Jet2 bans family from flight home from Greece after girl was sick at airport

Jet2 Airlines has faced criticism after refusing to allow a family to board their flight home from Rhodes, Greece, citing concerns over a child’s health. The incident occurred on August 17, 2026, when Hayley Waters, 37, and her husband Jason, 40, along with their children Addyson, six, and Xander, three, were denied boarding after their daughter vomited at the airport. The family had been scheduled to depart on July 31, but their flight was delayed until approximately 12:05 am. They were among a group of nine travelers who had arrived in Rhodes earlier that week. According to Hayley, the situation began when Addyson became unwell at the departure gate. Staff members reportedly barred the family from boarding their delayed flight to Leeds Bradford Airport, stating they could not travel with Jet2 for at least 24 hours. The couple was instructed to arrange their own accommodations, transportation, and alternative flights. This resulted in additional costs of roughly £1,000. Hayley explained that her daughter had not been unwell throughout the holiday and attributed the incident to exhaustion caused by the long delay and the high temperature inside the airport, which reached over 30°C. Hayley emphasized that no medical evaluation was conducted prior to the decision to deny boarding. She stated that neither she nor her children had been questioned about any pre-existing medical conditions or symptoms during the trip. “No one asked whether she had been unwell during the holiday,” she said. “No medical assessment was carried out, the decision was based solely on a member of staff seeing her vomit once.” The family ultimately booked an easyJet flight to Newcastle the following day to return home. However, Hayley noted that they received no formal documentation regarding the denial of boarding, nor did they receive any information about the airline’s policies or procedures related to such situations. “We have no written explanation for why we were denied boarding, no paperwork, no medical assessment, and we were left stranded abroad with two young children,” she added. In response, Jet2 issued a statement asserting that its team in Rhodes had adhered to standard protocols and assisted the family in finding temporary lodging. A representative also mentioned that staff had advised the family to keep their receipts for potential claims under their travel insurance. “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our absolute priority,” the spokesperson said. “Our teams have processes in place to help prevent the spread of illness onboard our aircraft. We are sorry to hear that Mrs Waters was unhappy with her experience and we are in contact with her to discuss the matter further.” Despite these statements, Hayley has expressed skepticism about the airline’s communication. She claimed that the family has not yet received confirmation that their written complaint has been acknowledged. Furthermore, she pointed out that Jet2 had previously indicated a response would be provided within 14 days, by August 20, but there has been no update since. As the situation unfolds, the family awaits further clarification from Jet2 regarding the circumstances surrounding their denied boarding and the steps the airline plans to take to address their concerns. Meanwhile, the incident highlights ongoing tensions between airlines and passengers over health-related travel restrictions and the transparency of corporate responses.