Ann Rudkin, 63, had told fellow passengers she had a "severe chest infection" when she boarded the flight to Malaga from London Gatwick.
Holidaymaker Jacob Rodgers and his girlfriend Jessica yesterday revealed fears not enough had been done to care for the gran on the flight, claiming more could have been done if staff had checked her seatbelt.
Jessica said: "Had her seat belt been checked (when not visible) had her head been moved from the seat in front we feel may have been the difference between life and death, and this is not said lightly."
But Ms Rudkin's family today absolved easyJet of any blame in her death as they revealed she had succumbed to a heart attack.
They said easyJet had treated them with "respect and dignity" throughout, adding: "They met Ann’s son Scott at Malaga airport and were very helpful to him and other relatives, to the point of rearranging flights they already had booked from the UK so they could reach Spain quicker without asking for anything in return.
"We want to make sure that easyJet’s name is not blackened in all of this. They have been really helpful and superb to Ann’s son."
The expat's family said the post-mortem had revealed Ann died from a heart attack, not a chest infection like had been claimed.
They added: "There is nothing easyJet could have done to change things.
"We are upset about the reports they behaved badly. Nothing could be further from the truth."
There is nothing easyJet could have done to change things
The family statement added: "Ann was a very private person and she would have been mortified about all of this coming out the way it has.
"We know she was unwell on the Saturday night when she was still on the ship and she may have thought she had a chest infection."
They said the ship's doctor had put her on a drip for an hour, saying she had experienced neck pains but hadn't mentioned it to him.
The family added: "She had experienced difficulties breathing but she was a smoker and smokers sometimes have problems catching their breath which may have been why she thought she had a chest infection.
"I am sure the passengers on the plane who reported all this told the truth about what Ann told them.
"But a heart attack is not something easyJet could have saved Ann from.
"It must have been a challenging incident for them and the assumptions that have been made about have been very upsetting in what is already a difficult time for the family."
The gran was discovered dead after her head jerked forward and became lodged between the seat and window as the plane came in to land.
Jessica said: "As we came to land Jacob and I tried to shake her awake, when there was no response we put on the cabin help light, Jacob said, 'We need your help we can not wake up this lady, this is serious she isn’t waking up'."
After raising the alarm, cabin crew felt her neck for a pulse and battled to resuscitate her but sadly she couldn't be saved.
A spokesperson added: "easyJet can confirm a passenger was taken ill onboard flight EZY8609 from London Gatwick to Malaga on 4 March 2019 after landing in Malaga.
"The cabin crew assisted by doctors onboard provided first aid and on arrival emergency services attended to provide medical care however the passenger sadly passed away.
"The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.
"Our ground staff and crew will not allow any passenger to travel should they believe they are unwell and unfit to travel."
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