Ticket chaos hits Athletic fans as storm wreaks havoc before Bergamo clash
Severe winds in the Basque Country have left hundreds of Athletic Bilbao supporters stranded before their European tie, creating a ticketing headache.
Hundreds of Athletic Bilbao supporters face a race against time to reach Italy for their crucial European fixture, with many attempting to transfer or gift their tickets after severe weather grounded flights.
Wind causes travel nightmare
A proper nightmare for the Athletic faithful this morning as brutal winds have battered the Basque Country, forcing the cancellation of numerous flights bound for Milan and Barcelona - the main connection points for fans heading to Bergamo.
The travel chaos has created a right dog’s dinner with the ticketing situation. Many supporters who secured their precious tickets (and they were like gold dust with 8,000 fans applying for just 1,000 available seats) now can’t make the journey.
Ticket transfer complications
The situation gets even more complicated because:
- Each ticket is assigned to a specific person
- Security protocols link tickets to individual travel plans
- Despite this, many stranded fans are attempting to circulate their tickets
- Some are even giving their tickets away for free rather than see them go to waste
Last-gasp travel options
About 200 determined supporters haven’t thrown in the towel just yet. They’ve accepted an alternative route offered by EasyJet - traveling by road to Bordeaux before catching an afternoon flight to Milan.
Even this Plan B is hanging by a thread though. For these fans to have any chance of making kick-off, their flight would need to depart no later than 5pm, allowing just enough time for the additional road journey from Milan to Bergamo.
It’s looking like some poor souls might end up watching the match on their dog and bone rather than in person after this travel disaster. Athletic’s famous support deserves better luck than this.