THIS is the shocking moment COPS told exhausted Tui passengers their flight was cancelled after eight-hour delays. 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 […]
THIS is the shocking moment COPS told exhausted Tui passengers their flight was cancelled after eight-hour delays.
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.
And travellers across the country have been warned the disruption could get worse – as unions say there’ll be problems throughout “the entire summer”.
Jayesh Patel waited in Manchester Airport with his family for eight HOURS before their holiday to Greece was axed.
Video shows the moment passengers – including newlyweds hoping to jet off on their honeymoons – were told the horrible news.
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Mr Patel said cops read out a Tui statement seconds after passengers were told their trip was cancelled by TEXT.
A cop is heard 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.”
Passengers are told they will all get their bags back before making their way out the airport.
The under-fire travel operator revealed today that it has slashed its flight schedule to tackle staff shortages and “ongoing disruption”, the Manchester Evening News reports.
In total, 34,000 people will be contacted by the end of the day to be told their hol has been cancelled. Customers will be contacted by text or email.
There are problems around the UK, with would-be holiday-makers urged not to arrive at the airport more than three hours early – despite facing horrific five-hour queues that snake through terminals into car parks outside.
Even when they do make it to departures they still face a gruelling getaway lottery, with hundreds of flights scrapped.
And train stations are no better, with footage taken at London’s St Pancras station showing huge queues for the Eurostar.
Brits waited on pavements outside the station as a “technical issue” caused delays leaving London.
Mum Glenda Powell, of Bristol, shared a snap of her distraught six-year-old weeping from “exhaustion” after the family were left stranded in Cyprus when Tui cancelled their flights twice.
She wrote: “Second attempt to get home…
“So our Manchester flight is cancelled… Literally got off the coach at the airport to be turned straight back round to go back to the same hotel/room.
“Absolute joke. Tui this is the face of a six-year-old who is exhausted from travelling to an airport at 10pm and just wants to go home.”
A Tui spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight disruption in recent days and understand that they have been looking forward to these holidays for a long time.
“The May half-term holidays are always an incredibly busy period with many customers looking to get away, and this year is no different.
“Unfortunately, due to ongoing challenges in our operation, we have had to announce a small number of planned cancellations from Manchester Airport only.
“We are directly contacting all impacted customers in departure date order and they will automatically receive a full refund.
“We can reassure our customers that the remainder of our flying programme is expected to operate as planned.
“We’d like to apologise again for the inconvenience caused and we thank customers for their understanding and patience during this time.”
Meanwhile mum Stefanie Hopkins told how she was greeted with empty shelves at airport food outlets after battling long queues – and most places were shut.
She told Yorkshire Live: “The security queue was bad – only one of ten machines was open so (there were) very long queues.
“At the other side there were no food outlets open other than a bar, and a Pret which was only selling hot drinks as it had run out of food – and then that shut at 7.30pm.”
Now the Government has blasted airlines over the turmoil and warned holiday-makers that Jubilee breaks are at risk.
A source told The Times: “The sudden cancellation of flights and airport delays are totally unacceptable.
“The simple fact is that airlines and airports overcut staff during the pandemic, ignoring the fact that the billions of pounds of aid – including furlough – handed out by the Government was meant to protect those very jobs.”
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They said the surge in bookings was “wholly foreseeable” and customers are now facing “huge frustration”.
Consumer champions Which? say the Government must act to stop airlines selling flights “they can’t actually provide”.
Travel editor Rory Boland said: “We’re already seeing very long queues, widespread chaos at airports, huge stress for people planning to get away, and we haven’t hit the peak yet.”
Travel expert Paul Charles warned half a million passengers plan to jet off on Friday.
“Sadly, I think it will get worse because were reaching its peak in a few days,” Mr Charles told MailOnline.
“Monday, June 6 is scheduled to be the busiest day since 2019, with 2,864 departures from the UK, and the same number of inbound flights – it will be the busiest day since before the pandemic.”
But the situation is already dire. On Monday, families were forced to wait outside Bristol Airport from 5am, while passengers in Manchester described five-hour delays amid the “carnage”.
On Sunday, passengers in Stansted camped side-by-side on the airport floor after flight cancellations left them stranded.
Hundreds of holidaymakers also had their plans ruined with eight-hour waits at airports and flights scrapped over text.
Some passengers who finally made it home were forced to leave airports without their luggage.
One easyJet flight from Santorini to Gatwick was diverted to Luton when the pilot said there wasn’t enough fuel to continue.
Once travellers touched down, they were told their baggage couldn’t be returned to them and they needed to make their own way to Gatwick.
It’s just the latest bruising story for easyJet, which has announced it will cancel more than 200 flights from in total. Around 24 flights from Gatwick will be axed every day until June 6.
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Tui has scrapped a “small number” of services from Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester.
Planned walkouts could also disrupt British Airways services. Hundreds of staff are threatening to strike in a row over pay.
Why are airports overrun?
Staff shortages are thought to lie at the heart of the crisis. Unions say thousands of airport workers were made redundant during the pandemic and not replaced.
When will it be resolved?
Airports insist they have been recruiting new staff but workers require training and security vetting before they are allowed to start, and that may take months.
How long are the delays?
Passengers are reporting queues of up to four hours at the worst-affected airports such as Manchester.
What should I do?
Airports advise passengers to continue arriving for their flights three hours in advance. They urge travellers not to arrive earlier amid fears it will add to overcrowding.
Can I get a refund if I miss my flight because of airport security queues?
Probably not. Which? says queues at security are the responsibility of the airport. No large UK airport has a policy to compensate travellers missing flights because of long security queues.
What about queues at the airline check-in desk?
If you have arrived at the airport at the time you were instructed and miss your flight because of check-in or bag drop queues you may be able to claim under the consumer rights act. This may involve a court case.
Can I claim if queues cause me to miss flight?
It depends on your travel insurance policy. To make a claim, it will be crucial to provide evidence you arrived at the time advised by the airport, or airline.
What if I’m about to miss a flight because of queues?
Let someone know. Most airports will bring you to the front of the queue if your flight is due to depart.
