Abandoned in Freezing temperatures by
Arriva and National Express.

My son's flight from Krakow to Liverpool on the 7th January, flight number EZY7254, was delayed several hours due to some of the most severe weather conditions experienced across Europe in over a decade. Temperatures were expected to drop to minus 20 in parts of the UK "Colder than the Antarctic" one report had said. Some of the worst hit areas were over the Pennines and drivers were advised not to venture out. He had to travel across the Pennines by National Express coach which he had booked before he left the UK. Although his coach ticket was for 2.45 pm earlier that day I assumed (wrongly) that National Express would have some contingent in place for their travellers affected by air traffic delays due to the severe weather conditions.

Flight number EZY7254 eventually received clearance for take off from Krakow Airport and landed safely some six hours later than scheduled at Liverpool's John Lennon International Airport.

It was now 6pm and weather conditions were worsening with temperatures dropping rapidly. I had been watching the departures information on Krakow airports website and also on the Liverpool airport website. I was relieved to see my son's flight had landed safely at Liverpool.

My son made his way to the Arriva bus stand which is were he was to catch his connection to the National Express coach stand A in Liverpool's London Road.

My son alighted the Arriva service number 500 outside the terminal building. He showed his pre paid ticket to the driver. The driver refused to let him travel saying the travel time had passed and the ticket was no longer valid. Their were plenty of empty seats and he could have travelled if he paid again. My son advised he had only £1 in cash on him but the driver still refused to let him travel abandoning him in the worst weather conditions we have experienced in over decade.

Making his way back to the airport terminal and with his last £1 he made a desperate telephone call to his 85 year old grandma in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Grandma made contact with me. At a little past 7pm on the evening of Thursday the 7th January 2010 against all the travel advice I set off driving over the Yorkshire Pennines in blizzard conditions with below freezing temperatures. At over 1,220 feet above sea level on the highest motorway in the UK the journey was fraught and potentially lethal. The journey to Liverpool and back in the most appalling weather conditions was completed by the grace of God.

My son paid National Express the princely sum of £13.90. It cost me £20 in petrol. We both endured a nightmare journey of over three hours in Antarctic conditions.

Both National Express and Arriva are no more than faceless corporate profit mongers with no regard for their customers.

National Express ticket number RQ596987 purchased 14 December 2009.