Flight cancellations LIVE – TUI customers FURIOUS after delays and chaos as controllers hint at future strike action
06/02/2022TUI customers have been left furious after days of delays and chaos at airports across the UK this week.
Police were forced to tell exhausted Tui passengers their flight was cancelled after eight-hour delays during the week.
Brits were in tears as two policemen arrived to read a statement from the airline after days of "total carnage" in UK airports.
More than 30,000 Tui passengers due to fly from Manchester Airport alone over the next month will have their holiday plans crushed by the end of today.
The news comes as Spanish air traffic controllers could heap more misery on UK by striking this summer.
Staff will decide whether to announce industrial action at an assembly at the end of June in Barcelona, sources at air traffic controllers’ union USCA have told Spanish press.
Read our TUI cancellations live blog below for the latest updates…
- Louis Allwood
Brits saying the same thing
BRITS are all saying the same thing as holiday firms are still selling cheap holidays despite the ongoing travel disruption.
Travel firm Tui is still advertising its bargain breaks despite axing holidays for more than 30,000 passengers this summer.
Customers were left furious today after spotting the airline’s ads on TV and social media as millions of Brits had their travel plans crushed.
Tui announced it would be cancelling around 43 flights a week until June 30 to prevent further problems seen at UK airports this week.
Customers claim they are still being targeted for trips – with many spotting adverts for Tui on TV and online.
One person wrote on Twitter: “What are they still advertising on TV/Social Media for holidays right now when cancelling and ruining hundreds off peoples breaks!!!! Such a joke.”
Another said: “Big business running amok with peoples lives the same as TUI cancelling umpteen flights a day leaving holiday makers stranded but still advertising package holidays they know they can’t deliver on!”
Someone else wrote: “TUI have a cheek advertising on TV #ThisMorning.
“The companies who are cancelling holidays should be banned from advertising holidays for this year, TUI, in particular are pushing holidays thot they are clearly struggling to deliver.”
- Louis Allwood
Government says airports are ‘busier than usual’
A Government spokeswoman said airports are “busier than usual” due to “an exceptionally high number of people travelling” this week.
She continued: “The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.
“In addition, using our post-Brexit freedoms, we have changed the law to provide the sector with more flexibility when training new employees, which will help it to fill vacancies more quickly.
“We have also worked with Border Force to ensure preparations meet passenger demand.”
- Louis Allwood
Fears for summer flight chaos
SPANISH air traffic controllers could heap more misery on UK by striking this summer.
Staff will decide whether to announce industrial action at an assembly at the end of June in Barcelona, sources at air traffic controllers’ union USCA have told Spanish press.
There has not yet been any official announcement from the union, which claims to represent more than 90 per cent of air traffic controllers in Spain.
But national spokesman Susana Romero confirmed overnight the possibility of a strike was on the cards in comments she made to respected Majorcan newspaper Diario de Mallorca.
A Spanish air traffic controllers strike would heap extra pressure on British holidaymakers, who are already struggling with extreme delays and cancellations before even leaving the UK.
The strike centres around USCA complaints about staff levels as the number of travellers returns to pre-Covid 19 pandemic levels.
They say staff who have retired have not always been replaced and new air traffic controllers were not trained up during the coronavirus pandemic because of the cancellation of training courses.
They claim that the number of air traffic controllers in the Balearic Islands – which include Majorca and Ibiza and is one of the most popular destinations for British tourists – was “insufficient” for the summer.
- Milica Cosic
British Airways cancellations
British Airways has cancelled more than 100 flights, but these were cancelled in advance as part of their schedule reduction until October.
The flag carrier confirmed that 16,000 flights between March and October would be cancelled to prevent short-notice cancellations.
Domestic flights affected include a number of routes across Scotland, as well as Manchester and Newcastle.
Many Europe destinations have been affected as well.
In the last week, 538 flights leaving the UK have been cancelled, says data firm Cirium.
A further two million passengers are due to fly on 10,800 flights over the Jubilee Bank Holiday but they face more late cancellations.
The aviation industry estimates more than four millions jobs have been lost since the start of the pandemic.
- Milica Cosic
Full list of UK flights cancelled today
BRITS hoping to get away for the long Bank Holiday weekend face another day of travel chaos as flight cancellations continue.
The UK’s biggest budget airline Easyjet has cancelled at least 36 domestic and European flights on Thursday from London Gatwick.
Flights cancelled by Easyjet on June 2 from Gatwick
- Agadir
- Alicante
- Basel
- Belfast City
- Berlin
- Bologna
- Budapest
- Copenhagen
- Gibraltar
- Glasgow
- Krakow
- Madrid
- Marseille
- Milan Malpensa
- Montpellier
- Munich
- Nice
- Prague
Gatwick wait ‘inhumane’
A MUM described waiting conditions at Gatwick as “inhumane” after she and her family were stranded at the airport for 22 hours.
Charlie Day, 33, with her husband Lewis and son Ernie, five, found their first flight to Barcelona last Friday on Vueling was overbooked.
The next flight, due to leave at 9.45pm, was first delayed and then cancelled at 1.30am.
Charlie, of Chelmsford, Essex, said: “There was no access to food, water or even a toilet. And everyone had been waiting around for so long.
“When we first arrived there was a bit of queueing but nothing too crazy. But when flights started getting cancelled it became packed.”
After staying at a nearby hotel the family flew out at 9am on Saturday, after another 45-minute delay
Travel chiefs admit flights may NOT take off in July
SUMMER holiday plans for millions of Brits are up in the air after travel chiefs admitted they cannot even guarantee flights in July.
TUI, Europe’s biggest tourism firm, is cancelling six flights a day for the rest of June amid fears airport chaos could now last the entire summer.
Around two million people are set to fly over the Jubilee bank holiday weekend but yesterday saw yet more chaos at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol.
EasyJet cancelled 42 flights at Gatwick while British Airways continued to scrap dozens more.
Tui Airways announced it will cancel 180 flights a month from Manchester through June — six every day.
EU compensation available
Flight delay compensation rules remain the same following the end of the Brexit transition period, as the Government has written EU261 into UK law, so you'll get the same cover you would if the UK had remained in the EU.
Customers who have a cancelled flights will receive a full refund within 14 days, offered a gesture of goodwill to apologise and, where applicable, in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) 261/2004, customers due to travel within 14 days are entitled to flight delay compensation.
To claim compensation though, usually your flight needs to have departed from a UK airport, arrived into a UK airport and was with a UK or EU airline or arrived into the EU and was with a UK airline.
You could be able to claim for £220 per person on shorter journeys, and £520 on longer distances says one travel expert.
There is one difference however – you'll now be paid in pounds rather than euros if you're claiming under UK law.
It's also worth bearing in mind that if you fly between two European countries, or fly on an EU-regulated flight which is nothing to do with the UK (eg, from Amsterdam to Australia on KLM), you'll still be covered under EU261 as the law doesn't require you to be an EU citizen to claim compensation.
Why is there travel chaos?
Tui Airways has been forced to cancel nearly 200 flights over the coming month as Brit holidaymakers have been struck by widespread chaos at UK airports.
Passengers have suffered long delays recently due to staff shortages.
A number of destinations have been hit, including Spain’s Canary Islands.
Other airlines have also been axing flights with passengers forced to wait in line at airports including Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Bristol.
While the problem has been doing on for a number of months, the issue has worsened lately with a rise in demand sparked by the half-term school holiday and the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.
The aviation industry is suffering from staff shortages after letting thousands of people go during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Milica Cosic
How to get money back if your holiday is cancelled in airport chaos
TUI has issued an update for travellers and revealed how passengers could get £200 if your holiday is cancelled amid the ongoing chaos at airports.
The company’s website blamed the long list of cancellations down to “a combination of factors causing significant operations disruptions”.
A lengthy statement said on its travel page: "We would like to apologise to some of our customers who have experienced flight delays in recent days.
"As the UK’s biggest holiday company, our priority is to take customers on holiday safely. We continue to work closely with our airport partners to monitor the situation and continue to provide the best possible holiday experience for our customers.
"We are doing everything we can to limit any flight delays, which can happen from time to time for various operational reasons.
"On the rare occasion flight delays do take place, we will do everything we can to support our customers, through direct communications and providing overnight accommodation and transfers where needed, as well as meals and refreshments.
"We’d like to remind customers not to arrive at the airport too far in advance of their flight, as this can contribute to terminal queueing delays.
"Standard check-in opens at least two and a half hours before departure time for short and mid-haul flights, and at least three and a half hours before departure for long-haul flights.
"At some airports, we are able to offer day before bag drop and self-service bag drop. You can find more information about these services, as well as our advice for making your airport experience as smooth as possible here."
Read the article in full here.
- Milica Cosic
Love Island bosses on high alert due to travel chaos
LOVE Island bosses are on high alert to “adapt” the show if Britain’s travel chaos scuppers their planned flights to and from Majorca.
Host Laura Whitmore flies multiple times throughout the series to present from the main villa on the Balearic isle as well as from a studio in London for spin-off show Aftersun.
And fresh Islanders arrive throughout the ITV2 show’s run, which can be as long as eight weeks.
But ITV confirmed they were ready to handle the mayhem, which has been caused by Easyjet and TUI axing flights over staff shortages.
A show source said: “It’s less than ideal but the team is ready to adapt if they need to.”
- Milica Cosic
Airports busy already
Holidaymakers and commuters flying from Bristol encountered lengthy queues outside the terminal building and flight delays once again as the Jubilee break begins today.
Manchester Airport early this morning also saw massive queues wind its way round T2 as passengers waited patiently to get through to airside.
Bristol has recently been ranked as one of the worst airports according to a new study. The ranking of the UK’s best and worst airports was put together by a national newspaper.
Bristol Airport Queues snaking around Manchester Airport - Louis Allwood
Eurostar tells travellers to arrive as normal
Travelers arriving at St Pancras in central London are experiencing long queues for the Eurostar.
The Eurostar has said: "Our stations are very busy today.
"Passport and security checks are taking longer than usual due to issues with French authority control systems.
"Please arrive at the ticket gates at the time shown on your ticket as normal."
- Louis Allwood
In pictures: Busy Heathrow Terminal 2 as passengers face crippling delays
A busy Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 as passengers continue to face lengthy delays over the half term and forthcoming 4-day bank holiday.
Terminal 2 appears to be the busiest this week so far with extra security drafted in to organise the queues and keep some sort of order as passengers get increasingly frustrated
Airports across Europe have struggled to cope with the rebound in demand but British airports are facing a particularly difficult week as a school half-term holiday combines with a long Jubilee public holiday weekend.
- Louis Allwood
Labour accuses Government of being ‘missing in action’
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Government of being “missing in action”.
“Tory ministers can’t even get the basics right,” she said.
“They should show some responsibility, do their job, and take concrete steps to tackle the chaos growing on their watch.”
- Louis Allwood
Grant Shapps tells airlines to stop selling tickets for flights they can’t staff
Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told airlines to stop selling tickets for flights they cannot staff after a spate of airline cancellations caused widespread disruption for holidaymakers.
Airports across Europe have struggled to cope with the rebound in demand but British airports are facing a particularly difficult week as a school half-term holiday combines with a long Jubilee public holiday weekend.
Airports faced similar queues over the Easter vacation, and Shapps said that while some steps had been taken, there had not been the progress that is needed.
“We need to make sure there is no repeat of the scenes witnessed over the last few days. Despite government warnings, operators seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver,” Shapps said.
“This must not happen again and all efforts should be directed at there being no repeat of this over the summer.”
- Louis Allwood
South Africa's BA operator grounds flights as cash runs out
Comair, the South African operator of British Airways flights, has grounded all of its planes after running out of cash, the company said.
The carrier, which is under administration, also operates budget airline Kulula. Those planes are also grounded, with tickets sales for both airlines suspended.
Comair's administrators "have advised that the process to raise the necessary capital is in progress and that there is reason to believe such funding may be secured," the company said in the statement late Tuesday.
"Once received, the airline will be able to recommence operations, but regrettably under these circumstances, the practitioners have no choice but to voluntarily suspend all scheduled flights until the funding is confirmed," it added.
In May 2020, at the height of pandemic lockdowns, Comair filed for voluntary business rescue — a procedure similar to bankruptcy protection — in order to restructure the company.
By February this year, the company had regained a 40 percent market share and resumed most flights.
South African aviation officials had suspended Comair's flights for five days in March over safety concerns, dealing a new blow to the company.
- Louis Allwood
EasyJet passengers share travel nightmares from Manchester Airport
One easyJet passenger tweeted a photograph shortly after 4am from Manchester Airport showing a long queue of people in a car park outside Terminal 1.
He described the situation as "carnage", adding: "Took two hours 45 minutes to get through – most of that was bag drop. Now on the aircraft, but due to shortage of ground crew, there's going to be another delay of approximately 50 minutes."
Another easyJet passenger said they had to wait for two hours and 40 minutes to receive their luggage after landing at Gatwick Airport shortly before 3am.
He said this was "simply not good enough".
- Louis Allwood
Union says aviation firms 'should hang their heads in shame'
Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham said those in charge of UK aviation companies "should hang their heads in shame".
She went on: "They got very rich on high profits and low pay.
"They then sacked and slashed wages for thousands of workers without a second thought during the pandemic.
"Now they are reaping what they have sown because, understandably, people don't want to work for them anymore."
- Louis Allwood
Passengers wait for eight hours to find out TUI flight to Greece is cancelled
Passengers who had waited eight hours for a flight from Manchester to Greece were told it was cancelled by an armed cop.
He read a statement saying: “What’s going to happen is this — you’re all going to get a full refund for the holiday you have purchased.
“There is also going to be a £350 per person worth of compensation. You will also get a £200 holiday voucher per person to go on another holiday.”
Steven Hession and his wife Kerrie received a text from TUI while at their Manchester airport departure gate, saying their holiday to Kos was axed due to “significant operational disruption”.
British Gas worker Steven, 45, said: “It was horrendous.”
- Louis Allwood
Government says airports are 'busier than usual'
A Government spokeswoman said airports are "busier than usual" due to "an exceptionally high number of people travelling" this week.
She continued: "The aviation industry is responsible for making sure they have enough staff to meet demand and we have been clear that they must step up recruitment to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.
"In addition, using our post-Brexit freedoms, we have changed the law to provide the sector with more flexibility when training new employees, which will help it to fill vacancies more quickly.
"We have also worked with Border Force to ensure preparations meet passenger demand."
- Louis Allwood
'An utter shambles' blasts furious Heathrow passengers
One passenger described Heathrow Terminal 5 as an "utter shambles", with a "gigantic queue for security".
A Twitter user posted an image of a queue at Manchester Airport that stretched along a car park, describing the situation as "madness".
Another passenger at the airport said arriving travellers were waiting for more than three hours to get their luggage.
She wrote: "People have just abandoned them. We were told to come back during the week for ours."
- Louis Allwood
‘How you can claim compensation if your travel plans are cancelled’ (3/3)
James said: "People who bought their accommodation and activities as part of a package deal can claim compensation in the event their flight is cancelled. However, it gets a little murkier if you booked them separately yourself.
"The good news is that travel insurance should pay out if your airline is unable to get you to your destination and you miss out on your holiday as a result.
"People without travel insurance, however, are left at the mercy of the cancellation and refund policies at their destination. "
Rory Boland, editor at Which? Travel, said for people who are planning on heading to the airport in the next couple of days, to avoid taking luggage which needs to be checked in as this can delay you getting through to security, which can be an additional stress.
He added: "If you are checking in bags, make sure you keep valuables in your cabin bags.
"We are hearing from people who are getting to their destinations and those things are getting lost."
Rory said this was due to a shortage of baggage handlers and general staff across the aviation industry.
Rory's general advice for customers looking to book holidays later this summer was to book flexible holidays, as even if you receive a refund or compensation for your flight, it might not cover the cost of cancelled accommodation or tours.
"Look at hotels, look for tour operators who allow you to cancel without paying a penalty," he said.
"Air BnB will tell you about the cancellation policy. I would be looking at places that offer 100% back.
"£220 (compensation) is a lot of money but if you have booked a family holiday, it's not going to cover you for that 3 or 4* hotel."
There have been reports of customers turning up extra early for their flights, but Rory said to turn up when the airline tells you to to avoid extra congestion in airports.
But he also said to make sure you turn up on time, so that if your flight is cancelled, it makes claiming for a refund, re-booking or compensation easier.
"In terms of turning up at the airport, I know people are worried about that in normal times.
"Turn up at the time that the airport is advising you to, that gives you some protection if something goes wrong."
- Louis Allwood
‘How you can claim compensation if your travel plans are cancelled’ (2/3)
James said if you are trapped at the airport, the airline is required to supply you with food and drink (generally through vouchers), a means for you to communicate (i.e. refunding your calls), accommodation if you are re-routed the next day and transport to and from your accommodation.
"If the airline staff are too stretched thin to organise this for you, you have the right to organise reasonable equivalents yourself, then claim the costs back later – so make sure you keep any receipts," he said.
"If your flight is cancelled outright, you can choose between a refund for all the parts of the ticket you've not used or or an alternate flight.
"Sadly, compensation is not automatic, so you need to contact the airline directly to make your claim.
When it comes to the rest of your holiday, what compensation you get depends on how you booked, James said.
- Louis Allwood
'How you can claim compensation if your travel plans are cancelled' (1/3)
Amidst today's chaos, James Andrews, senior personal finance expert at money.co.uk has given his best advice for getting compensation if you are a traveller who has had a flight cancelled or delayed.
He said: "Your first port of call is the airline itself.
"If you're flying out of the UK, you're legally entitled to compensation once your arrival is delayed by two hours or more."
How much you get under EU compensation rules depends on when the airline told you about the delay.
James adds: "How much you get depends on when the airline told you about the delay, how long it is and where you're flying. But the least you're entitled to £110 while the most you can claim is £520."
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