes to staff.  

However, they realised they had mistakenly flown 1,200 miles in the wrong direction and ended up on the Greek island of Zante when their taxi driver broke the news.

The couple told the Mirror they were confused after their phones received an automated message welcoming them to Greece, and the taxi driver warned them: ‘this isn’t Spain’. 

The pair claim they were ‘laughed at’ by Ryanair staff at Zakynthos Airport and were offered a free night’s stay in a nearby hotel, despite the next journey home not being for another four days, after they contacted them to reveal their mistake.

The couple realised they had mistakenly flown 1,200 miles in the wrong direction and ended up on the Greek island of Zante when their taxi driver broke the news.

Humaira and Farooq said: ‘They would only pay for one night’s accommodation, so we had to pay for another three.’

The couple later revealed that they were left clueless because cabin crews hadn’t announced the flight’s destination because the plane was late in leaving the UK. 

Once stranded on the Greek island, Humaira and Farooq were left with a choice: Wait for the next direct flight in four days time, or take a multi-stop journey, with layovers, which would have doubled the length of their trip. 

The couple were left to foot the bill, around £1,100, for the remainder of their Greek holiday after choosing to wait for the direct journey home.

But they almost missed their return flight back because they had not been registered correctly in the Ryanair system, only being recognised at the last-minute by one eagle-eyed member of staff.   

The Sheikhs had packed for a pleasant autumnal walking holiday in the Spanish city of Seville (pictured above), but were instead stranded on the Greek party island for four days

The couple were left stunned when they mistakenly arrived on the Greek island of Zakynthos [File picture]

Their son, Suleman, was left distraught after speaking to his tearful mother, and revealed Ryanair didn’t offer them an apology after the ordeal.

He said: ‘I am completely outraged and shocked that this has been allowed to happen. 

‘Not only is this a complete lack of safety, security and responsibility, but it has triggered severe strain and anxiety on my parents.

‘My mum already suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and receiving her calls to me crying on the phone from Greece, whilst at work, was extremely distressing to hear.’ 

He has also been frustrated after the trip cost him £1,100, with Ryanair refusing to process a refund for the hotels and tours in Seville that his parents never got to enjoy.

The pair claim they were ‘laughed at’ by Ryanair staff at Zakynthos Airport and were offered a free night’s stay in a nearby hotel, despite the next journey home not being for another four days, after they contacted them to reveal their mistake

Ryanair emails sent to the couple said that signs for the flights were ‘clearly identified’ and ‘screens above them displayed the flight number and destination’.  

A Ryanair spokeswoman said: ‘It is each customer’s responsibility to ensure they board the correct aircraft. 

‘As these passengers passed through security control pre-boarding there was no security risk. We are working with our handling agents in London Stansted to ensure that this error doesn’t reoccur.’