Teenager stranded for Christmas after airline bungle stops her flying to Gold Coast to spend first festive season in five years with her mum

An airline bungle has left a teen stranded and unable to spend Christmas with her mum — who she hasn’t celebrated the festive season with for five years.

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CARLA McConnell was supposed to be back home celebrating a Christmas break with her mum on the Gold Coast today.

Instead, after a lengthy and confusing airline ticketing balls-up, Virgin Airlines wouldn’t let the 15-year-old on board a plane from Rockhampton to Brisbane last night, leaving her stranded.

It’s effectively ended the pair’s hopes of a first Christmas together in five years.

The Gold Coast Bulletin initially highlighted the saga two weeks ago, which began when Carla’s mother Nicole McConnell mistakenly booked a $230 return flight in her own name instead of putting “Carla” as the passenger.

COOMBABAH MUM ASKED TO PAY $378 TO CHANGE FLIGHT NAME

When the mistake was realised, Nicole phoned booking agency Flight Centre, which told her it would cost a whopping $378.20 in Virgin fees to change the name on the ticket.

In a panic, Nicole — who lives on a carer’s benefit to look after her ailing mother and couldn’t afford the extra cost — hocked her iPad for $100 so she could buy a new one-way Qantas ticket for Carla to get here for Christmas.

As a result of the Bulletin’s inquiries at the time, a Virgin spokesman said it would arrange a full refund to Nicole.

However, Nicole claims the refund matter was then dealt with by a Flight Centre staffer who she believes told her she’d be refunded for the Qantas flight and Carla could use the Virgin return tickets from Rockhampton to Brisbane — without having to pay the $378 name-change fees.

“The Flight Centre guy asked ‘How much was the new flight you had to buy with Qantas?’. And I said it was $150. They said these (original Virgin) flights she tried to get on (tonight) would be fine,” Nicole claimed last night.

“Now they’ve refused her.”

Even more confusing, Nicole claims she received a $220 payment from Flight Centre but is adamant they told her the refund was for the Qantas flight.

A Virgin Airlines spokesman said last night Virgin stood by its initial response that Nicole would get a refund for the $230 return ticket.

He confirmed the ticket was cancelled as a result of that directive. The Bulletin left a message with Flight Centre last night, which didn’t respond by deadline.

The apparent misunderstanding between the mother and Flight Centre has left Carla completely in the dark — and still in Rockhampton.

A distraught Nicole was being calmed by a friend last night who booked yet another ticket — with Virgin this time — for Carla to come back to the Coast on January 2.

“I’ve nearly had a mental breakdown over it, I’m just settling down now,” Nicole said.