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...
Schoolkids left in tears after EasyJet cancels school trip
SCHOOLCHILDREN were in tears when EasyJet cancelled a school trip at the last minute.
The Year Six pupils, aged ten to 11, were told the return flight had been axed less than two weeks before they were due to head out. was scrapped less than two weeks before the flights.
Teachers at Broadclyst Primary School in Exeter desperately tried to book alternative air, train, coach or ferry travel but were unable to due to the group's size.
One mum told : "A lot of the children were in tears when they found out and very upset as they’ve been so excited about the trip."
The 33 children plus teachers were meant to fly from Bristol to the Netherlands as a big end-of-school trip to make up for cancelled trips in years four and five due to Covid.
Another parent said: "The children are devastated.
"They have been so excited about the trip having missed out on all residentials in Years four & five and so much more due to Covid.
"This is their last term at primary school and the trip was going to be a large part of making up for everything they have missed out on over the last few years."
New York’s JFK airport ‘evacuated due to security incident’
Terminal 4 of New York's JFK airport has reportedly been evacuated as police warn of a 'security incident' on the Fourth of July weekend.
Police in an armored vehicle were seen responding to the scene on Sunday afternoon. that "arrivals and departure levels at Terminal 4 remain closed to inbound traffic."
: "PAPD is currently investigating a security incident in Terminal 4.
"Please expect traffic delays and allow extra time for travel. Thank you for your patience."
Travellers posted images on Twitter of crowds of people outside the terminal building, claiming that the complex had been evacuated.
Officials have yet to confirm whether the whole of the terminal building has been evacuated, or just an area of it.
Luggage issues at Heathrow
Inbound flights were unaffected by travel disruption at Heathrow, but passengers arriving in London faced their own disorder.
Scores of people claim they have been left waiting for hours to collect their suitcases with “no staff in sight”.
Gino Ginelli, who landed just after midday, tweeted: “Nearly two hours after landing six hours late, there is still no baggage in Terminal 3.
“Heathrow, like the rest of the UK, is broken and the very worst welcome.”
Another traveller added: “QF001 landed in London two hours ago and still no one has luggage.
“Where is it and where are your staff to help? Heathrow says it is your issue Qantas.
“Shall we bill our parking ticket to Qantas or Heathrow?”
Airlines 'did not anticipate the desire for people to get out of the country'
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey today told Sky News: "Airports and airlines released a lot of people after the furlough scheme had come to an end.
"Perhaps they did not anticipate the desire for people to get out of the country.
"It matters that airlines have confidence flights can be delivered and passengers know well in advance if their flights is cancelled. "
Passengers get stuck in long queues at Stansted airport
Passengers have been stuck in long queues at Stansted airport and sleep on the floor ahead of further cancellations.
Weary passengers were hit by more chaos as a mix of staff shortages and strikes continue to make air travel difficult.
There were also big queues to get out of the station in Essex as travellers arrived at the airport by train.
It comes as airlines have until Friday to take advantage of a government “amnesty” to the rules on airport slots, allowing airlines to change schedules without facing a potential penalty.
Everything YOU need to know about this summer's airline strikes
Brits are set to be faced with travel chaos this summer, here is all the dates you need to avoid trouble.
- Ryanair employees are due to strike in Belgium and Portugal from June 24–26, in France from June 25–26, in Italy on June 25, and in Spain from June 24–26, and from June 30-July 2
- Pilots and flight attendants from easyJet, MaltAir and CrewLink, as well as Ryanair, will walk out in Italy on June 25
- Pilots from Norway, Sweden and Denmark working for Scandinavian airline SAS could carry out coordinated strike action on June 29
- Gatwick Airport has capped the number of flight departures during the peak summer season to 825 daily flights in July and 850 in August. This could lead to the cancellation of as many as 10,000 flights this summer
In pictures: US faces travel chaos amid 4th of July weekend
It isn’t just British holiday makers facing travel chaos this summer.
Airports across the USA are facing challenges, as thousands of Americans head out for the 4th of July celebrations.
Currently, flyers everywhere are being hit with delays, cancellations and lost luggage.
Ryanair boss says plane tickets are too CHEAP and warns of price hikes
PLANE tickets are too cheap and will rise over the next five years, Ryanair’s boss said.
Costs will keep going up to match soaring fuel prices and environment charges, Michael O’Leary added.
Mr O’Leary, who took credit for low-cost flying with Ryanair, told the : “It’s too cheap for what it is.
"I find it absurd every time that I fly to Stansted, the train journey into central London is more expensive than the air fare.
“It has been my doing [taking prices so low]. I made a lot of money doing it.
"But ultimately, I don’t believe air travel is sustainable over the medium term at an average fare of €40 (£34).
“It’s too cheap at that. But I think, you know, it will still be very cheap and affordable at €50 and €60.”
Airports relax vetting of staff in order to ease travel chaos
This summer has seen a deluge of delays and cancellation hit airports across the country.
But now, airports are set to relax checks on workers in order to raise staff numbers.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps praised the move, claiming it is evidence of the Government "doing its bit to help deliver for passengers".
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.
Will I get my money back if I cancel my flight?
If a refund is due, the company says it will refund the card the booking was made under.
This should arrive in three to four days, but can take 28 days. You are advised to contact easyJet if it takes longer and you have 12 months to request a refund.
If you do not fly for any reason, you are entitled to money back from government flight taxes.
From the UK, these are £13 per flight for over-16s on all routes – except for Egypt, Jordan and Israel which is £80.
New plan put in place to ease travel chaos
An "amnesty" is set to be put in place, allowing airlines to change and cancel travel plans in advance without facing penalties.
This is designed to minimise over booking during the summer months.
Heathrow said the slot amnesty would "enable airlines to make early choices to consolidate their schedules, boosting the resilience of summer operations and giving passengers the confidence they deserve ahead of their journeys".
It added: "We encourage airlines to take this opportunity to reconsider their summer schedules without penalty and inform passengers as early as possible of any changes."
Fire and rehire to blame for travel CHAOS, claims expert
An expert has noted that Covid, and the policies adopted by airlines during the pandemic, are to blame for the current situation.
During 2020, many airlines sacked their workers, before trying to rehire them at lower wages, this as caused many airports to be short staffed.
Express.co.uk reports that he said during an interview with BBC Breakfast: “Really interesting. Speaking to BBC North West Tonight Chris Woodroofe said that effectively, ‘you are not going to have as good an experience this summer as you did in 2019 before the pandemic’.”
Simon added: “Simply, the airport is overstretched.”
He later said: “Covid has come back to haunt us as the BBC has reported, lots more cases of Covid and that is now hitting staff numbers not just in the UK but Lufthansa making loads of cancellations in Germany and to and from the UK because so many of their staff are calling in sick.”
Traveling is like ‘a disaster movie’, claims Brit
Adam Kent, who arrived at Terminal 3 from Orlando, Florida, described the scene at baggage claim as looking like “a disaster movie”.
The 59-year-old, from Worcestershire, said the sight “made a horrendous first impression of chaos” for international visitors.
“Lost luggage everywhere, stacked between baggage belts everyone stepping over it and no one doing anything about it,” he added.
“Being brutally honest, it looks like a serious health and safety issue.
“No one visible on the ground to explain the carnage or sort out the mess, it seems like lots of luggage has not arrived with passengers and just been dumped.”
In pictures: US faces travel chaos amid 4th of July weekend
It isn't just British holiday makers facing travel chaos this summer.
Airports across the USA are facing challenges, as thousands of Americans head out for the 4th of July celebrations.
Currently, flyers everywhere are being hit with delays, cancellations and lost luggage.
Passengers wait to check in at John F. Kennedy International Airport on the July 4th holiday weekend in Queens, New York City, U.S., July 2, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Not just Ryanair facing disruption this summer
It would seem Ryanair is not the only airline facing disruption as we approach the summer.
It was recently announced that around 700 check-in and ground staff for British Airways will walk out.
The workers, all of whom are based at Heathrow and are members of the GMB and Unite unions, could down tools as early as July 8.
Heathrow passengers are among those to face particular misery so far this summer after the hub cancelled ten per cent of its plane journeys earlier this week.
Covid to blame for flights chaos, claims Simon Calder
Travel expert Simon Calder weighed on the chaos affecting Britain’s airports.
Express.co.uk reports that he said during an interview with BBC Breakfast: “Really interesting. Speaking to BBC North West Tonight Chris Woodroofe said that effectively, ‘you are not going to have as good an experience this summer as you did in 2019 before the pandemic’.”
Simon added: “Simply, the airport is overstretched.”
He later said: “Covid has come back to haunt us as the BBC has reported, lots more cases of Covid and that is now hitting staff numbers not just in the UK but Lufthansa making loads of cancellations in Germany and to and from the UK because so many of their staff are calling in sick.”
He also spoke about some issues in Holland, referencing his daughter whose inbound flight was cancelled leaving her in Amsterdam for an extra two days.
Ryanair spokesperson say strike action ‘poorly supported’
A spokesperson from airline Ryanair told the Sun Online that they still expect to operate a full schedule this weekend and that the strikes were “poorly supported”.
They said: “Ryanair expects to operate a full schedule to/from Spain this weekend (30thJune, 1st July & 2nd July) despite minor and poorly supported labour strikes in Spain.”
Ryanair are not the only airline to be facing walkouts this weekend, with easyJet on-board crew in Spain set for nine days of action in July, starting from this week between July 1 and 3.
The strikes will see three 72-hour stoppages at fortnightly intervals, with hundreds of crew stopping work at easyJet’s bases in Barcelona, Málaga and Palma.
Not just Ryanair facing disruption this summer
It would seem Ryanair is not the only airline facing disruption as we approach the summer.
It was recently announced that around 700 check-in and ground staff for British Airways will walk out.
The workers, all of whom are based at Heathrow and are members of the GMB and Unite unions, could down tools as early as July 8.
Heathrow passengers are among those to face particular misery so far this summer after the hub cancelled ten per cent of its plane journeys earlier this week.
Explained: Why wouldn’t I get my money back?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
They’ll usually say this is because it is down to an “extraordinary circumstance” but it can be a tetchy subject, and one plenty of customers prefer to contest.
You can try challenging this if you think you should have got your some money back, or at least flown in the first place.
For example, other airlines may have set off at the same time yours was kept back.
Take any complaints to aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
You’re also not going to get any money back if you were forewarned of the cancellation.
If you’re told at least two weeks in advance you should have time to swap your booking without paying a penalty, at least that’s the airline’s thinking as they won’t dish out automatic refunds.
You also won’t be able to claim compensation for flights cancelled but rerouted that get you to your destination no more than two hours later than planned.
You can’t of course get your money back if you do opt for the alternative flight.
The latest chaos to hit the UK aviation industry
Passengers using Heathrow in recent weeks have experienced long queues, and many have been separated from their luggage for several days.
There are fears that the severe disruption seen at UK airports in the run-up to Easter and the Jubilee bank holiday will return during the peak summer holiday period.
Will I get my money back if I cancel my flight?
If a refund is due, the company says it will refund the card the booking was made under.
This should arrive in three to four days, but can take 28 days. You are advised to contact easyJet if it takes longer and you have 12 months to request a refund.
If you do not fly for any reason, you are entitled to money back from government flight taxes.
From the UK, these are £13 per flight for over-16s on all routes – except for Egypt, Jordan and Israel which is £80.
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.
Traveling is like ‘a disaster movie’, claims Brit
Adam Kent, who arrived at Terminal 3 from Orlando, Florida, described the scene at baggage claim as looking like “a disaster movie”.
The 59-year-old, from Worcestershire, said the sight “made a horrendous first impression of chaos” for international visitors.
“Lost luggage everywhere, stacked between baggage belts everyone stepping over it and no one doing anything about it,” he added.
“Being brutally honest, it looks like a serious health and safety issue.
“No one visible on the ground to explain the carnage or sort out the mess, it seems like lots of luggage has not arrived with passengers and just been dumped.”
Journalist & wheelchair user Frank Gardener left stranded on plane at Gatwick
BBC journalist and wheelchair user Frank Gardner expressed outrage at being left on a plane after it landed at Gatwick.
The security correspondent was stranded on the aircraft after flying to the West Sussex airport with Iberia Express on Thursday night.
This comes after a passenger with restricted mobility died at Gatwick on June 15.
He fell while going up an escalator after leaving an aircraft without a helper.
Mr Gardner has been left on planes at UK airports several times in recent years.
During the latest incident he posted an image on Twitter from inside the aircraft with no other passengers in sight.
He wrote: “FFS not again! Just back from exhausting week covering Nato summit in Madrid and quelle surprise, I’m still stuck on the plane at Gatwick.
“Iberia crew are gone and a new crew has come onboard.
“Just WHY are UK airports so consistently crap at getting disabled people off planes?”
He added: “It never happens abroad, only in UK.”
Once he was able to leave the aircraft, Mr Gardner wrote: “Off the plane now – only a 20-minute delay which is mild – but ground handlers said ‘nobody told us there was a disabled passenger onboard’.