The honeymoon was nearly over before it even began for one newlywed couple.
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U.K. based newlyweds Andy and Katya Wedlake told The Telegraph that they planned a honeymoon trip to Tivat on the coast of Montenegro. Just as they thought they were about to embark on their dream vacation, easyJet airlines rained all over their parade.
When they arrived at their terminal at Gatwick Airport in London for their 8:25 am departure, they learned that their flight had been overbooked. Despite the fact that they had made their travel arrangements months in advance.
Newlyweds Say Airline Forced Them to Take Separate Flights
Andy, the husband, told the outlet that the airline told them they could only be seated "once boarding had closed." That had to hope to take the seats of travelers who potentially missed the final boarding call.
One person volunteered when the airline asked if anyone would be willing to give up their seat. That's when the unexpected happened. And the airline forced either Andy or Katya to take the empty seat. The remaining newlywed would be forced to stay behind and join the other on their honeymoon at a later date.
What was even more bizarre about the situation was that it wasn't an offer. Not as much as it was an ultimatum. When the newlyweds initially refused the offer, the airline informed them that doing so would count as a no-show. As such, they would forfeit their seat and now be accommodated.
Andy allowed his wife to take the seat on the flight that Sunday while he returned home. He was rebooked on a flight that reunited the two lovebirds 21 hours later.
A spokesperson for the airline told PEOPLE that they were "very sorry" for the experience that Andy and Katya had. And that they want to make sure that Andy is given "the compensation he is due and offer a gesture of goodwill."
"We are very sorry for Mr. and Mrs. Wedlake's experience and the difficulty this caused for their honeymoon," the rep said in a statement. "Like most airlines, we sometimes overbook a very small proportion of flights and, in the significant majority of cases, this does not result in denying boarding as we use data to select flights with a history of customers not travelling. By filling these seats, it helps to keep fares lower for everyone."
