Mom 'Traumatized' After Being Stranded by Airline Following Airport Mix-Up

Traveling can be stressful enough, but for one mom, her trip home from Palma turned into a nightmare.

Megan Patrick, a mother of two, says she has been left "traumatized" and "upset" after being stranded with her "screaming" children for 15 hours. She blames the ordeal on both Palma Airport and the airline Jet2.

The family was set to fly home to Newcastle on July 24 after a vacation in Palma, Spain. Megan says she was watching the departure board for updates when she saw the gate listed as boarding. She and her two children headed there immediately, taking "11 minutes" to reach it.

However, upon arrival, a Jet2 staff member told them they were too late to board. Megan insists there was no "final call" announcement and that the screen still showed "boarding" rather than "final call."

Her four-year-old daughter became "hysterically crying" as the family "begged" to be let on. A staff member spoke to the captain, but they were refused again.

Megan recalls, "The lady at the gate scanned my passport and then made a comment like, 'You are lucky to be getting on this plane because otherwise you wouldn’t be traveling.' I apologized and said we came as soon as the information had been updated. I handed her the kids’ passports, and she said we were too late and we couldn’t get on the plane.

"I was thinking it couldn’t be true because we’d gone straight there. There weren’t even any lines we had to walk through. The kids were really upset, I got really upset, and we were begging to be let on the plane.

The family was set to fly home to Newcastle on July 24 after a vacation in Palma, Spain.

Megan Patrick

However, upon arrival, a Jet2 staff member told them they were too late to board.

Megan Patrick "The plane was literally there; they’d left the doors open, so there was no reason at all why we couldn’t have gotten on. It wasn’t showing final call; it was literally still showing boarding, and the plane door was open."

She says the time spent arguing could have been enough to get them on board. "We went back and forth for about 10 minutes. The kids were absolutely screaming. My four-year-old was hysterically crying. We were just begging her to let us on the plane."

Moreover, the psychological impact on children in such situations should not be overlooked. Dr. Madeline Levine, a renowned child psychologist, emphasizes that "children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of traumatic events, which can lead to long-term issues like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)." For further insights, you can visit her professional website at madelinelevine.com.

Megan insists there was no "final call" announcement and that the screen still showed "boarding" rather than "final call."

Megan Patrick

Understanding the Psychology of Trauma

Experiences like the one Megan Patrick faced can lead to psychological trauma. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, trauma can occur as a response to an event that the person finds highly stressful, distressing, or frightening. Megan's ordeal, involving a stressful situation with her children and feeling stranded, could potentially induce trauma.

Instead, Megan says they were left "stranded" at the airport entrance without food for the children until they could check in for a later flight. She claims they were then told they would need to pay for the new tickets.

Their luggage was retrieved, and they waited for hours before finally flying out that evening. Megan landed in Newcastle at 3 a.m. on Friday, July 25, after spending 15 hours stuck at the airport. "It almost wasn’t worth going away for those few days. I think I was more stressed when I got back."

A spokesperson for Palma Airport said, "All flight information is provided by the airline. The information on the screens was provided by the airline."Jet2 responded, "We are sorry to hear about Ms. Patrick’s experience. Any flight delays are always communicated very clearly, and we always advise customers to check departure boards regularly if they are in the airport terminal.""We are investigating this matter further; however, we can confirm that all other customers boarded the aircraft. We have been in contact with Ms. Patrick and are discussing the matter with her."

The Role of Stress in Traumatic Experiences

Stress plays a significant role in traumatic experiences. According to Dr. Tara Brach, a clinical psychologist and meditation teacher, "When we are under stress, our ability to respond to challenges diminishes, often leading to heightened emotional reactions." This insight suggests that the high-stress environment Megan and her children found themselves in could exacerbate the traumatic nature of the experience. Furthermore, Dr. Brené Brown, a researcher and author, states, "Vulnerability and stress can create a perfect storm for emotional upheaval, making it difficult to process what has happened." This underscores the psychological impact of their ordeal.

Analysis & Alternative Approaches

In conclusion, the incident that Megan Patrick and her children experienced was profoundly distressing and could have lasting psychological effects. According to Dr. Tara Brach, a renowned psychologist and meditation teacher, "High-stress environments can trigger trauma responses, especially in children who are more vulnerable to such experiences." It is essential for airlines and airports to recognize the psychological ramifications of these situations and implement preventative strategies. Dr. Brach emphasizes that "providing immediate psychological support can significantly reduce the long-term impact of traumatic incidents," which aligns with her insights shared on her professional website, tarabrach.com.