TUI passengers had to sit for two hours on the floor of the plane, finding that the seats on the boarding passes did not exist.
The 44-year-old passenger Paula Taylor with her 55-year-old husband Ian and their ten-year-old daughter Brooke arrived in advance at the airport of Menorca to get three places nearby on the plane on the way back to Birmingham (England). They were given seats D, E, and F on the 41st row, but when they boarded, it turned out that the seats under such numbers did not exist.
After receiving the complaint, the crew members found one empty seat. Brooke was offered to take it at the time of takeoff and landing, while the couple were placed on folding seats designed for flight attendants. However, as soon as the plane gained altitude, the maintenance personnel needed access to the compartments behind these seats. As a result, the family had to sit on the floor.
TUI Airlines explained that just before the departure the aircraft was replaced by another one, which had a different configuration of the passenger compartment. The company apologized for the incident and offered passengers to fully refund the cost of the tickets.