Published at 22:29, Wednesday, 06 February 2008

A MARYPORT couple’s dream holiday was ruined after their faulty plane had to return home without touching down.

Joan and Dougie Young, of Curzon Street, had been planning their three-week cruise around South America and Antarctica for 18 months to mark their ruby wedding anniversary.

But while flying over France they were told there was an aircraft fault and they would have to return to England.

The delay meant they missed their connection to the cruise waiting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Joan, 62, said she and her husband were devastated.

She said: “It was planned for our ruby wedding anniversary.

“The pilot said there was a fault. He said we would have to turn back.

“It was about midnight when we came back to Heathrow, and we got to the hotel room at about 3am.

“We were told to go back in the morning supposedly to catch another plane.”

They were offered another flight to the Falklands Islands, but they would have missed their connection to the cruise.

She added: “We would have missed Antarctica, which is what we went for.

“It is 18 months since it was booked. It is not something you can do any time, because the celebration has gone.

“We have been back to the travel agents and will go again this week.”

A spokesperson for travel agency Going Places, said: “Going Places was sorry to learn that Mr and Mrs Young were unable to complete the cruise they booked due to a technical fault on their outbound flight with British Airways.

“We will be happy to contact their tour operator and establish the situation regarding a refund.”

Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk