Ryanair passenger 'stuck in hole in floor' hotel as nightmare flight delayed seven times

A Ryanair customer is facing the grim prospect of unemployment after his flight from Albania was delayed multiple times.

Rahul Majji, hailing from Newington, Edinburgh, had embarked on a much-anticipated dream holiday to Tirana, only for his return journey to turn into a fiasco due to repeated delays. The series of setbacks with his Ryanair flight has reportedly cost the 27 year old approximately £350 in lost earnings.

A spokesperson for Ryanair explained that the delay, which extended overnight, was caused by 'technical issues'. Following Rahul's conversation with Edinburgh Live, a replacement aircraft was sourced and the flight eventually took off around 9.55pm, heading for Edinburgh Airport.

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Despite receiving understanding from his two employers, Rahul is concerned that further absence could result in him losing his positions within the hospitality industry, reports Edinburgh Live.

Adding insult to injury, Rahul alleges he was accommodated in an Albanian hotel that was far from satisfactory, citing 'holes in the floor' and a lack of 'hot water'.

Initially scheduled to land back home at about 1.55pm on Friday, October 4, Ryanair has since notified the beleaguered traveller that his rescheduled flight is set to leave at 9.50pm on Saturday, October 5.

"Our flight was supposed to take off yesterday at around 1.55pm but after arriving at the gate we all realised the flight was delayed," Rahul recounted. "It was rescheduled to take off just after 2pm, then 3pm, then 5pm, 7pm and so on."

Rahul vented his frustration as he recounted the ordeal, "It was not until around 10pm at night before we were told we would be placed in a hotel overnight. To be honest the hotel I was in was s***e."

Describing his temporary accommodation, he said: "There was no hot water, holes in the floor and the washrooms were very unclean. The staff were lovely but we could not get in contact with anyone from Ryanair."

The disruption had severe consequences for his job, with Rahul adding, "I'm honestly horrified. I was supposed to work yesterday evening as well as Saturday morning and night."

He voiced concerns about his employment, "I'm scared I will lose my job as the weekends are the hardest time to get cover in hospitality. I am a shift manager so they need me there, it will be a nightmare for my colleagues."

Looking for alternatives, he said, "I tried to fly to London to get back to the UK so it would be easier to then travel to Edinburgh. But Ryanair would not support me with this."

Despite the pleasant start to his trip, Rahuls journey took a turn for the worse, "I had a great time travelling around Albania but this has turned into a nightmare. There has been no real communication outside of delay alerts."

Anguish towards Ryanair was clear: "Ryanair has been hopeless. They even had the cheek to send me a message containing deals and offers."

Exasperated, he continued, "We were all having a bad time but it just keeps getting worse and worse. I just hope I will be able to get home so I can work."

Rahul also stressed the financial toll, noting a substantial loss of £350 in earnings.

In seeking redress, he demanded, "We had a bad day yesterday but everything has been made worse with the lack of communication. I want refunded in full for the flight and my lost wages as well as an apology."

"I just can't afford to miss any more work. I just want to get home," Rahul said.

Rahul received a text message from Ryanair, which read: "Please be advised that flight RK8295 to Edinburgh is scheduled to depart today at 9.50pm. We are now sending over a new aircraft from Edinburgh due to a technical issue with the aircraft in Tirana."

The airline also provided an additional set of refreshment vouchers.

A Ryanair spokesperson explained: "This flight from Tirana to Edinburgh (4 Oct) was delayed overnight due to a technical issue with the aircraft. Passengers were notified and provided with overnight accommodation, while engineers serviced the aircraft, which took longer than initially expected resulting in passengers receiving a number of estimated departure time updates as we endeavoured to keep them informed."

"To minimise disruption to passengers, we arranged for a replacement aircraft from Edinburgh to operate this flight, which departed the following day (5 Oct) with 144 passengers onboard."

The airline apologised for the inconvenience, stating: "We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of this unavoidable tech delay."

Ryanair's policy on delays is clearly outlined on their website, stating: "If your flight is expected to be delayed for two hours or more (for flights up to 1,500km) or three hours or more (for intra-EU flights over 1,500km and other flights between 1,500km and 3,500km) you will receive assistance at the airport, including meal coupons."

The airline further explains: "Flights can be cancelled for reasons beyond our control, for example, ATC strike, adverse weather condition, medical emergencies, etc. If your delay extends to the next day, we will oftentimes provide hotel accommodation and transportation between the airport and the accommodation."