Jet2 kick pensioner off plane after she ‘refused to pay for cold and soggy sandwich’
A pensioner has been kicked off her flight by armed police for refusing to pay for a £9 tuna sandwich.
Lily Ifield and her daughter were told their behaviour for refusing to pay for the “soggy and cold” bap, was “unacceptable” and they were threatened with being blacklisted from all UK airlines, it is understood.
Ifield was just starting a four-day birthday trip to Turkey and on arrival, she was met with four armed officers with guns and batons to escort her off the flight.
She told the Sun: “The police were standing at the entrance to the plane, waiting with guns like we were master criminals. We had no idea what we had done.”
The cabin crew called for police on arrival in Bodrum, Turkey, after a confrontation with the grandmother, which resulted in the steward telling her to “shut up” and to not talk.
“We were being treated like convicts over a bap”, she claimed.
Off the flight, the mother and daughter were “frog-marched” through the airport by the armed officers, despite the 79-year-old having to use her walking stick for her bad knee.
They tried to ask the officers what the problem was but they could not speak English.
Upon realisation from the officers of the ridiculousness of the situation, they told Ifield and her daughter to “just go.”
The grandmother of one and her daughter were so shaken up from the experience that they just stayed in their room for the holiday.
She said: “It ruined our holiday. It was all over a flipping tuna sandwich no one would have eaten.”
She also denied claims that the pair smuggled alcohol on board saying they spent £50 on four mini bottles of wine to calm their nerves as they are nervous fliers.
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A spokeswoman for Jet2 said: “We can confirm that these customers displayed continued disruptive and unpleasant behaviour on board flight LS1609 from London Stansted to Bodrum, including the illicit consumption of alcohol that had been purchased in duty free and brought on board.
“As a result, police met the aircraft on arrival at Bodrum to escort Mrs Ifield and her daughter off the aircraft.
“As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to such behaviour, and we make it very clear that customers cannot consume their own alcohol on flights.
“We will always support our crew in instances when they are subjected to disruptive, rude or unpleasant behaviour while prioritising the comfort of all customers and crew so that they can enjoy their flight.”
Ifield was in disbelief, saying to The JVS Show on Three Counties radio: “I don’t know what they’re talking about.
“I think they’re so embarrassed over this sandwich and the police and the way we were treated.
“They are the ones that behaved disgustingly and disturbed me all the way through the flight.”
GB News has contacted Jet2 for comment.