Heathrow airport

HEATHROW airport has descended into chaos with suitcases abandoned across terminals while fuming passengers have been forced to miss flight connections. Ticked-off travellers are telling of pandemonium at the London airport where apologetic staff are saying “the whole industry is a mess”. The travel industry has been plunged into turmoil in recent weeks due to staff shortages, staff strikes and a soaring demand for holidays. Passengers have been devastated by last-minute flight cancellations, huge queues and lost baggage as airports struggle to cope. Shocking snaps show the disarray passengers are attempting to navigate, with thousands of suitcases deserted at both arrivals and departures. Piles of luggage are seen cordoned off in no particular order - making travellers fear they may not see their belongings again for weeks. Meanwhile tens of vexed travellers were forced to miss connection flights over a bus blunder. Passengers have claimed they were left … [Read more...] about Heathrow in chaos as suitcases ABANDONED across terminal and fuming passengers forced to miss flight connections

YOU might think that the toilets are the dirtiest place in an airport, and for obvious reasons. However, research has shown that another place has far more germs than the public bathrooms , due to the number of passengers that pass through it. An article published in 2018 showed the findings of an investigation into the presence of respiratory virus pathogens in a major airport. The research was carried out to learn how to "identify risk points and guide measures to minimize transmission." While the toilets are a clear first choice when considering where the dirtiest part of an airport might be, the research showed that passengers should be more concerned about washing their hands after visiting the security gates. The study, carried out at an airport in Finland during peak flu season between 2015-16, revealed that plastic security trays are actually the worst spot for germs in an airport. Read More on Airports LINE UP Huge queues … [Read more...] about The dirtiest part of the airport revealed and it ISN’T the toilet – every passenger touches it

Summer holiday plans are set to be thrown into chaos for tens of thousands passengers as airlines prepare to announce a new wave of cancellations next week. The Telegraph can reveal that airlines using Heathrow, Britain’s busiest airport , are this weekend racing to rework their schedules. They have to tell officials which flights will no longer be running by Friday – just as schools begin breaking up for the summer holidays. British Airways is expected to bear the brunt of the cancellations , triggered by an amnesty on take-off and landing slots. It previously planned to carry 1.8 million passengers across more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow during July alone. Holidaymakers have already been hit by months of cancellations, delays and missing baggage as fears of a summer of travel chaos grow. On Friday, passengers faced long queues as disruption at UK airports was exacerbated by strikes in Spain , with further industrial action planned across the continent. … [Read more...] about Holiday chaos as airlines axe more flights

Brexit is unlikely to be to blame for travel chaos at airports , HSBC has said, as a shortage of aviation workers is worse in America and “at least as intense elsewhere in Europe”. Analysts at HSBC noted that while it was "intuitive" to assume stricter immigration rules post-Brexit were the key driver of staffing shortages that have wreaked havoc on millions of British holidaymakers, it added that there was evidence to the contrary elsewhere in the world. They said: “The US has a much tighter vacancies-to-unemployment ratio. And while airline bosses have blamed recent disruption on Brexit, it seems to be at least as intense elsewhere in Europe. "Insofar as Brexit has played into the currency weakness, though, it may have had an effect on inflation." Airlines and airports have bemoaned staffing shortages for the travel chaos, with Brexit regularly blamed for being unable to hire enough workers. Johan Lundgren, chief executive of easyJet, last week contradicted aviation … [Read more...] about Brexit not to blame for travel chaos, says HSBC

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned passengers that fares will rise because flying has become “too cheap” and the industry will be hit by rising oil prices and environmental levies. Mr O’Leary said the average fare for a passenger with his airline will rise from around €40 to between €50 to €60 over the next five years as costs rise in the industry. The outspoken airline chief told the Financial Times : “It’s got 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.” He expects oil prices to remain “structurally high” due to Russia’s war with Ukraine and added that the industry is also facing environmental costs and inflationary pressures relating to staff costs and air traffic control charges. Mr O’Leary’s comments come after months of disruption in the airline industry, with passengers facing significant delays, cancellations and enormous queues at airports. … [Read more...] about Travellers face years of rising air fares, says Ryanair boss, as Heathrow braces for more flight cancellations

Very busy Terminal 2 check - in at Heathrow airport (Image: Steve Reigate ) Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info As check-in carnage, strike chaos and cancellations continue to torpedo the travel plans of Covid weary families, airport bosses and carriers moved to reassure them the great getaway in a few weeks time is most definitely on. The move comes 21-days before schools break up and amid heightened panic long-awaited sunshine breaks could be axed at the last minute. Related articles Where is the safest place in the UK during nuclear war? Top 20 areas Brexit Britain on brink of new trade victory, hints Jacinda Ardern Some 20 millions … [Read more...] about British holidaymakers told ‘not to panic’ as travel carnage continues

MASSIVE queues have filled Heathrow and Stansted Airports today as thousands of Brits attempt to jet off for the weekend. Holidaymakers are already facing hellish queues, cancelled flights and mountains of lost suitcases - and it's only set to get worse when schools break for summer holidays. There are triple the number of passengers flying in and out of Britian’s airports this summer compared to last year. And on top of this Ryanair and easyJet crew members are set to strike. Shocking photos show huge queues snaking around Heathrow, where yesterday 30 flights were cancelled. In Stansted travellers were also met with colossal crowds - including at the train station where weary holidaymakers packed the platforms. More upsetting snaps from Manchester show people being forced to sleep on the terminal floor this morning to catch some rest. And earlier kids from a primary school were left in tears when they heard their school trip was off after EasyJet cancelled their … [Read more...] about Heathrow & Stansted Airports fill as travellers face school holiday hell amid Ryanair & EasyJet strikes

Holidays across Europe could be thrown into chaos this summer due to mass strikes and staff shortages across the continent. British holidaymakers have faced a nightmare in recent weeks due to delays, cancellations and luggage going missing at the UK’s busiest airports. More problems are expected after British Airways workers at Heathrow voted to strike in a dispute over pay. Around 700 workers will walk out between July and September after the airline failed to restore a 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic. However, it’s not just the UK facing these problems. Workers in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia have voted to or are discussing strike action over pay and conditions. Staff shortages have also caused delays and baggage problems in other popular destinations like Bucharest and Portugal. Thousands of British passengers are set to be caught up in the disruption, which affects major airlines like easyJet and Ryanair. Easyjet workers in Spain … [Read more...] about Summer holidays under threat from airline strikes across Europe

Simon Calder outlines customer rights after EasyJet cancellations Discover the best holidays and latest news with our FREE email SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info easyJet passengers hoping to travel to or from Barcelona’s El Prat airport, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca could all face uncertainty in their travel plans this weekend as the first phase of staff strikes begins. Some 450 people working for the airline in Spain have staged walkouts over pay today and will continue to do so until Sunday, July 3. The disruption is expected to continue into the month too, with two more weekends of walkouts planned in July. easyJet has said it plans to operate its “full schedule of flights” today, yet several flights have already been … [Read more...] about easyJet strikes: Full list of flights affected as 450 workers in Spain walkout

Frustrated travellers face more flight cancellations over the coming weeks, as airlines rush to re-work their schedules. The upheaval comes in response to last month's announcement that an amnesty will allow airlines to cancel flights while still retaining take-off and landing slots next year. Airlines buy slots to operate their schedules but can lose them to rivals if they fail to maintain their obligations to the airport and passengers by failing to fly. It is hoped that being able to more freely adjust schedules will allow airlines to run only the flights they can fully staff, ending the reports of passengers arriving at the airport to find their flights cancelled at the last minute. British Airways flights from Heathrow are likely to see the highest number of cancellations, according to a report. Advertisement The Daily Telegraph said that the airline had planned to carry 1.8 million passengers on more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow in July … [Read more...] about More flight cancellations as airlines re-work schedules in line with slot amnesty