'We have three small children so this all has been a nightmare'
A couple living in Belfast were among a group of over 60 passengers who were unable to board their Ryanair flight home from Portugal after a 'hostile' passport control experience.
"We had no prior knowledge that we would have to go through passport control. Two other flights were also called so everyone got into the queue at the same time and it made a massive queue. Still in the line at 9.40pm, an hour until they board at Lisbon Airport showed the flight was to depart, they approached an official to say they were concerned they would miss their flight when they were assured they would not.
"Ryanair said the airport had put up the wrong flight time information but physically, it was never going to be possible from the time the gate number went up to when boarding closed to get everyone through passport control." Mairead added: "There was nothing on our ticket to say we were on standby and we were never told and then said that because we are on it, we are stuck in a system where we cannot get off the list unless we further purchase new seats.On Saturday afternoon, Mairead and her husband decided to get a three-hour transfer to Faro Airport to try and board a new flight home from there instead - having to pay out of their own pocket for new flights, transport and accommodation.
"The gate for this flight was scheduled to close at 21:30 – 30 mins prior to departure – but remained open an additional 22mins , at which time these passengers had still not presented for boarding on this flight.
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