Page 4 | Help! DD stranded in Madeira, can't find anywhere to stay

redskydelight · 2025-07-06T21:28:04+00:00

Hopefully someone might have an idea we haven't ... DD and her boyfriend were meant to fly home from Madeira today but the flights were all cancelled due to winds. The airline has stated force majeure and won't help. We managed to book them hotel room, but when they got there, they said no rooms left ... everywhere else is gone. I've told DD to get herself somewhere warm and safe so she is sitting in Mcdonalds googling with some others also frantically hunting for rooms ... don't know what to suggest and she's starting to panic (she's 19 and her boyfriend has never been away without family before so no help).

Berlinlover · 07/07/2025 11:03

@Nchangeo Ryanair don’t fly from Heathrow.

NewAgeNewMe · 07/07/2025 11:09

Happened to us in Madeira but our delay was able to eventually take off others weren’t. We have a timeshare there. Happened to friends in Biarritz and the airport closed. No accommodation and no help from either Ryan air or easy jet and and so they and others slept outside till airport opened.

Original poster

redskydelight · 07/07/2025 11:15

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 10:57

A lot of knee jerk reactions, especially panic booking a flight for 3 days later!

It is commonplace in Madeira and waiting a few hours in the airport is the best course of action. Plenty of people around to discuss it with too.

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EasyJet advised everyone to rebook themselves on any available flights and that they could not help with accommodation. At this point DD had been at the airport for around 8 hours.

I am fairly sure that most people (including seasoned older adult travellers) would have rebooked themselves on the first available flight and tried to sort their own accommodation, not sat around at the airport doing nothing other than talking to other people.

OP posts:

Nchangeo · 07/07/2025 11:30

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 10:59

Haha, so many fake stories about Ryanair. They did not announce they were flying to Heathrow 🤣

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Trust me it’s not a fake story 😭 wish it was. Might have got the airport wrong. Tbh that wasn’t really the takeaway from the event. We weren’t going on a flight back anyway so that idea lasted about 1 minute in our mind!

Honon · 07/07/2025 11:33

4forksache · 06/07/2025 22:34

You need to help her alter her mindset and see this as an adventure. A tale to tell later on.

It’s not too bad sleeping in an airport. Make sure she keeps valuables safe by attaching rucksack to body and sleeping on top of it.

Come on, I'm all for stoicism but I think spinning a night or two in an airport as an "adventure" is a bit much, I've done it, no one died but it's fucking miserable.

NHSinterviewupcoming · 07/07/2025 11:34

redskydelight · 07/07/2025 11:15

EasyJet advised everyone to rebook themselves on any available flights and that they could not help with accommodation. At this point DD had been at the airport for around 8 hours.

I am fairly sure that most people (including seasoned older adult travellers) would have rebooked themselves on the first available flight and tried to sort their own accommodation, not sat around at the airport doing nothing other than talking to other people.

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But they’d also not leave the airport and then choose to sit in a McDonald’s!

Honestly. Last year a flight of mine was cancelled while I was at an event. I didn’t panic, just rebooked onto a flight and spent some more time than planned at the airport

notimagain · 07/07/2025 11:39

Nchangeo · 07/07/2025 11:30

Trust me it’s not a fake story 😭 wish it was. Might have got the airport wrong. Tbh that wasn’t really the takeaway from the event. We weren’t going on a flight back anyway so that idea lasted about 1 minute in our mind!

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Well for info it's not "might," you definitely got the airport wrong.

Ryanair have never scheduled anything in/out of LHR, doesn't fit MOLs business model at all.

Original poster

redskydelight · 07/07/2025 11:40

NHSinterviewupcoming · 07/07/2025 11:34

But they’d also not leave the airport and then choose to sit in a McDonald’s!

Honestly. Last year a flight of mine was cancelled while I was at an event. I didn’t panic, just rebooked onto a flight and spent some more time than planned at the airport

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She left the airport to go to a hotel that was booked. Going to McDonalds was because it was warm and safe and closer than going back to the airport after she discovered the hotel had given the room away.
It was also full of older adults who had also left the airport in search of accommodation. So she had plenty of people to discuss options with, including the ones she ended up staying with.

Can I ask why you are determined to find fault with my daughter's actions? And if you'd really have waited in an airport for 3 days until the next flight and not bothered to try to find anywhere to stay?

OP posts:

Nchangeo · 07/07/2025 11:41

notimagain · 07/07/2025 11:39

Well for info it's not "might," you definitely got the airport wrong.

Ryanair have never scheduled anything in/out of LHR, doesn't fit MOLs business model at all.

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Ok, well this was two years ago and I tried to delete much of it from my mind. But yes Ryan air are shit and if anyone is stuck in faro, then epic sana is pretty epic. Turned out well in the end.

LardoBurrows · 07/07/2025 11:52

redskydelight · 07/07/2025 11:40

She left the airport to go to a hotel that was booked. Going to McDonalds was because it was warm and safe and closer than going back to the airport after she discovered the hotel had given the room away.
It was also full of older adults who had also left the airport in search of accommodation. So she had plenty of people to discuss options with, including the ones she ended up staying with.

Can I ask why you are determined to find fault with my daughter's actions? And if you'd really have waited in an airport for 3 days until the next flight and not bothered to try to find anywhere to stay?

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Ignore the carping vipers @redskydelight. Sounds like your daughter has managed the situation very well, especially for an 18 year old. Good on her for booking an Airbnb with others in the same boat, sensible move, especially now her flight today has also been cancelled. Hopefully she will be home in a couple days and she can just chalk this up to experience, but in the meantime she has a roof over head and is safe.

AngelicKaty · 07/07/2025 12:20

@redskydelight FWIW OP, I think your DD has handled the whole situation really well. 🤗

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 12:31

Nchangeo · 07/07/2025 11:41

Ok, well this was two years ago and I tried to delete much of it from my mind. But yes Ryan air are shit and if anyone is stuck in faro, then epic sana is pretty epic. Turned out well in the end.

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Ryanair are shit but parents who board a flight without any spare milk for their 9 month old child so then decide to disembark are reasonable?

Ok then.

The Heathrow bit gave it away mind 😅

RitaFromThePitCanteen · 07/07/2025 13:05

Your daughter handled this very well for her age, OP. Ignore the people being weird. There are some people who just really like to lay it in to young women. If she had been your 19 year old son instead, the same people would have been congratulating you on how well he had done.

snowmichael · 07/07/2025 13:36

notimagain · 07/07/2025 09:03

Be interesting to see how that works in reality.

If the airport has weather (and weather includes wind) that is outside it's published operating limits - and Madeira has some low limiting wind speeds - then the airlines simply can't operate in/out...

Not their fault so I suspect no comp.

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Even if the airport closed, the airline completely ailed in their legal duty of care, therefore, yes, compensation is due

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 13:39

RitaFromThePitCanteen · 07/07/2025 13:05

Your daughter handled this very well for her age, OP. Ignore the people being weird. There are some people who just really like to lay it in to young women. If she had been your 19 year old son instead, the same people would have been congratulating you on how well he had done.

Trust me. I think the boyfriend is completely wet 😅 thank god the DD and her mother were there by the sounds of it

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 13:45

snowmichael · 07/07/2025 13:36

Even if the airport closed, the airline completely ailed in their legal duty of care, therefore, yes, compensation is due

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No compensation is due from the airline when the flight is cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control. Bad weather, strikes of both the bird and the ATC variety, political unrest etc etc.

Where are you getting your information from?

notimagain · 07/07/2025 13:58

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 13:45

No compensation is due from the airline when the flight is cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control. Bad weather, strikes of both the bird and the ATC variety, political unrest etc etc.

Where are you getting your information from?

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Agree that you're very unlikely to get comp via EU261 in the circumstances.

Comp because of supposed lack of duty of care might be tricky one...for example there are times when airlines simply can't magic up buses to an airport hotel that has maybe 100 plus empty rooms..

It seems to have become more acceptable on those circumstances for airlines to reimburse people who have made their own arrangements..whether that counts as a failure of duty of care...don't know..

Nchangeo · 07/07/2025 14:14

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 12:31

Ryanair are shit but parents who board a flight without any spare milk for their 9 month old child so then decide to disembark are reasonable?

Ok then.

The Heathrow bit gave it away mind 😅

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Honestly piss off. What the fuck is wrong with you. A funny anecdote of a disaster flight and being piled on for getting the airport wrong and then for not bringing an excessive amount of milk for a 2 hour flight. You must have a very miserable life. Enjoy it 😘

legoplaybook · 07/07/2025 14:47

NHSinterviewupcoming · 07/07/2025 11:34

But they’d also not leave the airport and then choose to sit in a McDonald’s!

Honestly. Last year a flight of mine was cancelled while I was at an event. I didn’t panic, just rebooked onto a flight and spent some more time than planned at the airport

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You would not have stayed in an airport for three days instead of booking a hotel 😂 Don't be daft!

CaptainMyCaptain · 07/07/2025 15:09

positivebutnegative · 07/07/2025 09:43

And talk to your daughter. It’s not good to panic when there is absolutely nothing to panic about. They could easily just stay at the airport, people do all the time.

What would happen if there was a real emergency and an actual reason to panic?

And surely there are plenty of other people around in the same position.

Jamesblonde2 · 07/07/2025 15:37

There’s no need for her to panic. As long as she’s got access to water, food and is out of the heat she’ll be ok. A flight will come up. Yes she might be slightly uncomfortable but at least she’s got access to seat in McDonald’s and can wait in the airport.

FourLove · 07/07/2025 18:50

Find a couple of chairs at the airport. They’ll be safe if not comfortable.

snowmichael · 08/07/2025 08:34

CountryQueen · 07/07/2025 13:45

No compensation is due from the airline when the flight is cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control. Bad weather, strikes of both the bird and the ATC variety, political unrest etc etc.

Where are you getting your information from?

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The EU flight compensation rules page on my link
Airlines are responsible for their passengers
I've had the EU250 compensation multiple times for flights cancelled due to bad weather

StampOnTheGround · 08/07/2025 08:48

I think your daughter did great OP, we had a cancelled flight from Italy a couple of years ago - it was the day before so hadn’t had to get to the airport. I just booked us a new one for the following day and luckily was able to stay an extra night at the Airbnb we were in and enjoyed a fab extra full day! I didn’t leave it to the airline to sort - we got all our money back though as it was a baggage handler strike apparently.

notimagain · 08/07/2025 08:56

snowmichael · 08/07/2025 08:34

The EU flight compensation rules page on my link
Airlines are responsible for their passengers
I've had the EU250 compensation multiple times for flights cancelled due to bad weather

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Eu250?

Are you sure you"ve had compensation or has what you received been reimboursement/payment to cover outgoings.on food, accommodation as per Duty of Care...

For very good reasons (some related to safety) regulators worldwide are very reluctant to force airlines to start paying out compensation when for example a flight has been unable to operate due extreme weather conditions (and wind being outside aircraft guidelines or airport limits would certainly count) or other causes outside the airlines direct control.

This is how the UK CAA currently word it:

"Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation."