Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
Or call 0345 90 80 161
07 November 2013 09:36
A female traveller heading from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport to Gatwick managed to trap herself in the loo
Holiday mishaps can occur at any time - as one red-faced BA passenger found out.
The female traveller heading from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport to Gatwick managed to trap herself in the lavatory as the plane headed down the runway for take-off.
As the young woman got out of the toilet as the plane gathered speed, she was ordered back inside by air stewardesses. The passenger was still locked in the loo - without a seatbelt to keep her in her unorthodox flight seat - as the plane took to the skies. She was only allowed to make a rather sheepish journey back to her seat when the seatbelt warning signs were switched off.
Passengers later claimed the flight crew had seemed to be in a rush to get the plane off the ground after it was delayed 30 minutes past its scheduled 9.35pm take-off slot. One said the aircraft had pulled away while some passengers were still on their feet, trying to find space in the overhead lockers for hand luggage.
A 31-year-old passenger also described the "commotion" at the back of the plane as it took off. He said other passengers told him there was not "one spare seat" left on the flight, so it seemed strange the toilet-trapped passenger was not spotted missing, given that she had an aisle seat.
The red-faced passenger apologised to attendants as she got back to her seat, after being rebuked by them. She did not appear to have been harmed, although the incident does point out why good travel insurance is an absolute necessity.
And the witness added: "When the flight was approaching Gatwick the pilot came on the radio and told passengers that they should return to their seats and the toilets could no longer be used. It seemed that this was done deliberately after what had happened earlier and there were a few giggles among passengers who had seen it all."
02 March 2019
A Flybe flight was forced to abort take-off due to the cabin filling with "smoke" while it was accelerating along the runway at Exeter Airport.
[more...]
01 March 2019
Holidaymakers will soon be able to take advantage of the first direct flight from London to Scotland's Western Isles after Loganair announced three new routes.
28 February 2019
Over one in five women in the UK wrongly think a smear test can detect ovarian cancer, new research has revealed.
27 February 2019
One in 10 UK adults over the age of 40 is living with Type 2 diabetes, new analysis suggests - but the real figure could be much higher.
26 February 2019
British Airways has revealed the second of its series of retro liveries being recreated as part of the airline's 100th birthday celebrations.
23 February 2019
The price of a prescription in England is set to rise again, the Government has announced, in a move some campaigners have called disappointing.
22 February 2019
Just half an hour of exercise every morning could be as effective as drugs at lowering daily blood pressure, research suggests.
21 February 2019
A British man accidentally used the wrong passport to fly from Prague to the UK, leaving his friend stranded in the Czech capital.
19 February 2019
Hundreds of passengers have had their travel plans cancelled following the collapse of airline flybmi.
16 February 2019
Holidaymakers were left fuming after a "lack of clarity" over Brexit led a Romanian airline to cancel flights from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
15 February 2019
British Airways celebrated Valentine's Day with a special flight where all members of the cabin crew were couples who work for the airline.
14 February 2019
The "concerning" level of stigma surrounding the human papilloma virus (HPV) could be putting some women off going for vital check-ups, campaigners are warning.