Every day, there are groups of young people, along with their coach(es) and perhaps some chaperones, flying from one place to another to attend, watch or learn more about a sporting event. Case in point, Walt Disney World has a variety of seasons when cheerleading squads, softball teams, track & field participants, etc., descent upon the resort’s ESPN complex for competitions. High school and college kids frequently fly to participate in games. And going further back in time, I remember when I was a kid, I was shipped off, with my coach, to go to an ice skating camp in New Hampshire for a week.
Having to fly for these events requires a lot of advanced planning. Unfortunately, in today’s crazy world of aviation, especially when airlines overbook flights, there’s no guarantee that every passenger will get a seat. Sometimes, they’ll be bumped to the next flight.
But when the person being bumped is 14 years old and told he’ll need to wait a week because that’s how often the ultra-low-cost carrier flies between this particular Point A and Point B, that’s a problem. Oh, and did I mention he wasn’t just flying from one city to another but from a foreign country to get back home? Yeah, that’s what recently happened to a young boxer trying to get back to Iceland from Rome via Wizz Air.
Apparently, 6 boys from the Reykjavik Boxing Association, along with their coach, went to Italy to attend a sports camp. Everything went well until they had to go back to Iceland.
In mid-August, the teenagers and their coach had a reserved return flight on Wizz Air to Reykjavik. However, the group found out during check-in that the flight was overbooked. According to Ruv.is, , the airline staff informed the 14-year-old that there wasn’t a seat for him, so he’d have to wait for the next flight. Unfortunately, Wizz Air is a ULCC and only flies the Rome-Reykjavik route once a week.
Did I mention this kid was 14 years old and in a foreign country?
The boy’s mother told Ruv.is: “Of course, I spoke to him on the phone during this. It was just obvious that the staff didn’t understand that he was 14 years old, and had no connection to Italy, and basically did nothing to find a way to get him on board, or to help him in any way.
“They just offered 250 euros compensation and to arrange accommodation for him in Rome for a week until their next flight to Iceland. They thought it was just a normal invitation for a 14-year-old child.”
Craziness!
The boy’s mother did say that the boy’s coach offered to switch places with the 14-year-old and stay in Rome. Unfortunately, Wizz Air staff wouldn’t agree to that.
An Icelandic couple, who were also unable to board the plane, witnessed the situation and offered to take care of the boy until the next flight.
The boy’s mother agreed to this (from an American’s POV, this would be odd., even under the best of circumstances But if you’ve been to Iceland, you probably realize why she’d be OK with this. Iceland is considered the safest country in the world, and Icelandic people, on the whole, are trustworthy) and the boy stayed with the couple while his teammates and coach flew back to Iceland.
She got him a flight
The same day, the boy’s family found another flight for him – not on Wizz Air, I might add. Because it was a last-minute flight, it cost them 175,000 ISK (Icelandic Króna) – about $1,271.40.
The mother said she has been trying, without success, to contact the airline to resolve the matter.
“I called the [Icelandic] Transport Agency, who pointed out that, in fact, this was primarily about claiming compensation and reimbursement, but there was nothing they could do as this did not take place in Iceland.
“So of course I’ve emailed the airline and called directly, but there’s no way to get in touch with anyone there.”
According to the Communications Director of the Transport Agency, an Icelandic child has never been left behind because a flight was overbooked (Gee, ya think???). However, according to European regulations, the airline is supposed to ask for volunteers to be bumped when they’ve overbooked a flight. The airline can only refuse a passenger their seat if there aren’t enough volunteers.
Of course, the coach offered to be bumped, but Wizz Air wouldn’t let him volunteer. And the mom can’t get in touch with the airline.
What a mess.
But at least her son got home safely.
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