Up to 164 passengers suffered a 30 hour delay returning on an easyJet flight from Sharm el Sheik due to an aircraft technical fault.
They said they were told to stay on board for five hours despite the flight being scheduled to take off at 5pm on Thursday.
The passengers were finally allowed off the aircraft and put up in a hotel but the flight time kept being pushed back.
They finally landed at Gatwick at 4am on Saturday.
Passenger Luke Gayle, 20, of Croydon, south London, told the The Sun: ‘It was a disgrace. People were crying and understandably losing their tempers while we were stuck on the tarmac.
“A woman six months pregnant lay across three seats. It was roasting hot and there was no food.”
No one was allowed free phone calls to contact their families, he added.
An easyJet spokesman said: ‘We apologise for any inconvenience or distress and also for any delay in passengers being told they could make up to two free phone calls.”
The airline blamed the delays on a technical issue with the aircraft.