And finally…Brum steer

Richella Heekin and Ben Marlow only realised their mistake when they showed up at Birmingham airport in England’s West Midlands and not its namesake in the southern American state of Alabama.

Richella shelled out a total of £1,200 on a surprise birthday treat trip for her husband to Las Vegas on lastminute.com.

“When we turned up at the airport we couldn’t find the flight details anywhere,” Ben said.

“We approached one of the desks and they told us our holiday was booked from Alabama.

“I was gutted – more for my partner than for me.

“She had told everyone and she was really upset. She was distraught and we didn’t know what to do. It’s embarrassing because everyone was really happy for us.”

The mistake appears to have come about because Birmingham, Alabama Airport comes up first when searching.

“It’s a common mistake apparently – but if that’s the case the company’s website should make it more clear,” Ben said. “We are just going to have to start saving from scratch again.”

A spokesperson for the company told the local Birmingham (UK) Mail newspaper: “While not an error on our behalf, we do feel very sorry that Richella and Ben only realised this choice of departure was incorrect once at the airport.

“This is when they contacted our customer service team, who did their best to assist on the day of travel. However there were no other flights available which could have been booked as an alternative.

“We take customer satisfaction very seriously and are committed to always finding the best possible solution. We have since contacted the airline and the hotel to ask whether any refund would be available.

“Unfortunately, as per the terms of conditions of the booking, this is not something that can be provided. Such cases are extremely rare.

“However we would like to take this opportunity to advise that customers check all details when making a booking, in particular departure and arrival airports (including airport codes) along with dates and times of travel.”