Harrow newlywed denied boarding on honeymoon flight to Montenegro

A Harrow newlywed was separated from his wife for 21 hours after easyJet overbooked their honeymoon flight from Gatwick Airport. Andy Wedlake, who lives in the borough, was denied boarding on the 8:25 am departure to Tivat, Montenegro, on 26 July 2026, while his wife, Katya Wedlake, flew alone.

The couple arrived at Gatwick’s North Terminal in time for their flight but discovered the booking had been oversold. easyJet staff informed them only one seat was available on the aircraft. They were told one of them must take the seat or risk losing their right to rebooking and compensation as "no-shows".

Read Next in Harrow News London5 min read

London faces sixth heatwave of summer from 11 August

Temperatures will reach 30°C for three consecutive days, meeting the Met Office heatwave threshold

Overbooking policy and compensation

Overbooking is a common airline practice, where carriers sell more tickets than available seats to account for no-shows. Under EU air passenger rights, airlines must first seek volunteers to take later flights in exchange for compensation. If no volunteers come forward, passengers may be denied boarding involuntarily, entitling them to up to £350.

Mr Wedlake told *The Telegraph* that easyJet staff offered the single available seat to one passenger. He said the couple expected to be rebooked together on the next day’s flight. Instead, they were forced to choose which of them would board. Mrs Wedlake took the seat, leaving her husband behind.

Related Borough Coverage4 min read

London heatwave confirmed: three days above 28°C from 11 August

Thames Water reports 15 percent drop in storage as temperatures stay high into next week

An easyJet spokesperson said the airline regretted the disruption. "We are very sorry for Mr and Mrs Wedlake’s experience and the difficulty this caused for their honeymoon," the spokesperson said, as reported by *MyLondon*. "In the rare event a customer can’t travel, we take our responsibilities seriously and seek volunteers."

The spokesperson added that overbooking helps keep fares low for all passengers. easyJet operates one flight per day to Tivat, with no alternative departures on the same day. The airline has since apologised to the Wedlakes, paid the £350 compensation, and offered a "gesture of goodwill".

For me that doesn’t cover the stress, the sadness of being apart from my new wife, the loss of one full day in Tivat, or the wasted time.

Andy Wedlake, Harrow resident

What happens next

Mr Wedlake has received the £350 compensation but said the payment does not address the emotional impact of the separation. He questioned easyJet’s decision to overbook a route with only one daily flight, particularly on a summer Sunday when demand is typically high.

easyJet has not confirmed whether it will review its overbooking policy for routes with limited flight frequency. The airline said it uses historical data to predict no-shows but acknowledged the Wedlakes’ case was mishandled. No further action has been announced by either party.