Flight to nowhere

Friday 23rd December 2005, 12:00AM GMT.

A ST BRELADE man stopped airline Flybe from reselling a seat for which he had paid £170 by checking in for this morning’s early Southampton flight, clearing security and then calmly telling staff that he would not be flying.

John Painter, who is nearly 80, got his revenge on the airline for refusing to give him a refund on the flight he could not take.

In a move of which TV character Victor Meldrew of One Foot in the Grave fame would have been proud Mr Painter went to the Airport, checked in, went through security and then told staff at the departure gate that he would not be travelling.

He did it to stop the airline reselling the seat he had paid for.

Mr Painter had booked to travel on the 7 am flight to Southampton.

He and his wife were due to spend the Christmas break in the UK, but she broke her wrist and requires hospital treatment, which meant that the couple had to cancel their holiday.

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