FAMILIES are considering legal action against an airline as it emerged some were being told to wait up to 11 days to leave Romania after their plane back to Glasgow suffered a malfunction.

Some 200 passengers were affected as the flight from Bucharest to Glasgow was cancelled on Monday and scores are believed still trying to plot their way out the country.

While the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air had promised that passengers would be put on the first available flight after passengers were standed at Otopeni Airport, only a small number were expected on the next Glasgow flight on Friday night while others are waiting till Monday and others are being forced to find their own way back to other parts of the UK.

Glasgow Times:

A number of others were told they could not get back on a Glasgow flight till Friday, September 8, which meant being stranded in Romania for 11 days.

The airline said that the flight to Glasgow and the following day's flight from Glasgow to Bucharest had to be cancelled as due to "unscheduled technical maintenance which took longer than expected".

The airline has put stranded passengers up in local hotels as they wait to leave Romania.

Among those told they had to wait 11 days was Ervin Hugel, 34, his wife, Adina, 35, and their 11-month-old baby Christian who said the situation was a "bloody nightmare" and are preparing their own legal action for compensation.

Having run out of baby food and clothes, the family who were in Romania for a wedding decided to take a flight to Birmingham on Saturday and then fork out £100 on train tickets to get them back to their home in Edinburgh.

Then Mr Hugel will have to travel to Glasgow Airport to get his car and pay off the overstay parking charges. Mr Hugel, an electrician said: "I am absolutely raging. Fair enough, the plane breaks down but its the response to that.

Glasgow Times:

"By the time they got to us the only available flights [that had room] to Glasgow was Friday, September 8.

"I just asked for the first available flight anywhere in the UK, so I got one flight for the three of us on September 2 on Saturday morning to Birmingham.

"They gave us a ticket for the flight to Birmingham and that's it. Nothing else. And they gave us hotel stay until Saturday.

"We have already spent £100 on clothes and food for the baby. Then another £100 for the train tickets and then whatever it costs to get my car back.

Glasgow Times:

"I have already contacted a solicitor to get compensation for us. I have lost a week's wages as well. Fair enough they can give up to 400 euros [statutorily], that would be okay if your flight was delayed till the next day. But not if you are stuck here for a week or more.

"We were told that they will get you on the next available flight or put you on another airline, but when I went to the hub and said there was another flight from another operator, they could not put us on that flight because they had different terms and conditions. Then I found out there were no other operators that had the same terms and conditons as them. So we were stuck.

"It was a bloody nightmare".

David Scarisbrick and his girlfriend from Edinburgh were one of the few who managed to get booked on the first available Wizz Air Glasgow flight on Friday night, and believed it was because they were at the front of the queue.

Glasgow Times:

"There was no prioritising young families or the elderly or the infirm, it was very much a first come first served thing," said Mr Scarisbrick who was in Romania for a christening. "We took the offer of going on the first available flight and flying back into Glasgow on Friday. We were in a better situation than most. I know a few of the others have gone to Birmingham, Luton, Doncaster and they have got to make their way back from there."

Wizz Air said in a statement: “In line with Wizz policy and typical airline practice, passengers were offered either a full refund, or free rebooking on the next available Wizz Air flight. Wizz has also provided hotel accommodation and meal vouchers to those choosing to wait until the next available flight.

"Beyond this, we have advised passengers of their rights under EU law with regard to compensation, and how to apply. We are maintaining regular communications with our affected customers and continue to ensure their needs are met.

Glasgow Times:

“Wizz Air sincerely apologizes to all affected customers for any inconvenience caused. However, the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority.”

Experts say that under EU regulations, passengers suffering delays should be entitled to a cash compensation payment which in this case would be €400 (£318) per passenger.

For overnight delays, the airline must provide hotel accommodation and transport to reach it. When there’s a major disruption, airline staff may not be able to assist in booking hotels.

In such cases, passengers can make their own arrangements and claim the cost back. But there is no expectation of a full refund for an expensive hotel unless there’s no alternative. Supporting receipts are essential.

Glasgow Times:

The Glasgow to Bucharest Wizz Air route was launched two years ago with a special event involving Scottish medieval singers and a Scottish Santa.