passenger

Josie North, who has a nut allergy, faced a “very scary situation” on a flight from Los Angeles, California, to Heathrow Airport and complained to the Virgin Atlantic team

A tourist with a severe nut allergy was left terrified after a pecan pie was primed to be served as a dessert on her flight.

Josie North alerted Virgin Atlantic attendants of her allergy and was assured no nuts would be served on the plane from Los Angeles to London Heathrow. However, just 15 minutes into the 10-hour journey Josie spotted the nutty dessert offering on the menu, and immediately called over an attendant.

The 28-year-old Brit, who is allergic to all types of nuts, said today: “I felt sick to my stomach. There was a chance I could die if that many people around me were eating nuts all at once.

“I told him [the attendant] there was just no way this pecan pie could be served. This was a very scary situation for me. If I was told they were serving actual nuts, and everyone around me is going to be eating nuts, I wouldn’t have got on the flight.”

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The issue has been topical in recent years following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, on a British Airways flight. She had eaten a baguette – albeit bought at Pret a Manger – which contained sesame seeds, to which the teen was allergic.

But Virgin Atlantic staff had spoken to Josie to assure her flight attendants would accommodate her needs ahead of the flight last month. Josie, who runs a party card games business, was told Virgin is a peanut-free airline only, and so she insisted on speaking to another member of staff on the plane.

“I was very adamant that this was a very, very dangerous situation for me, especially as we were already in the air at this point,” Josie, from London, said. Eventually, the captain was involved and agreed the pie should be removed from the menu and replaced with Oreos and KitKats.

But Josie wants to raise awareness of her experience, and remind large organisations of the dire dangers of allergies. When she boarded the flight, the entrepreneur asked the attendant to make an announcement to let other passengers know someone on board had a nut allergy. She claims the employee only announced someone had a peanut allergy – while Josie is allergic to all nuts.

A “persistent” Josie insisted they do a second announcement, which they did, but shortly afterwards, she was horrified to see the nut dish on the menu.

Josie said: “I understand it might not be easy to eliminate anything that may have been contaminated by or made in the same factory as nuts.

“But to actively include food items that contain nuts on a flight is extremely dangerous and unnecessary. I’m sure most people go hours and if not days without having a single nut on land so why is it so necessary to have nuts mid-air with no access to emergency hospital treatment?

“I’m sure people would be equally as happy with a chocolate brownie or an apple crumble for their dessert! And there may even be children on the flight who don’t even know if they have nut allergies yet ” so what is the point in serving such a common allergen?”

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “We’d like to apologise to Ms North for any incorrect information she may have received prior to her recent flight with us.

“We would like to reassure her that a full investigation is taking place. The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority and for any special requirements including allergies we ask that customers inform our Accessible Travel Services teams in advance of their flight.

“For the safety of any customers travelling with an allergy we would strongly encourage customers to take all necessary precautions including bringing their own subsistence on board and to prepare for the possibility of inadvertent exposure.”

Richard Deakin, a security consultant from Halesowen, West Midlands, has sparked debate after sharing footage on TikTok of his conversation with easyJet staff at Luton Airport

A tourist has accused easyJet of using a “money-making tactic” following a dispute about his baggage.

Footage on social media shows easyJet staff ask Richard Deakin, 37, to repeatedly put his luggage in the sizer as he checked in at Luton Airport. He claimed the suitcase – his hand luggage – fit easily but he said staff continued to ask him to pop it in the sizer. Richard asked a fellow passenger to film him doing so to “prove a point,” a clip he later shared on TikTok where it has been watched by more than 106,000 people.

He feared he was going to miss his flight to Málaga, Spain for his four-night break and became “quite angry” at staff’s insistence. He eventually made the plane, but is now speaking out to encourage people not to simply stump up cash if their luggage is within the dimensions.

The security consultant said: “If I hadn’t been so persistent they would’ve forced me to pay that fine. It’s a money-making tactic. Before I put [the bag] in I was confident it was the right size because I’d measured it and weighed it.”

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OPINION

Milo Boyd

Richard, who is from Halesowen, West Midlands, added: “At first it’s a bit of a struggle pushing it down but then it just slides in and goes all the way down to the bottom.

“It was hard to get in because I had several tubs of gravy granules because in Spain it’s quite expensive. I was quite angry. I did know I could just take a few things out of my bag but I was being a bit pedantic out of principle. If you want to pick on me, I don’t mind having a debate about it.

“After that video was recorded a manager came down and asked me to do it again. This is the bit that really [annoyed] me. I said ‘it’s just been witnessed by six of your staff who said it’s okay and this is the video’. He said ‘I need to see it again’.

“I’d done it once or twice before the video, and [then] two times with managers. It looked like the flight was going to take off and I was scared at that point. The ego got put away in the back pocket really quick. I took the book and the charger pack out and put [the bag] in [the sizer].”

Richard had enough clothing in his bag for the short stay last month but, despite measuring the little bag at home, came into difficulty at check-in. He admitted it was “hard to get in” but claimed it fit clearly in the end.

The security professional added: “So many people wouldn’t have been so persistent and fallen right into the trap. There are people that won’t stand up and talk and ask the question so they’re getting charged.

“While I understand the rules, it’s frustrating to pay for a bag that was underweight and would have been placed in the same overhead locker as everyone else’s.”

The tourist’s social media clip has divided opinion with some criticising him for “yelling” at employees. Some, though, users jumped to Richard’s defence in the comments.

One user wrote: “EasyJet should be ashamed.” Another user commented: “I will avoid EasyJet at all costs. It’s a greedy, uncaring airline. Shame on them.” A third added: “If it fits, it doesn’t matter if it’s easy or not.”

Other users criticised Richard for his demeanour. One user wrote: “Why are you yelling at them?” Another commented: “Why are you shouting at them for doing their jobs?” A third user commented: “That bag is too big. Simple as that.”

An easyJet spokesman said: “We have a well understood bag policy and customers are only charged if their bags are too large, in fairness to customers who have paid to bring larger bags, and we do not tolerate aggressive or threatening behaviour towards our ground crew. Once Mr Deakin was able to fit his bag in the gauge, he was not charged and was able to board.”

No figure has been given for the number of casualties in Moscow’s latest attack on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure.

A Russian strike has hit a passenger train in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, resulting in casualties among the passengers, as Moscow continues its near-daily targeting of Ukraine’s railway infrastructure.

Regional governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Saturday that the Russian attack had targeted a railway station in the Shostka community, and that a train heading to Kyiv had been hit.

In a message on Telegram, the acting mayor of Sumy Artem Kobzar said: “There are injured passengers. Rescuers, medics, and all emergency services are working at the scene.”

No figure was given for the number of casualties, but Hryhorov posted a picture of a burning passenger carriage at the scene.

The attack on the train comes a day after Russia launched its biggest overnight air attacks on several regions of Ukraine, particularly emergency infrastructure for power grids and gas sites, raising concerns about the country’s energy supplies as winter looms again for the war’s fourth year.

A statement by the country’s Ministry of Energy said on Telegram that the attack comprised missiles and drones, and that rescuers and energy workers were working to eliminate the consequences of the attacks and stabilise the situation as soon as possible.

Moscow has stepped up its air attack campaign on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, hitting it almost every day over the past two months.

AT LEAST 30 people have been injured in a Russian drone strike on a Ukrainian passenger train, which left the carriage burning and ripped apart.

Emergency services were rushed to Shotska, in Ukraine’s Sumy region, after the “savage” attack.

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In a post on X, he said: “A savage Russian drone strike on the railway station in Shostka, Sumy region.

“All emergency services are already on the scene and have begun helping people.

“All information about the injured is being established. So far, we know of at least 30 victims.

“Preliminary reports indicate that both Ukrzaliznytsia staff and passengers were at the site of the strike.

“The Russians could not have been unaware that they were striking civilians. And this is terror the world must not ignore.

“Every day Russia takes people’s lives. And only strength can make them stop.

“We’ve heard resolute statements from Europe and America – and it’s high time to turn them all into reality, together with everyone who refuses to accept murder and terror as normal.

“Lip service is not enough now. Strong action is needed.”

Mary McHale was due to fly from Dublin to Brussels but her brother-in-law tragically died the day before and she now claims that she has been denied a £380 refund

A woman says she is “fuming” with Ryanair for a lack of “empathy” claiming the airline refused a £380 refund after she cancelled a booking due to a family bereavement.

Mary McHale was due to fly from Dublin to Brussels for a girls weekend away in December last year but sadly, one day before she was due to fly, her brother-in-law Alan McHale, passed away suddenly, aged 61. The 54-year-old claims she reached out to Ryanair immediately to request a cancellation and was told via online chat that she needed to provide a death certificate before the flight took off.

She claims she couldn’t get her hands on a death certificate that soon and was also busy supporting her husband, Colin, 55, in his grief, which led to Ryanair refusing her £380 refund.

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“I’m absolutely fuming,” Mary, from Dublin, told Need to Know. “There’s no empathy. It didn’t matter how sad my case was, they weren’t interested. I’ll never fly with Ryanair again. Alan passed away suddenly three days before I was due to fly.

“The funeral service would be on the morning of the holiday. There was no way I was leaving my husband. A death certificate is a very official document and we couldn’t get it in time. Even if we could, there was no way I was going to ask the family for it while they were grieving so I could get a refund.

“I tried to appeal to Ryanair and said it wasn’t physically possible to get the certificate. We didn’t get it until January.” Mary says battling Ryanair while grieving only added to her heartbreak and made an already difficult time even more stressful.

She said: “Alan had Motor Neurone Disease and ended up getting an infection and pneumonia so it was quite sudden in the end. We were trying to organise the service. I couldn’t ask my sister-in-law for it while she was grieving her husband.

“I was grieving too. This was the last thing we needed. It was so stressful and I’m so frustrated by it. I didn’t even mention it to the family because I didn’t want to make them feel any worse. I kept chasing Ryanair up but they stopped talking to me and closed the case. There needs to be a management review. There need to be some discretion.”

In a online chat message, a Ryanair worker allegedly told her: “I wish to inform you that Ryanair tickets are non- refundable. This is clearly stated in our Terms and Conditions, agreed to at the time of purchase.

“Changes to flight dates, routes, times and customer names can be made online or by contacting our Customer Services Department prior to the initial date of travel. Change fees and possible fare difference will apply.

“I sympathise with your circumstances but I am not in a position to process your refund request and recommend that you contact your travel insurer with regard to this matter.”

In a follow-up message she claims was told: “Whilst I have noted your continued dissatisfaction, I regret that the position remains unaltered. As per our previous correspondence, as the Terms and Conditions state clearly.

“You must make your claim before the date of the flight and provide a copy of the death certificate”, therefore I cannot accede to your refund request.”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “All Ryanair air fares are non-refundable.

“This passenger was correctly advised that she is not entitled to a refund for her Dublin to Brussels return flights (18 December 2024) as per Ryanair’s T&C’s, which this passenger agreed to at the time of booking.”

The airline said crew did everything they could to help the passenger

An easyJet passenger has died on a flight to Lanzarote. Crew members did everything they could to assist during the medical emergency, the airline said.

A distress signal was issued as part of the airline’s procedures. The incident occurred on Tuesday, the airline told Le Parisien.

The flight on which the incident happened was travelling from Nantes in France to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. French media reports say the incident occurred on flight EJU4775.

The captain issued a distress signal before “making a routine landing in accordance with standard procedures”. “Our crews are trained to respond to medical emergencies and did everything they could during the flight,” the airline told Le Parisien.

“Our thoughts are with the passenger’s family and friends, and we offer them our full support and assistance at this difficult time. The wellbeing and safety of our passengers and crew are always easyJet’s top priority.”

Ouest-France said the incident caused major delays for the return flight from Lanzarote to Nantes. The return flight, which was scheduled to land at 2.45 pm in Nantes, eventually landed at around 11 pm.

Declan Minogue, a 63-year-old, felt a bit of hunger coming on while on a Ryanair flight, so he decided to order the £5.90 Hot Ham and Cheese Panini from a flight attendant

A hungry dad claims Ryanair served him the ‘worst airplane food ever’ after he received a miserable sandwich.

Declan Minogue and his wife Claire Minogue, 61, were travelling back from Faro to Dublin Airport on 21 July after seven relaxing nights in Portugal. The 63-year-old felt a bit of hunger coming on, so he decided to order the £5.90 Hot Ham and Cheese Panini from a flight attendant.

However, it was not the hunger-busting snack he had hoped for. Decland claims he was ‘stunned’ to open it up and discover just one piece of ham and the ‘tiniest bit of cheese’ with no butter. Despite polishing off the ‘bland’ sandwich that he compared to ‘something out of Oliver Twist,’ Declan claims he was forced to buy more food when he landed because he was still hungry.

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Taking to social media, the dad-of-two shared a photo of the sandwich captioned ‘shocking and insulting’.

Users took to the comments to express their shock at the ‘disgusting’ meal, empathising with the hungry holidaymakers. Others were less sympathetic, questioning why he had decided to buy food on a budget flight.

Declan who lives in Lusk, Dublin, Ireland, said: “It was the worst airplane food ever. It was a massive rip off. I was shocked when I saw it. I got it and I opened it and couldn’t believe it so I took a picture. It had two slices of ham and the tiniest bit of cheese and the cheese was like butter. There was no substance to it. I was stunned.

“It was like something out of Oliver Twist. You wouldn’t be asking for more than that. It didn’t taste good. It was very bland but I was starving so what could I do. You wouldn’t really think you can mess up a ham and cheese sandwich. I left the flight feeling quite hungry and had to get something from the airport.

“I know it’s a budget airline but you’d expect better service. I wouldn’t buy anything on Ryanair’s flights again. The standards are a disaster. I didn’t complain about it, which I should have. My other half wouldn’t let me.”

One commenter wrote: “Never buy the food on board. Bring your own and cold drinks. Much nicer.” Another user said: “Take your own sandwiches. We never buy food on the plane.”

While Declan may have had a bad experience, Ryanair performed well in a recent ranking of airline food. Despite frequent jokes about Ryanair’s cost-cutting approach and their humorous social media responses to complaints, it ranked with the lowest percentage of negative food reviews, while a fellow Irish airline company Aer Lingus topped the charts for the worst feedback on food in the skies.

Ryanair has been approached for a comment.

A flight attendant immediately took action when she heard the rude passenger, and confronted the woman before kicking her off the flight, which was travelling to Dallas

A passenger has learnt the hard way what happens when you tell a flight attendant to “shut up”.

A traveller on American Airlines got into an argument with a flight attendant during a safety demonstration. In a video shared to social media, a woman could be heard telling the flight attendant “she should shut up” during the flight from Costa Rica to Dallas, Texas.

The flight attendant can be approaching the passenger and bluntly asking: “Do you want to get off the plane?” while directing her peers to turn off the address system. She continued: “Because I don’t feel comfortable with you if you’re not going to follow instructions.”

In response, the passenger tries to claim, “I can’t hear” – but the flight attendant shut her down by saying: “You’re not on my list as someone who can’t hear. So I’m going to ask the pilot to remove you because you’re not complying. You know what you did, right?”

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The footage, uploaded to Instagram with the caption “ever wonder what happens if you tell a flight attendant to shut up?”, also showed the passenger being called out for not switching her phone off. The clip then cuts out when the passenger agrees to comply with orders, but resumes to show the woman claiming she is being harassed by the airline employee.

The woman was escorted from the plane, according to the footage and her seatmate, who filmed and posted the video with the caption: “empty middle seat is a win for me”.

Jay Crenshaw, who had been sitting next to the woman and saw the ordeal unfold, told The New York Post: “She was having a bad morning and was obviously disturbed or irritated about something she was on the phone talking about.

READ MORE: ‘Drunk’ Brit woman forces Jet2 flight to Cyprus to land early after ‘attacking crew’

“The flight attendant might have caught a stray. I think the passenger knows she was wrong. She mentioned that she also lost her phone and had to borrow one.

He continued: “I’m definitely not excusing her behavior [but] we’ve all had bad days and have said bad things because of it, but we weren’t filmed. I hope people can remember this and give her a bit of grace.”

The Mirror has contacted American Airlines for comment.

It comes after a man revealed how a family attempted to lie to a flight attendant so that they could take his plane seat from him – until he scuppered their plans.

In a post on Reddit , the man explained he decided to book business class on a recent flight because he could bag himself a window seat while guaranteeing that the middle seat remained vacant, meaning he’d have a bit more room.

READ MORE: Pilot explains what uncomfortable ‘sinking’ feeling really means during take-off

After boarding his flight, he took his seat across from an older man sitting in the aisle seat on the other side of him. Moments later, however, the other man’s wife and son came in and asked if he would switch seats with them to allow the family to sit together.

But there was one problem – the wife and child were in economy class, so swapping seats would have meant a downgrade.

The man refused this unfavourable offer, and the family made a counteroffer in which the son would sit in the free middle seat with his dad while the mum went back to economy. It turned out they lied to flight attendants on board the plane to make this deal happen.

In his Reddit post, he wrote: “His wife and son came in, asking me to switch (business for economy) so they could all sit there. Then, [they] told me that if I didn’t switch with the wife, the son would sit in the middle at least. [The dad] reasoned that I didn’t need an empty seat next to me and claimed the stewardess allowed it.

“Turned out, [the flight attendant] said it was possible if the other passenger agreed, to which they replied that I was family, so I would 100% agree.”

The man refused to move and told the flight attendants the truth, and the family were eventually made to go back to the seats they had been assigned.

He added: “I didn’t budge. The son and wife had to stay in the economy, and his father spent almost four hours muttering passive-aggressive comments. Whenever I took off my headphones, he was still going…”

A FLIGHT heading to a popular holiday spot made an emergency landing after a Brit tourist allegedly punched a fellow passenger.

It happened on a flight from Manchester heading towards the Turkish city of Antalya.

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But the plane had to make an emergency landing in Thessaloniki, Greece on Monday following the reported incident.

A 35-year-old Brit is alleged to have hit a 41-year-old Turkish passenger on board, according to the Manchester Evening News.

It is unknown how the incident started, but the captain made the emergency stop at 11pm local time.

The Brit was arrested after landing, according to the Greek outlet Ekathimerini.

Meanwhile, the alleged victim was examined by a doctor before continuing on to Antalya, the Mirror has reported.

According to reports, the Brit was due to face a prosecutor on Tuesday.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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Aug. 23 (UPI) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident that forced an Air Canada flight from Toronto bound for Las Vegas to divert to Chicago this week because of a disruptive passenger.

Flight 1705 was operated by Air Canada Rouge, the airline’s low-cost carrier and safely landed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport around 10:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, the FAA confirmed on its website.

Air Canada confirmed the incident took place but did not elaborate on the nature of it.

The FAA would only say the Airbus A320 diverted to Chicago “after the crew reported a passenger disturbance.”

There were 130 aboard the plane at the time it left Toronto.

Air Canada Rouge operates a fleet of five Airbus A320 planes, configured to hold up to 168 passengers.

The flight-tracking website flightaware shows the westbound plane changing course and turning around while over Iowa as it approached the state border with Nebraska.

The flight later took off from Chicago and ultimately landed at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas approximately three hours behind schedule.

The daily flight typically leaves Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport at 8:30 p.m. EDT, with the airline normally operating an Airbus A320 or A319 on the route.

The average length of the flight is approximately 4.5 hours, although it can take closer to five or as little as four, depending on wind and other weather elements.

The Ryanair flight from Marrakech Menara Airport in Morocco to London Stansted Airport encountered a “minor technical issue” – and passengers, including Keyaan Adediran, were delayed

A Ryanair passenger described his “quite scary” experience following the plane’s “minor technical issue”.

Keyaan Adediran, 20, was on the sweltering plane after it became marooned on the tarmac for nearly one hour before take-off. It was delayed – with all the passengers aboard – at Marrakech Menara Airport in Morocco due to the glitch, which impacted the air conditioning.

And so holidaymakers were left sweating inside the jet, which Keyaan jokingly compared to a sauna. However, the tourist soon found the experience “honestly quite scary” as the air con reportedly continued to blow out heat while the plane for Stansted Airport was stranded.

Ryanair says the aircraft doors remained open during the delay and passengers were remained onboard to ensure the flight was ready for the earliest available take-off slot in Morocco.

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But Keyaan, who is a student, said: “The incident felt like a lack of organisation and preparation. It was honestly quite scary.” The aircraft doors were open but temperatures in Marrakesh on Sunday August 17 – the day the issue happened – peaked at 45C.

“There were kids and old people struggling from the heat. They got tended to well by the attendants,” Keyaan, who is from Oxford, continued.

“The heat lasted for the entire duration of while we were grounded and for about 10 minutes after take off. But after that point it got extremely cold and me and everyone else I spoke to were shivering throughout the remaining three hours.”

Ryanair said the flight on Sunday was delayed by 52 minutes due to the technical problem. Water was available to passengers upon request, the budget airline continued.

A spokesperson said: “This flight from Marrakesh to London Stansted (17 August) was delayed 52 minutes ahead of take-off due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft, which impacted the air conditioning.

“To ensure the flight was ready for the earliest available take-off slot, passengers remained onboard. During this time, the aircraft doors remained open, and water was available to passengers upon request.”

Flight delays have been topical this month with Brits continuing to head abroad for their holidays. One tourist who was delayed more than four hours after two easyJet planes collided into each other spoke of her “frustration” at only being given a £3 food and drink voucher by the airline.

• If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you are entitled to compensation, depending on how long the delay has been. Nothing in life is ever that simple, of course! Airlines have a knack for trying to get round the law that governs compensation for flight delays and cancellations. So knowing how the rules work can help you fight back if you get fobbed off.

A man was left baffled when a family of plane passengers lied to a flight attendant in order to get him to switch seats with them – but he ended up getting the last laugh

Unless you can shell out the money for an upgrade, travelling by plane is often a draining experience. You can find yourself sitting in a cramped space for hours on end next to a complete stranger, and it’s often luck of the draw whether your seatmate has any bizarre habits that make you want to tear your hair out.

But one man has claimed that sometimes, not even getting upgraded to a fancier class makes you exempt from rude passengers who expect you to accommodate them. In fact, he asserted that on one recent flight he took, a family attempted to lie to a flight attendant so that they could take his seat from him.

In a post on Reddit, the man explained he decided to book business class on a recent flight because he could bag himself a window seat while guaranteeing that the middle seat remained unbooked, meaning he’d have a bit more room.

When he boarded his flight, he took his seat across from an older man sitting in the aisle seat on the other side of him. Moments later, however, the other man’s wife and son came in and asked if he would switch seats with them to allow the family to sit together.

But there was one problem – the wife and child were in economy class, so swapping seats would have meant a downgrade.

Warning: The below Reddit post contains strong language.

The man refused this unfavourable offer, and the family made a counteroffer in which the son would sit in the free middle seat with his dad while the mum went back to economy. It turned out they lied to flight attendants on board the plane to make this deal happen.

In his Reddit post, he wrote: “His wife and son came in, asking me to switch (business for economy) so they could all sit there. Then, [they] told me that if I didn’t switch with the wife, the son would sit in the middle at least. [The dad] reasoned that I didn’t need an empty seat next to me and claimed the stewardess allowed it.

“Turned out, [the flight attendant] said it was possible if the other passenger agreed, to which they replied that I was family, so I would 100% agree.”

The man refused to move and told the flight attendants the truth, and the family were eventually made to go back to the seats they had been assigned.

He added: “I didn’t budge. The son and wife had to stay in the economy, and his father spent almost four hours muttering passive-aggressive comments. Whenever I took off my headphones, he was still going…

“Like what the f**k. But shoutout to the stewardesses (another one had to come, because they refused to go back to their seats) for staying professional.”

Commenters on the post were shocked at the family’s behaviour, especially considering that the dad could have swapped with someone in economy class to ensure his family could sit together, but didn’t want to give up his luxury experience.

One person said: “He didn’t give up his seat for his family, just wanted you to.”

Another added: “It’s wild how some people feel entitled to what others paid extra for. Lying about being your family? That’s next-level manipulative. You had every right to your seat and your space. Props to you for standing your ground, and huge respect to the flight attendants for backing you up.”

A third wrote: “The family 100% booked like this on purpose. Get three business class upgrades for the price of one. They probably saw a ‘travel hack’ on TikTok and then were mad when the scam didn’t work. Good on you for not budging.”

Craig Hicks, from Telford, Shropshire, finished his right arm sleeve with a tattoo of Jet2’s slogan – after seeing what he believes is a trend emerging on TikTok

A frequent flyer hopes he will bag a free holiday – after he got the Jet2 slogan tattooed on his right arm.

Craig Hicks completed his right arm sleeve with the words “nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” alongside the budget airline’s logo. The 37-year-old man says he is “a big fan” of Jet2, having flown with the company dozens of times since it commenced operations under its current guise.

The plane enthusiast, from Telford, Shropshire, insists his family and friends “absolutely love” the giant inking. Jet2’s catchy slogan has become somewhat of a trend on social media, as it has been used in more than two million videos on TikTok the summer.

“I just thought it’s quite topical at the moment, why not? It’s just so popular at the moment… “I’ll be getting it out on that flight definitely. All my friends keep saying I could get a free holiday out of this! A freebie would be nice,” Craig, who is an ambulance controller, said today.

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The body art, which cost Craig £300 on Wednesday August 6, finishes his his “aviation sleeve”, which already featured a concord and jet engine. The regular flyer, who has a trip to Tenerife booked soon, continued: “I just love anything to do with planes. To finish my sleeve, I had a load of gaps and wasn’t sure what to put there.

“I love Jess Glynne and love that song. I recently flew with Jet2 to Madeira. I just thought it would be ace to get ‘nothing beats a Jet2 holiday’.

“I like Jet2 and thought it would be cool. It’s my favourite British airline. I’m definitely a big fan of them. I love everything to do with aviation.”

Jet2 has used Jess Glynne’s song Hold My Hand in its adverts – and on its planes – for nearly ten years. In one iconic TV advert, which first in January 2024, a family of four race with excitement towards the airline’s check-in desk, and gleefully board a Jet2 plane, high-fiving the cabin crew in the process – all in cohesion to Glynne’s tuneful number.

But the “nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” slogan this summer has been used playfully on TikTok by tourists who have encountered holiday bloopers or mishaps – with any airline.

Reflecting on the social media trend, Craig continued: “I’m definitely going to show it to Jet2 staff when I next fly with them to Tenerife in December… All my friends and family absolutely love it. My mum said I was mad.”

Jet2 has been contacted for a comment.

Aug. 8 (UPI) — A cruise passenger aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was injured when a section of a water slide broke off.

The incident occurred Thursday, the cruise line said. The seven-day cruise departed from Miami on Saturday, and the incident happened while the ship was in the Eastern Caribbean between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.

“Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide,” a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said in a statement to the Orlando Sentinel and ABC News.

“The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.”

He was listed in stable condition aboard the ship, the cruise line said.

The Frightening Bolt slide is among six on the ship’s Category 6 water park, which is the largest at sea.

The slide sends riders through a trap door with the translucent section on the top. Then, riders are dropped through a bomb door apparatus into the 46-foot-tall slide, which starts on the ship’s 15th deck and is the biggest one on a cruise ship.

The rider was hurt when passing through the broken section.

A video posted on X showed footage from after the incident and the reaction from onlookers. One person is heard saying: “Stop the slide.”

“These slides are probably much more frequently than land-based are continuously and constantly being inspected for any issues,” Stuart Chiron with the Cruise Guy told ABC News. “If cracks are determined, these slides and attractions are immediately taken out of service.”

The Icon of the Seas’ cruise stops were in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and the island’s private island at CocoCay, Bahamas.

The Icon of the Seas will sail through the Western Caribbean, starting in September.

On July 28, there was an altercation on the ship between two crew members from South Africa. While the vessel was off the coast of San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, a 35-year-old man allegedly stabbed a 28-year-old woman.

He fled, jumped overboard and died. The woman was in stable condition after being stabbed in her upper body.

In January 2024, the Icon of the Seas became the world’s largest cruise ship with a maximum capacity of 7,600 passengers and a crew of 2,350. It is 250,800 gross tons with 20 decks.

The Icon of the Seas is in the Icon class. The Star of the Seas is scheduled to include its first paying guests from its home at Port Canaveral in Florida in September. Two other ships are planned for the class.

In all, the Royal Caribbean has 28 ships.

A TEENAGER has died after a car she was travelling in crashed into a tree on a rural road in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The woman, 18, tragically passed away when the silver Renault Clio – which she was a passenger in – collided with a tree after veering off the road in Hartlepool at 4.18am on Thursday, Cleveland Police said.

A 26-year-old man, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving as well as other driving offences.

He remains in police custody at this time.

The tragic crash took place on a road known locally as Greatham Back Lane, which connects the A689 to Greatham village.

Police said the woman suffered fatal injuries in the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Cops are now looking to witnesses or anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of the silver Clio in the village to come forward.

You can contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 148268.

Alternatively, you can upload footage directly by following this link.

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THIS is the shocking moment a Virgin Atlantic passenger hurled abuse at a hostess he threatened to “gang rape and set alight”

Disturbing footage shows Salman Iftikhar, 37, tell stewardess Angie Walsh she would be attacked in her hotel after landing.

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He spouted his vile rant after downing champagne on an eight-hour flight from London Heathrow to Lahore on February 7 2023.

Iftikhar said Ms Walsh would be taken from her hotel room, gang raped and set on fire.

Another passenger, who filmed the shocking scenes, can be heard saying “holy s–t”.

Iftikhar repeatedly accuses Ms Walsh of being a racist and says: “You called me a p-ki in front of everybody.”

The 37-year-old had been flying with his wife and three children, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Abdul Kapadia, said: “During the defendant’s first meal service, the defendant was seen helping himself to ice, leaning over the bar he was drinking at, and taking ice with his hands.

“When told to stop, the defendant became irate, and started to film cabin crew with his phone, telling them: ‘Do not tell me what to do you b***h.

“When asked by the cabin crew to return to his seat, he then said: ‘Don’t tell me what to do you racist f***ing b***h. I know where you are from in Cardiff.”

Staff alerted the pilot and the seat belt signs were turned on, which only aggravated Iftikhar more.

He continued to call Ms Walsh a “f***ing b***h” before his escalating behaviour sparked a possible flight diversion to Turkey.

“The defendant was informed of this possible diversion, to which he replied: ‘I don’t care. F–it, go to Turkey. I have contacts,” the prosecutor told the court.

“The defendant then sat down, but his aggressive behaviour continued.

“His wife was ashamed. His three children were also on-board,
and other crew members were called to assist, but the defendant continued shouting and swearing.

“He was slurring his words, with his voice raised.

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“He shouted at the cabin crew: ‘Do you know who I am?’

“The defendant’s wife went to the food bar and tried to talk to cabin crew, but the defendant pushed his wife away, and shouted at her not to talk to crew.”

He grabbed one flight attendant, called Tommy Merchant, and threatened him with a fight.

‘YOU WILL BE DEAD’

The out-of-control passenger then told cabin crew he would blow up the floor of their hotel.

“The defendant knew the specific hotel, but also the hotel room numbers, and threatened the cabin crew with this,” Mr Kapadia told the court.

“He told Ms Walsh: ‘You will be dead on the floor of your hotel’.

“Iftikhar shouted at Ms Walsh and said: ‘The white sheep sh**ging b***h will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear.

“He told Ms Walsh: ‘You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire’.”

His violent rant unfolded in front of his wife and three young children – who were brought to tears.

Iftikhar was arrested at his £900,000 detached home in Iver, Bucks, on March 16, 2024.

‘IT HAS BROKEN ME’

In an impact statement, Ms Walsh said she was forced to take off 14 months and the altercation “changed my life enormously”.

“I can’t quite believe that one passenger has had this much of an impact on my, my job, my career and my life,” she said.

“I am a strong brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job. I am well known within the company.

“But I had to take 14 months off work. 

“I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years. I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I’ve even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me.

“But I don’t feel strong enough anymore. I was abused for eight hours and 15 mins. It has broken me. It was a very personal attack.

“I was doing everything in my power to protect passengers and the crew from him. I felt exposed and vulnerable, especially as we were 39,000 feet in the air. There was nowhere for me to go.

“There was one moment where I felt I could not cope. I went into the cockpit and had a meltdown. I said to the captain I don’t know what to do. 

“Even the threat of diverting the plane to Turkey or Baku, Azerbaijan, had no effect.

“I was traumatised by the threat of being gang raped.

“Never in my entire career flying for 37 years have I not been sure what to do.

“I have had the best career in the world for 37 years. But he has taken that away from me.”

He told Ms Walsh: ‘You will be dead on the floor of your hotel’

Prosecutor Abdul Kapadia

Iftikhar, of Iver, Bucks, admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment, in relation to Ms Walsh.

He was cleared of assault by beating and threats to kill in relation to Mr Merchant.

Ben Walker-Nolan, defending, said Iftikhar was suffering from “amnesia blood loss” at the time.

Mr Walker-Nolan added: “Although there were over 100 incidents over the course of eight hours, the most serious, including threats to kill, were limited.

“The defendant has buried his head in the sand for a long period, and expressed regret.

“He has a long standing drug and alcohol problem which he has not addressed for many years.

“He is a successful businessman who employs a lot of people.”

THUG JAILED

Iftikhar has six previous convictions arising from 15 offences, including common assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008 and failing to stop and possession of cannabis in 2021.

Judge Ms Recorder Annabel Darlow KC said: “Your threats to kill were made in the presence of children, specifically your three young children. 

“These were threats made with significant violence. 

“Your children had to be comforted by cabin crew staff while you made those threats.

“Ms Walsh has given up a job which she has loved for 14 months, but thankfully has now returned to work.

“This was a sustained incident which involved repeated racist abuse to Ms Walsh.

“You have a lengthy and appalling record of misconduct. You have not addressed the underlying cause of this for many years, that is your drug and alcohol problem.

“Given your lifestyle and your ability to earn money, your harm and risk has not moved.

“This was an appalling incident which has caused long lasting and devastating consequences.”

Iftikhar cried in the dock as he was jailed for 15 months.

His LinkedIn profile stated that he was the director and founder of recruitment firm Staffing Match.

Virgin Atlantic was contacted for comment.

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The Ryanair passenger, a 21-year-old man, was removed from the flight destined for Spain after he was accused of committing an aviation offence, causing a two-hour delay

A Ryanair passenger who allegedly vaped in the plane toilet was marched off a plane by six police officers.

The 21-year-old man caused a two-hour delay to his flight after it is said he puffed on a vape in the loo before the plane was due to take off at Edinburgh Airport. Police stormed the aircraft and detained the young man on suspicion of breaching aviation laws.

Tristan James Walker, one of the passengers waiting for the plane to leave for Alicante, Spain, filmed the encounter. The 39-year-old man claims the toilet’s smoke detector was triggered, resulting in the lad’s swift ejection. It comes a passenger told of a “horrendous” 20-hour wait for a Jet2 flight home to the UK, during which families were left without baby food and nappies.

Mr Walker said the man on his flight was bundled into a police van amid their delay. Authorities have confirmed the 21-year-old suspect has been charged in relation to an aviation offence.

Speaking yesterday about the footage, shot on July 3, Mr Walker said: “A young lad in a group happened to set the alarm off for apparently vaping.

“The pilot then came out after the air stewardess explained what happened, and then the pilot stated he would be removed from the plane. The young lad waited for over six police officers to come on board.

“He was taken off, he was very calm, didn’t argue or anything, no drama. We then happened to bump into him on Benidorm’s famous strip and he told us he just got a caution and was banned from Ryanair.”

A representative for Police Scotland said: “Around 7.55 am on Thursday, July 3, 2025 were called to an aircraft at Edinburgh Airport. Officers attended, and a 21-year-old man was charged in connection with an aviation offence. A report was submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Ryanair has been approached for comment.

A woman has claimed she was “unfairly” charged by easyJet when she was travelling from London Luton Airport to Paris – and she said the experience only got worse

Travelling to the airport can be a stressful experience, and it can be even worse when things go wrong. This is exactly what appeared to happen to one woman when her easyJet flight wasn’t what she expected for more than one reason.

Emi, who shares her life on TikTok under the username emilia.petcu, recounted her less-than-pleasant experience travelling from London Luton Airport to Paris. She felt “unfairly” overcharged and described her flight as a “poor experience”, which cast a shadow over her Parisian getaway.

In her video, Emi alleges that easyJet hit her with a £96.00 fee for a backpack she believed complied with the cabin policy and should have fit under the seat. She branded the last-minute charge as “unfair”, despite airlines’ usual reminders to passengers to verify baggage rules before flying.

But the troubles didn’t stop there, as she also claimed the aircraft was dirty, adding to her travel woes. Her post included the caption: “The experience only got worse on board. The airplane was dirty, with poor hygiene and cleanliness conditions.

“The flight was delayed without clear updates.”

Emi documented the journey, which took place on July 24, showing both the bill and the state of the plane. Visuals of crumbs and rubbish strewn around her seating area did little to improve her impression of the airline.

The video has racked up a fair number of views since being posted, sparking a flurry of comments from viewers sharing their diverse opinions and experiences.

One viewer recounted: “This happened to me. I complained to easyJet and they gave me the amount in a voucher.”

Another chimed in with a similar experience, adding: “I had the same thing at Luton.”

A third shared their luggage strategy: “I’ve used the same backpack for the last three to four years with different airlines.”

Meanwhile, another commenter offered straightforward advice: “Follow the rules, no charges – simple.”

Some commenters came to the airline’s defence, offering an alternative viewpoint. One person pointed out: “Please bear in mind the staff have six to eight minutes to clean the plane and, if they are late, it’s 90% of the time not their fault.

“It can be if the plane in front of them was late taking off or landing – it delays others.”

Another person wrote: “Blame the set of passengers for leaving the mess, not the crew. If they were to tidy it, the flight would be delayed and they would get bother from the airline for being late and the passengers too.”

In the video, Emi didn’t showcase her bag, leaving viewers unable to judge its size; she only displayed the receipt given to her by staff upon paying the fee.

easyJet has not commented on this particular case, but the airline did issue a statement regarding its baggage policy. It read: “easyJet’s bag policy is well understood and all customers can bring one small under seat bag for free.

“We provide clear information on bag allowances including dimensions clear when booking, via email before travel and on our boarding passes and our ground handlers check bags to ensure they will fit in the cabin, and in fairness to customers who have paid to bring additional bags.”

Officials say the crash killed the train’s driver and injured at least 50 others, with 25 of them in serious condition.

A passenger train carrying 100 people has derailed in Germany, killing at least three people and wounding dozens of others, according to officials.

The crash happened on Sunday evening in a forested area near the town of Riedlingen in southwestern Baden-Wurttemberg state, roughly 158km (98 miles) west of the city of Munich.

Charlotte Ziller, the district fire chief, told reporters that the three victims included the train driver and an employee of Germany’s state-owned rail operator, Deutsche Bahn.

She said 50 people were injured in the crash, 25 of them seriously.

Deutsche Bahn confirmed several deaths and numerous injuries, and said that two train carriages had derailed “for reasons yet unknown”.

Authorities were currently investigating the circumstances of the accident, the operator said, and traffic had been suspended over a 40km (25-mile) stretch of the route.

Thomas Strobl, the interior minister of the state of Baden-Wurttemberg, said severe storms had swept through the region earlier, and that investigators are looking at whether the rains had caused the accident.

“There have been heavy rains here, so it cannot be ruled out that the heavy rain and a related landslide accident may have been the cause,” he said.  “However, this is currently the subject of ongoing investigations.”

The train had been travelling from the town of Sigmaringen to the city of Ulm when it derailed.

In a post on social media, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his condolences to the families of those killed.

He added that he was in close contact with both the interior and transport ministers, and had asked them to “provide the emergency services with all the support they need”.

Footage from the scene of the accident showed yellow- and grey-coloured train carriages lying on their sides, as firefighters and emergency services tried to get to the passengers.

According to the local television station SWR, helicopters arrived shortly after the accident to transport the injured to hospitals in the area, and emergency doctors from nearby hospitals were alerted.

Richard Lutz, the chief executive of Deutsche Bahn, said he would visit the scene of the accident on Monday.

He said the operator was deeply shocked and dismayed by the accident, and thanked all the emergency services and volunteers on the site.

“My heartfelt sympathy and condolences go out to the relatives of the deceased. I wish the injured a quick and full recovery,” he added.

The rail operator has set up a free special hotline for those affected and their relatives, according to the official DPA news agency. Emergency chaplains and psychologists are also available for affected travellers and employees, it added.

German transport is regularly criticised by passengers for its outdated infrastructure, with travellers facing frequent train delays and various technical problems.

The government has pledged to invest several hundred billion euros over the next few years, in particular to modernise infrastructure.

In June 2022, a train derailed near a Bavarian Alpine resort in southern Germany, killing four people and injuring dozens.

Germany’s deadliest rail accident happened in 1998 when a high-speed train operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn derailed in Eschede in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people.

Travel by train in Germany remains far safer than travelling by car, with 2,770 people killed in crashes on Germany’s roads in 2024, according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office.

July 20 (UPI) — At least three people are dead after a passenger ship carrying nearly 300 people caught fire in Indonesian waters on Sunday, authorities said.

The KM Barcelona ferry caught fire Sunday morning off Gangga, a small island off the coast of North Sulawesi province, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement.

The ship was carrying 280 passengers, according to the agency, which said the number of evacuees was still being recorded. “Search and medical efforts are ongoing for the remaining victims,” it said.

“We have deployed several maritime SAR units and rescue teams to swiftly respond to this incident,” an Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency official said.

“A central command post for search-and-rescue operations has been established at Manado Port.”

Footage of the incident published on social media by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency shows the boat engulfed in flames, spewing smoke into the air, as dozens of people wearing life preservers float in the ocean, waiting to be rescued.

Officials said favorable weather was aiding evacuation operations, but they remained on high alert due to the threat posed by the potential risk of an explosion from residual fuel.

The cause of the fire was unknown.

The incident comes just weeks after at least five people were killed when a passenger ferry sank in bad weather off the coast of Indonesia’s Bali earlier this month.