It started like any travel day. A cab rolled up to our house at 5 am, heading for Stansted Airport in London. It was pitch dark and freezing as we coasted through the city onto the M11 motorway. With just two miles to go, it looked like we’d even arrive early for check-in.

The Unexpected Standstill

Then…everything stopped.

Not a slow crawl, but a complete standstill. Our driver edged into the emergency lane behind a Stansted bus—until that stopped too. Moments later, police cars thundered past, followed by flashing ambulances. Something serious had happened.

After 90 minutes frozen in the cab—kids hangry and exhausted—I decided to stretch my legs. It was 7:30 am; our flight was due at 7:55 am. My phone reported a semi-trailer had spilled steel cables across the motorway, damaging cars and the road—and the clean-up wouldn’t start until about 10 am. Strewth!

Walking Into the Chaos

Walking alongside mile‑long queues of cars, suitcases rattling on gravel, dawn creeping up—I half expected to be in a Walking Dead scene. I finally reached the accident: a mangled car, cables strewn everywhere, police in yellow vests conferring. No fatalities, thankfully; a few minor injuries. The semi had gone up an embankment after a sudden brake, dumping its heavy load onto the cars behind—utter chaos, but somehow no one died.

Returning to the cab, the chill bit at my lungs with every breath. Sunrise was inching into the sky. Soon one lane opened, and we crawled into Stansted around 8:45 am—nearly an hour behind schedule and three hours later than expected.

Airport Drama: Queues and Rude Staff

Kids were grumpy (no breakfast by now), and the easyJet queue was growing long. So we split up: my husband queued with easyJet, I went over to the Germanwings desk—though today that would officially be Eurowings, as Lufthansa phased out the Germanwings brand years ago, fully merging it by April 2020.

The Eurowings agent was brusk, and when it was my turn, I gently said, “It’s been a rough morning, huh?” She snapped, “I’ve had a fine day, and now I’m annoyed.” Thanks, lovely.

I explained everything: the accident, the traffic, missing the flight. She told me curtly I’d have to forfeit the £396.96 fare and buy a new ticket—nothing until Monday, and at triple the price unless I booked easyJet next door, which she suggested would be cheaper. She said she didn’t work just for “Germanwings”—er, Eurowings—and couldn’t confirm I’d missed the flight for insurance purposes. I’d need to call the airline to get documentation.

So we switched to easyJet: my husband had just reached the front of the line and managed to grab two seats for the next day at £576.26. We fueled the ravenous crew at Burger King, grabbed free one‑hour WiFi (seriously, an airport charging for WiFi!), and booked a room at the Radisson Blu next door for US $181.47. They kindly checked us in early to collapse. While the kids conked out, I started jotting down notes.

Making the Best of a Missed Flight

It was the first flight I’ve ever missed in nearly 15 years of traveling. But optimism is my middle name, and I embraced that hotel day like a mini-holiday.

That evening a manager from Eurowings called—offering a free change to tomorrow’s flight. A bit late for that after the earlier rep said nothing was possible. Then on 21 November, they refunded £137.44 of the original fare. Eventually, after a follow‑up call, we reached an even better outcome. Management stepped up—even though the frontline agent hadn’t—so props to Eurowings for turning it around when it counted.

During the delay we called our travel insurer: Travel Insurance Direct. They confirmed our policy covered vehicle delays due to accidents, and told us to keep all receipts. We filed a claim and they refunded everything within a few weeks. Third claim with them—always solid.

Next Day Flight and Customer Service Woes

Our easyJet flight the next day wasn’t smooth either. The staff were curt and disengaged. A formal complaint achieved nothing. I’ve flown loads: even Ryanair felt friendlier. easyJet just didn’t make the cut for good customer service.

Eventually we made it to Prague—one day late—but we made it. And the story? Totally worth writing about.

Need Help with Compensation?

If your flight was cancelled or delayed and you’re unsure about what you’re entitled to, check out AirHelp, a leading service in flight compensation. They help travellers claim under European Regulation EC 261/2004 and other global rules—often recovering up to €600 (about US $650) on a no-win, no-fee basis.

For more details, visit AirHelp’s cancellation flight compensation page, where you can quickly check eligibility, learn about your rights to a refund and additional compensation (if the cancellation was notified fewer than 14 days before departure and wasn’t due to extraordinary circumstances), and get the process started. Keep your booking reference, boarding passes, receipts, and documentation handy—AirHelp guides you simply and effectively through the claim process.

Even though Germanwings no longer exists as a brand—everything now flies under Eurowings—the principles remain: keep receipts, ask for documentation, know your rights, and don’t be shy about pushing for compensation when a delay or cancellation isn’t your fault. Safe skies ahead!