British couple stranded in Dubai returns home to Manchester
Battling storm-struck Dubai chaos, a British couple turned their 12-day flight wait into a three-day journey, involving three flights and seven taxis, to make it back home to Manchester.
The couple, 60 year old Alison Shah and her 52 year old partner, Richard Kay, faced a nightmare scenario as they attempted to return from Shah’s birthday trip to Bangkok, only to find themselves stranded in Dubai last Tuesday, April 16.
Determined to overcome the airport turmoil and return to work, the pair embarked on a whirlwind adventure. Alison, an emergency control operator from Manchester, described the ordeal as unprecedented.
“We were originally due to get back on April 17 and we didn’t get back until April 21. I have never experienced anything like this.”
Their tribulation began when severe storms in Dubai disrupted their flight plans. Despite the chaos, they boarded their scheduled flight, hoping for the best. However, after hours of waiting and uncertainty, their flight to Manchester was repeatedly delayed, eventually leading to cancellation.
“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.”
Refusing to accept defeat, the couple took matters into their own hands. They endured long queues, hotel stays, and multiple flight changes before finally reaching Manchester, albeit without their luggage, reported Manchester Evening News.
“We’re pleased to be home, but really upset not to be able to give the grandchildren the gifts and open the cases… The relief of being home is mixed with the upset with not feeling normal.”
In related news, an airport mix-up led a pair of British lookalikes to discover they not only shared the same flight but also the same name, sparking an unlikely friendship.
The lookalikes, both named Mark Garland, were inadvertently seated next to each other on an 11-hour flight from London to Bangkok.
