Flights cancelled LIVE: BA cancels MORE trips leaving Brits’ summer plans in RUINS; plus easyJet, TUI & Ryanair latest
TENS of thousands of passengers are anticipating turmoil this summer as airlines prepare to announce a new wave of cancellations.
On Friday, it was reported that EasyJet is already cancelling thousands of flights this summer due to staff shortages.
The airline has said: “The vast majority of customers’ flights will not be impacted and of those that are, the majority of customers will be re-booked within 24 hours.
“We will be notifying affected customers directly in the coming days with information on their alternative flight or the option to rebook or receive a refund.”
British Airways has also cancelled several flights, sparked by an amnesty on take-off and landing slots.
It previously intended to carry 1.8 million passengers across more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow during July alone.
Read our live flight delays blog below for the latest information...
Pilot performs amazing stunt
A PILOT has been spotted going above and beyond for a passenger after they left their handbag in the airport.
Despite having already pulled away from the air bridge, the captain managed to get the bag onboard.
In a video shared on , an airport worker is seen approaching the end of the bridge with the bag in his hand.
The pilot, who is flying a Frontier Airlines plane, then leans out of the window in the cockpit and catches the bag that is thrown to him.
Their efforts impressed the internet, with the clip racking up millions of views, more then 50,000 likes and 600 comments.
One person said: “Going forward I will only fly exclusively on an aircraft named Ichabod the Whooping Crane.”
How do you cancel an easyJet flight?
To cancel an easyJet flight, you need to go to the easyJet website.
Go to the Manage Bookings section and use your surname and booking reference to log in, and then choose the flight reservation you wish to cancel and click “Cancel”.
If you are asked to pay a cancellation fee, you can do so by entering your card payment details – and your flight should now be cancelled.
Alternatively, customers can call the easyJet customer service team on 0330 365 5000.
You can also cancel flights at an easyJet Help Desk at most airports – but this must be under two hours before take-off.
If your flight is cancelled due to a coronavirus travel ban or the Foreign Office advises against travel to your destination, you will be fully refunded.
But if you choose not to fly due to personal safety concerns and the flight does go ahead, you are not entitled to your money back.
Brits brace for summer holiday chaos as more strikes are announced
Brits are set for a summer of travel chaos, as more strikes are set begin for the summer holidays.
The strikes will be from July 21 to July 24, affecting the first weekend of the summer holidays and millions of passengers heading abroad.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “AFS needs to offer its workers a decent pay rise.
“Oil and gas companies are making massive profits so AFS has the wherewithal to make a proper offer. AFS workers have sustained wage cuts for three years so it’s time AFS rewarded their sacrifices.
“Our members at AFS will receive Unite’s complete support until this dispute is resolved and workers receive a decent pay increase.”
Government warns Brits against traveling to Spain this summer
The travel chaos continues to get worse for Brits this summer, as strikes, unemployment and technical issues cause massive cancellations across the board.
And now, the UK government has warned against traveling to Spain this summer, as Ryanair workers announce strikes.
The Foreign Office travel advice stats: “Planned strike action in July may cause some disruption to EasyJet and Ryanair flights to and from Spain.
“If you think your travel plans may be affected, you should consult your airline for the latest travel updates.”
Jet2 blasts ‘inexcusable’ flight disruption (continued...)
The comments came as it reported operating losses narrowed to £323.9 million for the year to March 31 against £336.1 million the previous year.
Statutory pre-tax losses widened to £388.8 million from £341.3 million.
The company said average prices of its package holidays rose 2% to £689, after hotels slashed costs the previous year, but said prices are likely to come under pressure this year as the cost-of-living crisis affects consumer spending.
Jet2 executive chairman Philip Meeson said: "Most of our 10 UK base airports have been woefully ill-prepared and poorly resourced for the volume of customers they could reasonably expect."
He said this is "inexcusable, bearing in mind our flights have been on sale for many months and our load factors are quite normal".
"This difficult return to normal operations has occurred simply because of the lack of planning, preparedness and unwillingness to invest by many airports and associated suppliers," he added.
The firm said it has handed its staff an 8% pay increase, with a further £1,000 to be paid to all colleagues at the end of the summer season in recognition of their hard work in difficult times.
Jet2 blasts 'inexcusable' flight disruption
Jet2 criticised "inexcusable" airport chaos as the holiday firm warned that its current year performance will depend on how quickly services can return to normal.
The group said it has been "directly impacted" by the disruption as it laid bare the troubles caused by airports and suppliers being "woefully ill-prepared and poorly resourced".
It said customers have had to endure a "very much poorer experience" than they should have, with passengers hit by flight delays, cancellations, long queues, baggage handling problems, and a lack of onboard catering supplies.
Jet2 said: "Group performance for the financial year ending March 31 2023 very much depends on how quickly the broader aviation sector returns to some level of stability, as well as strength of bookings for the remainder of summer and the second half of the financial year, a period for which we still have limited visibility."
Tui offers travel advice for customers during travel chaos
The airline has apologised for the "operational" problems caused.
It said: "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 out airport partners to monitor the situation and continue to provide the best possible holiday experience for our customers."
Tui went on to tell customer to not arrive at airports too early, and in the case that flights are cancelled they will offer customers accommodation and transfers where needed.
EasyJet's boss quit amid travel chaos
The airline could have been hit the worst this summer amid the multiple flight cancellations a day.
It had been reported that the boss has ditched the company, which has now been reported to the CAA by consumer watch dog Which?
Click here to read on.
EasyJet reported to authorities after calls to investigate the mistreatment of customers
Consumer watchdog Which? has reported EasyJet to the Civil Aviation Authority over treatment of passenger's whose flights were cancelled.
Which? said it received multiple reports that the airline failed to advise customers that they have a legal right to compensation and the opportunity to be re-routed with different airlines.
Customers told Which? they were left sleeping on airport floors or had to shell out for expensive flights just to get home.
An investigation will be led into the complaints.
Airlines told to announce summer cancellations by Friday
In a bid to stop last minute cancellations and Brits being left stuck in airports the government told airlines to change schedules before Friday.
The airlines will not be hit with any penalty charges if changes are made before Friday 8 July.
If unable to operate airlines can hand back slots booked for flights.
BA slashes 10,300 more short-haul flights as travel chaos continues
Over 10,000 more flights have been cancelled between now and October by British Airways.
This comes as the aviation industry is hit with staff shortages after laying off huge numbers of workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is sure to destroy the summer plans for hundreds of Brits.
The airline announces this news just 24 hours before its workers are set to vote on strike action.
Why are aviation workers striking?
Europe and the United States have been plunged into travel chaos this summer as aviation workers strike, leading to thousands of cancellations, but why are they striking?
Thousands of workers from a number of different companies will go on strike, including Ryanair and BA.
Each union has their own demands, but most call for a return to pre-pandemic pay and better working conditions.
Many workers were fired during the Covid-19 pandemic, and have since been rehired at lower wages.
One airport worker told the : “We are flagrantly understaffed. And we can no longer make ends meet. Workers are demanding more.”
How do I know if my flight has been cancelled?
Here is what should happen if your flight is among the thousands cancelled this summer.
If your flight has been cancelled your airline should contact you, this could be via email, text or phone call.
Here, your airline should explain what options you have, this can range from rescheduling to a refund.
If you haven’t been contacted by your airline, you may want to check their website.
BA comments on devastating new wave of cancellations
BA announced today that 10,300 more flights will be cancelled before October, destroying the plans for many Brits.
A British Airways spokesperson told Sun Online Travel that while “most of their flights were unaffected,” they were facing “significant challenges” seen across the whole aviation industry.
They added: “The Government recently decided to give the whole industry slot alleviation to minimise potential disruption this summer.
“While taking further action is not where we wanted to be, it’s the right thing to do for our customers and our colleagues. This new flexibility means that we can further reduce our schedule and consolidate some of our quieter services so that we can protect as many of our holiday flights as possible.”
Best ways to track your flights
As BA announces the cancellation of over 10,000 flights between now and October it is important to stay up to date.
Here are some VITAL tools for tracking your flights:
BREAKING NEWS: BA slashes 10,300 more short-haul flights as travel chaos continues
Over 10,000 more flights have been cancelled between now and October by British Airways.
This comes as the aviation industry is hit with staff shortages after laying off huge numbers of workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is sure to destroy the summer plans for hundreds of Brits.
The airline announces this news just 24 hours before its workers are set to vote on strike action.
Travel chaos hits the US, as Delta cancels flights
Delta has canceled approximately 4% of its flights since Memorial Day.
According to , an additional 20% of Delta flights have been delayed by almost an hour.
This comes as travel chaos devastates Brits holiday plans, as dozens of flights are cancelled everyday.
Places to avoid in Spain this summer, amid travel chaos
Ryanair workers are set to strike in the coming month, as they seek higher wages, better working conditions and better benefits.
The walkouts have been proposed from July 12 to 15, July 18 to 21 and July 25 to 28.
This will affect flights at ten bases across Spain – Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla, Palma, Valencia, Girona, Santiago de Compostela and Ibiza.
UK government warns Brits against traveling to Spain this summer
The travel chaos continues to get worse for Brits this summer, as strikes, unemployment and technical issues cause massive cancellations across the board.
And now, the UK government has warned against traveling to Spain this summer, as Ryanair workers announce strikes.
The Foreign Office travel advice stats: “Planned strike action in July may cause some disruption to EasyJet and Ryanair flights to and from Spain.
“If you think your travel plans may be affected, you should consult your airline for the latest travel updates.”
Top tips for saving money on your summer holidays (2/2)
Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community and dad, has revealed how he saves hundreds of pounds on holidays every year.
The money-saving expert also revealed how important it is to only visit places at certain times.
He said: “Flying in late August can land you a cheap flight, with a big cluster of £20-odd flights in this time period.
“But fly just a day earlier, on 27th August, and pay £49 per ticket – that’s twice the price! You can grab this deal by booking separate tickets together with Wizz Air.
“Just be sure to choose your flight carefully – easyJet is the most expensive on this day, with a 9am flight priced at £45.”
Top tips for saving money on your summer holidays (1/2)
Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community and dad, has revealed how he saves hundreds of pounds on holidays every year.
He revealed how, without using price comparison sites, he is able to track down the most affordable flights.
He said: “I wanted to go on a summer holiday abroad with my partner and son but we’re on a budget. At first glance, everything was so expensive.
“I found flight price comparison sites aren’t very good at the moment. Lots of the prices they show are old or don’t include things so it’s always more expensive.
“Google Flights, which is free, has some nifty tools most people don’t know about to help you find bargains.
“You can set your budget and search for open dates to either specific or open destinations.
“Then, what I do is create free email alerts. These email alerts tell you whether the flights are below-average price, average, or a high price.
“I’ve been a bit obsessed over the past year and have set up thousands of these alerts. You can then filter them so you only see the best deals. It’s like having your personal travel agent.
“The good news is that flight deals are out there, and I’ve found some great offers which result in savings of £80 on average.”
Why have flights been getting cancelled?
UK airlines cut about 30,000 jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, when strict UK travel restrictions prevented travel.
Now they are trying to “scale up” by recruiting new staff, but for many, it hasn’t happened quickly enough.
Oliver Richardson of the Unite union says: “When you look at who is performing worst, it correlates with the companies that carried out the most redundancies.
“Ryanair agreed on no redundancies and a different position was taken by British Airways who lost 10,000 staff through redundancies. They got rid of too many people.”
Pilot performs amazing stunt
A PILOT has been spotted going above and beyond for a passenger after they left their handbag in the airport.
Despite having already pulled away from the air bridge, the captain managed to get the bag onboard.
In a video shared on , an airport worker is seen approaching the end of the bridge with the bag in his hand.
The pilot, who is flying a Frontier Airlines plane, then leans out of the window in the cockpit and catches the bag that is thrown to him.
Their efforts impressed the internet, with the clip racking up millions of views, more then 50,000 likes and 600 comments.
One person said: “Going forward I will only fly exclusively on an aircraft named Ichabod the Whooping Crane.”
Best ways to track your flights
Here are some VITAL tools for tracking your flights:
How do I know if my flight has been cancelled?
With all the delays and cancellations taking place at the moment, it can be tough to keep track.
If your flight has been cancelled your airline should contact you, this could be via email, text or phone call.
Here, your airline should explain what options you have, this can range from rescheduling to a refund.
If you haven’t been contacted by your airline, you may want to check their website.