BRITAIN is still reeling from the effects of Friday’s IT outage with holidaymakers forced to endure 50-hour waits to fly home.
Even more flights have been cancelled over the weekend after a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike triggered system problems for Microsoft customers, including airlines, on July 19.
Swathes of flyers have been affected by the global IT outage that brought the world to a standstill and saw flights grounded with widespread chaos at countless airports.
Airlines were not able to check in passengers and even basic airport terminal services were disrupted.
Scores of flights have also been cancelled today, with Gatwick, Heathrow and London City airports affected.
Six flights arriving at Gatwick, including easyJet trips from Chania, Pafos and Faro set to touch down in the early hours, were cancelled, along with a 7.50am flight from Aberdeen.
The flight U28002 from Bilbao, also easyJet, was also scrapped, along with the U2856 from Aberdeen.
One passenger who went to Corfu with their mum told the MEN they had been due to fly back to Manchester at 2.20pm on Friday but were still waiting in the departures lounge at 4pm on Sunday.
They said they had to book hotel stays for two nights while some passengers, who could not afford last-minute accommodation, spent two nights sleeping in the airport.
The passenger said when they got to the airport on Friday it was “horrendous” with “people everywhere”, including some standing outside in 35C heat due to the sheer amount of people.
The customer added: “They told us about the IT issues and that it was a global issue, so we stayed on the transfer coach for three hours.
“We finally got into the airport and there was a lot of waiting around – but our flight still wasn’t on the departures board.
“Eventually we got an email saying the flight was cancelled completely and that accommodation was being arranged, but when we got to the Tui desk, they told us they couldn’t find us a hotel because there were so many guests and the island was at capacity, and that we had to sort it ourselves.
“We booked a package holiday and this should’ve been sorted.
“All these passengers were on booking.com finding random rooms and hotels where we could with our own money.”
According to tracking website FlightAware, the passenger’s TOM2519 flight landed in Manchester at 8.19pm on Sunday
TUI said in a statement on Friday that, due to a “global IT glitch”, the company’s “overall service level” was impacted.
The company asked for “patience and understanding”, adding: “Customers should travel to the airport as normal unless you are contacted by TUI or your non-TUI airline directly.
“However, please plan ahead, expect longer waiting times and regularly check the TUI app.
HOLIDAYMAKERS whose plans have been dashed are urged to check with their travel insurer to see what they are covered for.
MoneySuperMarket Travel Insurance said if a policy includes travel disruption cover – it may be possible to claim for disruption or losses incurred as a result of a trip being delayed or cancelled.
A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said: “We can appreciate that it will be very stressful for anyone whose travel plans have been impacted by the IT outage.
“If your travel insurance policy includes cover for travel disruption then costs that you might incur as a result of travel delays or cancellations, and that are not recoverable from elsewhere, should be included.
“In the first instance, refunds should be sought from the airline, accommodation provider or tour operator and any bookings made through a credit card may also have recoverable cost protection.
“If unsure, check with your travel insurer to see what you’re covered for.”
“Please also inform yourself about the current situation at your specific airport as the local situation might differ.”
They wrote another post on Sunday, apologising to people affected by the outage.
TUI said: “Whilst the original IT issue was outside of our control, the impact to our systems has meant that our flight programming continues to suffer delays and cancellations.
“We are very sorry to all those customers impacted as we understand how disappointing this is.
“We ask that all TUI customers due to travel this weekend regularly check the Travel Information page of the TUI website for the latest updates.”
CrowdStrike has said that a significant number of the 8.5 million affected Microsoft devices were back online.
It comes after a fuming Brit tourist revealed the bitter end to her summer holiday after the major IT outage sparked travel chaos.
Kate Bromley, who was stranded in Greece, said she was forced to sleep on the floor of a conference room with dozens of other families.
Kate, from Chiswick in west London, was one of the many flyers affected by the global IT outage
Following the IT meltdown, she said that the passengers on the cancelled flight to Gatwick have had “no information” from airline TUI and did not know when they’ll be able to fly home.
She previously told LBC News from a hotel in Rhodes: “We were told that our Gatwick flight had been cancelled and we were being sent off to a desk where we were told we would be sorted out with hotels and somewhere to go.
“But then they told us there’s no rooms and we would all have to be sleeping in a large conference area and we were told there would be beds and bedding. But when we got here there wasn’t anything.
“There’s children here. There’s babies. So everybody’s quite stressed and upset.
“The very frustrating thing for us is we’re just not being given any information. So we’ve not had any emails or text messages from TUI.”
