Madrid Residents Donate Food To Tourists Stuck At Airport

Dozens of passengers recently discovered that their holiday deal that seemed too good to be true really was too good to be true, and now they've been stranded for days on end at the airport in Madrid, with no sign of being able to get home any time soon.

According to The Local, 183 passengers bought very inexpensive standby tickets on AeroMexico for airline staff and relatives. Standby tickets are comparatively very inexpensive, but passengers flying on them only get seats on the plane if there are unsold and empty seats available. AeroMexico allegedly told everyone buying the tickets not to attempt to fly during peak tourism times, because they would be less likely to get on the plane.

Still, 183 people flew out to Spain from Mexico, and then found themselves unable to get home. They've been sleeping at the airport for days, waiting for a chance to get on a plane, and several of them say they've run out of money to buy food.

Madrid residents were moved by the tourists' plight and dozens of people have reportedly been sending water, sandwiches, and other supplies for the stranded tourists. It's still unclear when the tourists will be able to leave the airport and get back to Mexico, but at least for now they won't go hungry.