'We went on holiday but got stuck in Dubai... I never want to leave the country again'
23.04.2024 - 06:06
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A British couple facing a 12-day wait for a flight home from storm-struck Dubai have made it back to Manchester - after taking three flights and seven taxis over three days. Alison Shah, 60, and her partner, Richard Kay, 52, were coming home from her birthday trip to Bangkok and Thailand when they got stuck in Dubai last Tuesday (April 16).
With their flight home to Manchester rescheduled for next Sunday (April 28) - and the airport in chaos - they decided to take matters into their own hands. They managed to get a five-hour flight from Dubai to Istanbul, where they were able to hop on a shorter flight to Dalaman - and then another five-hour flight home.
Alison, an emergency control operator, from Manchester, said the ordeal was a "nightmare" but they needed to get back to work. Their detour journey home took a total of three days.
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Alison, who finally arrived home yesterday (April 21) said: "We were originally due to get back on April 17 and we didn't get back until the 21st. I have never experienced anything like this.
"I told Richard that I never want to leave the country again which is sad as I love travelling. We paid a lot of money for the holiday and it has ended in a nightmare."
Alison and Richard were flying to Dubai from Thailand on their way back home to Manchester. Alison knew there were severe storms in Dubai but no announcements were made about the flight so she went to the airport and boarded the plane.
She said: "I was waiting for information from the airline to say 'don't come to the airport'. We didn't get any so we got on our scheduled flight.
"The plane circled above Dubai for an hour and a half