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easyJet said it is an ‘extraordinary circumstance’

An easyJet flight was forced to turn back and land shortly after departure today (Sunday, March 29) due to an “extraordinary circumstance”.

easyJet flight EZY439 was scheduled to depart from Glasgow at 11.50am and arrive in Jersey at 1.25pm. However, tracking data on Flightradar appears to show the aircraft turning back almost immediately following take-off. easyJet has confirmed the flight returned to the gate due to an “extraordinary circumstance”. Outlining the diversion on its website, the airline said it is “due to a crew welfare issue”.

easyJet added: “The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance. We plan to refuel and continue your flight as soon as possible. Your crew will keep you up to date.”

easyJet encourages passengers to visit its website for entitlements, refund and compensation rights, and additional information. It added: “Once again we’re very sorry for the delay to your flight.”

An easyJet spokesperson said later on Sunday: “Flight EZY439 from Glasgow to Jersey on 29 March returned to Glasgow due to a cabin crew member requiring medical assistance.

“The flight landed normally in Glasgow and was met by medical services on the ground. We plan for passengers to continue their journey to Jersey later today and apologise for any inconvenience.

“The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”

A YouTuber who visited Riga, Latvia, was stunned by the four-star hotel prices in the city voted one of Europe’s cheapest by Post Office Travel

A YouTuber who toured Europe‘s most affordable city was taken aback by the cost of one item he purchased during his journey.

Ed Chapman, who shares his adventures on his eponymous YouTube channel, visited Riga, the capital of Latvia, and filmed a video about his experiences in the city after it was named one of Europe’s cheapest in a survey by Post Office Travel.

His primary reason for visiting Riga was to compare it with one of the priciest cities in Europe, Oslo, Norway. According to Skyscanner, flights to Riga can be purchased for as little as £28 from Leeds Bradford Airport.

One of the most striking differences between the two, Ed pointed out, was the disparity in hotel prices.

In Oslo, he stayed at a three-star hotel for one night, while in Riga, he lodged at a four-star hotel, but the price difference was significant, reports the Express.

After exploring and commenting on his hotel room, he remarked: “We’re in the heart of the city centre, literally one street away from the main stuff. Four-star hotel. £62 a night. Now that’s tasty. For a capital city, for the middle of the city centre that’s a bit mad isn’t it?

“Bearing in mind in Oslo I stayed in a three-star hotel, also bang in the city centre and that was £140 for a night there. Less than half price that’s crazy.”

Ed isn’t alone in highlighting Riga’s charm. The city, home to approximately 600,000 residents, is located at the centre of the Gulf of Riga where the Daugava River flows into the Baltic Sea.

Additionally, the city’s historic centre has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its Jugendstil and Art Nouveau architecture standing out as two of its main attractions.

Among Riga’s most distinctive landmarks is the Riga Central Market. Built using repurposed German Zeppelin hangars, these structures rank amongst the city’s most recognisable buildings, spanning 778,000 square feet and housing approximately 3,000 trading stalls.

Furthermore, Riga offers convenient access to nearby coastal areas such as Jurmala. The Mirror previously reported that one visitor was impressed not just by the affordability, but by the amenities available.

They commented in a review: “Changing pods are available on the beach and the sand is soft and flat. We paid €5 each for a sun lounger for the day, although in the afternoon people could help themselves to ones that were left or that people had finished with.

“Well worth the journey from Riga which is about 25 mins by train from central Riga and very cheap. We booked the day before online and it cost us about €6 return for both of us – amazing value.”

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi shows the aftermath of US-Israeli airstrikes on a residential neighbourhood in Iran, where rescue teams have been searching for survivors among the rubble.

Specialist Claer Barrett issued the advice to concerned people who have flights in the area booked

A travel specialist is calling on Brits to stay calm and follow crucial guidance if their travel arrangements have been jeopardised due to the US-Israel military action against Iran. Travel chaos continues to plague the Middle East as Iran launches counter-attacks.

It is estimated that more than 100,000 Britons were left stranded in the area as airports including Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai shut down operations because of the hostilities. More than 2,000 passengers landed in the UK on evacuation flights from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, according to Government officials.

Questions persist about the duration of the conflict, casting doubt over numerous travellers’ plans given the crucial role of Gulf airports as connection hubs for journeys to Asia and Australasia. Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine, specialist Claer Barrett delivered ‘vital’ guidance for those planning to travel in the near future.

She stated: “My big message to everyone watching is don’t panic and hit the cancel button, because if you cancel a flight, a holiday, whatever, yourself, you won’t have as many rights as if the airline cancels the flight.

“Let’s start off with flights,” she went on. “So if an airline cancels your flight, as long as you’re flying with a UK airline or departing or flying back to a UK or EU airport, you’re legally entitled to choose. So if they cancel you, you can say, ‘Well, I want a refund, I want my money back,’ or, ‘I want a different flight with a different airline, I want to be rerouted’ or offered assistance if you were stuck somewhere. So it’s important not to cancel yourself.

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“But if your upcoming holiday is in the affected area, the advice from Which?, the big consumer website, is monitor the airline’s website to determine whether your plans are going to be affected, because lots of different places are or aren’t.

“Keep an eye on the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office website, that’s the FCDO, they’re the people who can issue ‘do not travel’ warnings. And for goodness’ sake, make sure that you’ve got your travel insurance in place when you book your holiday.

“This is the advice that me and other consumer experts give, because something could happen before you go and you’d need to make a claim.”

Package holidays

Package breaks – where holidaymakers purchase their flights and lodging in a single booking from the same provider – are frequently more economical and generally regarded as being a more secure choice. The explanation for this is that numerous packages are safeguarded by the Atol scheme or the Package Travel Regulations (PRTs).

Any package holiday booked in the UK automatically comes with the protection of the PTRs, whilst package holidays that include a flight are safeguarded by Atol. All travel firms selling package holidays with flights to UK customers are legally obliged to hold an Atol licence.

This ensures people are brought home during a crisis. When the original Thomas Cook went under in 2019, nearly 150,000 holidaymakers were flown back by the UK government in the largest repatriation in the UK’s peacetime history.

You will also receive a refund if your package holiday is cancelled, and be compensated if various factors result in a subpar trip.

“So we’ve covered flights, but package holidays, you’re much better protected with a package holiday because most of them, anyway, are reaching out proactively, I’m hearing, to customers who do have packages booked to the Middle East,” Claer continued.

“And most of them are offering people for no charge the ability to either move their holiday dates or, in many cases, change destination, you know, so you still have your holiday but you go somewhere else. So speak to your tour operator and see what they can do for you.”