Paul Bell of the North Shields was kicked out of the hotel and forbidden to fly home with Tuy (Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
The North Shields couple claims that Tui “washed their hands” after Tui was kicked out of their hotel in Corfu and refused to board on a return flight to the UK. Paul Bell, 64, and his wife, Ellie, 65, had booked a week-long half-board holiday at the Teresath Hotel in Sidari, Corfu.
Their holidays ended abruptly when Tui removed them from their hotel and prevented them from flying to the house, despite the couple booking a package deal. Paul is confused as to why they were exiled and put hundreds of pounds out of their pockets. You have to sort out alternative flights to get home with JET2, arrange a taxi at the airport instead of transfers, and find another hotel for the rest of the holiday.
TUI said the decision was based on repeated incidents during his stay and was unacceptable and destructive. However, Paul disputes this, saying that Tuy never sought an aspect of the story.
Early on the holiday, Ellie expressed a complaint to her manager about the quality of the food. Paul explained “tepid” and “not very nice.” He commented:
“My wife spoke to the manager twice. She complained about not being able to eat food, so he doesn't seem interested. She asked him to join in for breakfast the next day.
Food at the Teresas Hotel in Sidari, Corfu. (Image: Paul Bell)
The couple then enjoyed the day, but upon returning home, they “had the words” with the representative. The next day, Paul and Ellie were looking forward to a trip to the town of Corfu, so they were given a letter unexpectedly ousted them from the hotel.
The letter dated May 20th said, “screamsing at the hotel restaurant in front of other guests, causing serious disturbances and confusion in the hotel's peaceful environment, directing active and disrespectful language to both hotel staff, hotel owners and TUI representatives.”
However, Paul claims that their actions were misunderstood and emphasizes that no one at TUI asked for an explanation of their events. Paul commented:
“When she visited the hotel, we were all we had to interact with the staff, but nothing rude happened.
“But certainly there are two aspects to every story? I was alive because I completely ruined my plans for the day.”
Holding a letter from Tuy, Paul Bell kicks him and his wife Ellie out of the hotel. (Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Paul and Ellie experienced a holiday headache when they were instructed to contact the British Consulate for further help if they had no opportunity to respond or appeal. At the sudden event of the 22.28 year event on May 21, they received notification that Ellie was unable to return to flight Tom1531 on Friday, May 23.
A little over a day later, another email came. This time, we informed the couple that both Paul and Eleanor were prohibited from boarding the flight. TUI mentioned the terms of the contract when he said the action was “for your actions and actions.”
At the scramble, Paul secured a JET2 flight from Corfu on Thursday, May 22nd, shelling 328.56 euros for a quick return. But back at North Shields, Tuy landed them in an email saying the travel ban had been lifted, and it was clear that he would fly on the scheduled flight.
“We were told we had to arrange our own trips and we got home, so it's not helping now. We had to pay 60 euros for a taxi to the airport.
Paul explained the usual trip, “When we go on a holiday, we try to sit somewhere nice and quiet, try to sit and get cold, try local things, go to town and see the views, have food like a hotel.
“They took whatever the manager said as the gospel and just came to such a decision. We were drunk and disorderly, we weren't – we had never bothered our holiday until this time at TUI.”
TUI is understood to intend to refund the couple's return flights and travel expenses to the airport on Jet2.com. Tui declined to provide further comment.
Paul is not the holiday maker from the northeast who has returned from complaints from Corfu. In early June, Westerhope's grandmother, Susan Edwards, complained that she had not made a reservation with the company again after complaining to the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel that she had “no English food.”
