A JET2 customer claims he and his family were relegated to seats next to “stinking toilets” because Coleen Rooney and her friends came onboard.
Mark Cassin paid extra to pre-booked seats for him and five other family members on a flight from Faro, Portugal to Manchester two weeks ago.
But once the family, believed from the Manchester area, arrived at the check-in desk at Faro Airport they were told their seats had been changed.
When they boarded their flight, they were shocked to discover they had been shunned to the back of the plane – right outside the toilets.
And apparently staff on the flight had to constantly spray air freshener around them to try and hide the stench.
Furious at the decision, Mark complained to a flight attendant onboard who revealed the moved had to accommodate a celebrity – Coleen Rooney and her friends.
Mark has since launched a complaint with Jet2 saying being seated outside “next to stinky toilets” made a “very unhappy ending to a pleasant vacation”.
Posting on Facebook today (wed), Mark wrote: “Despite raising a formal complaint 10 days ago, to date l have received nothing more than a short note, stating our complaint will be responded to within 28 days.
“How the heck does it take 28 Days…well l presume its so that customers give up during that time and Jet2 get away with treating its customers like 2nd class citizens.”
Mark then copied in his official complaint which was sent to customer service on 28 July 2018.
It read: “I wish to complain in the strongest terms in regards our seating being forcibly changed on the above flight yesterday (Sat 28/7/18 Faro to Manchester : LS870) against our wishes and despite our strong objections.
“We paid additional amount(s) per seat to pre book where we wished to be seated when we booked the flights originally, as in the past we have been unfortunate enough to be placed right next to the toilet positions on flights.
“We booked six seats which amounted to a full row covering both sides of the aisle, Row 29 to be precise, which should have been far enough away from the toilets.
“On arrival at the check in at Faro, we were advised by your Jet2 representative that our seating had been changed to accommodate another group of passengers, which l advised your representative was a ludicrous rationale, as we had booked a full row, so how could moving us make any difference and l wished to complain and have the seats we had booked & paid extra for.
“Your representative stated she was unable to change the seating, but would raise our complaint with her manager, though thereafter we had no feedback what so ever whilst at the airport nor as we boarded the flight.
“We did however find, on boarding that we were now seated in row 33, right at the very back of the aircraft and right in front of the toilets and then galley.
“We asked the flight attendants why we had been moved & they advised it was to accommodate another group of passengers, which included someone who was a celebrity, someone called Coleen Rooney and her party.
“During the flight the stench from the toilets was quite unpleasant and because of this we did not partake in any food as a party of six, though your attendants did intermittently spray air freshener.”
Mark added: “I find it truly appalling that just because someone has a modicum of celebrity that your company finds it acceptable to forcibly evict/move other paying passengers to facilitate their whims.
“We booked these flights months ago, paid extra for pre booking our seats and you breached that contract and placed our full party next to stinky toilets, making a very unhappy ending to a pleasant vacation.
“As such l would like to lodge a formal complaint against this despicable treatment, the poor management of our flight booking, compensation for being moved right next to the stinky toilets which made a very poor conclusion to our family vacation and a full refund of the pre booking fees for the seats.”
Mum-of-four Coleen was spotted with her children in Portugal two weeks before Mark’s flight back to Manchester.
The 32-year-old married childhood sweetheart turned footballer Wayne Rooney in June 2008 and is mum to boys Kai, eight, Klay, five, Kit, two and baby Cass Mac.
A Jet2 spokeswoman said: “The aisle seats on the back row of our aircraft must be occupied by passengers aged 14 or above, so this move was necessary for us to meet safety and operational requirements, whilst keeping Mark and his family on the same row.
“We have already been in touch with Mark to apologise for his relocation from row 29 to 33 and have offered a full refund for the cost of the pre-booked seats.”
