EasyJet Bans 'Urinating' Golfers

A group of golfers has been banned from flying with UK-based Easyjet after one allegedly urinated into an airplane seat pocket. The airline claims the incident took place on a flight from Bristol to Faro airport in Portugal on Friday night. The 15 golfers - most of whom were in their 40s and from Abergavenny and Cardiff - were told they must find alternative transport home on Monday. The men, who deny any wrongdoing, are considering legal action to recover the money they had to spend to get home. Easyjet spokeswoman Samantha Day insisted the low-cost airline would not compensate the group and said the men owed the cabin crew on flight EZY 6007 an apology.

"Our staff were cleaning the aircraft ahead of its return trip to Bristol when they discovered one of the group had urinated into the seat pocket," Day said. "Our cabin crew were faced with a repulsive incident. It is just disgusting. It is totally unreasonable behavior." One of the group of golfers had been refused travel after being "abusive" to staff in the airport lounge in Bristol, she said. The rest of the party were allowed to board because they were not considered to be a safety risk but continued to be "rude and obnoxious" to the cabin crew.

The golfers were already on their way to the resort of Praia da Rocha on the Algarve when it was decided to ban them from the airline so they only found out about it when they tried to check in for their return flight. Golfer Robert Bennett, 48, from Abergavenny, said he was "disgusted" Easyjet had banned the group.

"I am totally flabbergasted, I don't know where this claim that one of the group urinated came from," he said. The electrician said the group had been "loud" and in high spirits during the flight but denied using bad language or being abusive.

"We now look like a bunch of hooligans, but we aren't, we are a group of men mostly in our 40s. We just wouldn't do that."

Mr Bennett said he had complained to a flight attendant of a wet seat during the flight and his cushion was replaced. Another member of the group had vomited into a sick bag but the cabin crew had disposed of it. He accused Easyjet of leaving the party "high and dry" in Faro with no way of getting home. The group arrived back at Bristol airport on Tuesday afternoon after an eight-hour journey via Lisbon and Brussels.

FMI: www.easyjet.com