Flights cancelled LIVE: Heathrow cancels dozens of flights; plus EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet 2 and British Airways latest | The Sun

STRIKES and staff shortages are forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights and causing hours-long queues at major airports.

A crippling three-day Ryanair walkout in Spain kicked off today and runs until July 2 – dashing hopes of a sizzling first summer after Covid-19 lockdowns.

Today's industrial action will affect flights at ten bases across Spain – Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla, Palma, Valencia, Girona, Santiago de Compostela and Ibiza.

And easyJet on-board crew in Spain will ALSO strike for nine days in July, starting from this week between July 1 and 3rd.

Airline passengers hit out at the "total chaos" at Heathrow this morning after the airport ordered flights to be cancelled because it could not handle them

Meanwhile, British Airways staff at Heathrow airport have voted to strike after the airline failed to roll back a 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic,.

A strike is likely to take place during the peak summer holiday period over the next two months.

Read our live flight delays blog below for the latest information…

  • Joseph Gamp

    Cancellations and disruption to carry on through the summer

    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.

    German flag carrier Lufthansa is cancelling more than 2,200 flights this summer.

  • Joseph Gamp

    Labour accuses Grant Shapps of being 'missing in action'

    Shadow transport minister Mike Kane has accused Grant Shapps of being "missing in action" when it comes to aviation.

    Responding to the Transport Secretary's 22-point plan, Mr Kane told the Commons: "He is missing in action when it comes to aviation. Now, he has mentioned the chaos between Easter and the Jubilee weekend. He did not hold one meeting with aviation bosses during that time.

    "Now EasyJet have announced among others that they could cancel 10,000 flights in the next three months.

    "He needs to step up to the plate, he needs to go to the Prime Minister, he needs to knock on the door, and he needs to clean up the mess."

  • Joseph Gamp

    Which? says last-minute cancellations are 'unacceptable'

    Which? has called the daily flight cancellations for thousands of passengers “totally unacceptable”.

    Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Thousands of EasyJet passengers have had their travel plans thrown into chaos by flight cancellations. Some holidaymakers have been notified on the day they were due to travel, which is totally unacceptable.

    “We continue to hear concerning examples of the airline failing to fulfil its legal obligations to passengers and ignoring their rights. If a flight is cancelled within 14 days of departure, passengers could be entitled to compensation and should be offered the option of being rerouted using another carrier if necessary. We know this requirement is not always being met, so the government and Civil Aviation Authority must intervene where airlines are playing fast and loose with the rules.

    “The cavalier approach some airlines are currently taking towards their customers is a reminder of why passenger rights must be strengthened. The government should drop plans to slash compensation for delayed and cancelled domestic flights and give the CAA direct fining powers so it can properly hold airlines to account when they flout the law.”

  • Joseph Gamp

    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.

  • Joseph Gamp

    European labour strife & staff shortages disrupt summer travel

    Growing labour strife in Europe is driving expectations of further travel headaches during the busy summer season.

    Airports and airlines are clamouring to find more workers, minimize cancelled flights and reduce delays for passengers.

    Airport managers in Europe and Canada are struggling to quickly recruit and process new hires, even as the rebound in air travel from the pandemic-induced slump leads to cancelled flights and hours-long lines.

    German flag carrier Lufthansa and its subsidiary Eurowings said they were scrapping over 1,000 flights in July, or 5% of their planned weekend capacity.

  • Joseph Gamp

    Grant Shapps tells airports and airlines to avoid summer disruption

    Grant Shapps has told airlines it was up to them to avoid a repeat of recent chaotic scenes at airports during the upcoming summer holiday season,

    The Givernment has today published a 22-point plan on what it was doing to support the industry.

    Transport secretary Shapps said in a statement: "It's now on airports and airlines to commit to running the flights they've promised or cancel them with plenty of time to spare so we can avoid the kind of scenes we saw at Easter and half term."

  • Joseph Gamp

    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.

  • Joseph Gamp

    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.

  • Joseph Gamp

    Labour's David Lammy forced to apologise to BA staff

    Labour frontbencher David Lammy has apologised to British Airways workers as he admitted making a "mistake" in condemning their plans to strike over pay.

    The shadow foreign secretary had provoked anger from unions including the party's single biggest donor, Unite, which accused Labour of hitting a "new low" by "supporting bad bosses".

    Mr Lammy has written to constituents to say he had "mistakenly understood" the situation to mean BA check-in staff were seeking an above-inflation pay rise, as he admitted: "I was not across the details of the case."

    On Wednesday he urged BA to "restore the pay of their loyal workforce".

    Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer backed down from disciplining his frontbenchers who defied orders not to join striking rail workers on picket lines last week.

    Holidaymakers face chaos at airports this summer as BA staff demand the 10% of pay they had "stolen" from them last year as they faced "fire and rehire" tactics.

    Mr Lammy was "categorical" in saying he did not support the check-in workers' action during an interview with the BBC's Sophie Raworth on Sunday.

  • Joseph Gamp

    EasyJet crew to strike from July 1

    EasyJet on-board crew in Spain will ALSO strike for nine days in July, starting from this week between July 1 and 3rd.

    Flights from airports Barcelona, Malaga and Palam will be affected.

    Holidaymakers will be informed if their flights are cancelled, although last week's strike affected "less than 2 per cent of 9,000 flights" according to Ryanair.

  • Joseph Gamp

    BA passenger accuses 'scumbag' airline worker of stealing AirPods

    A BRITISH Airways passenger has accused a "scumbag" airline worker of pinching his AirPods.

    Tim Briggs, 33, left his £150 earphones on the aircraft after a flight from Austin, Texas, to Heathrow three weeks ago.

    He reported the earphones as missing but no one handed them in and he believes they were stolen by an employee.

    The earphones have a tracking device linked to city worker Tim's computer. He claims he has watched them go repeatedly between an address in North West London and BA's Heathrow base.

    He wrote online: "I get to watch the BA employee who stole them take them between their flat in Maida Vale and the BA Learning Academy every day. Scumbag."

    A spokesman for British Airways said: "We are currently investigating the matter."

  • Joseph Gamp

    Disgruntled passenger tells of hellish four-hour queues at Heathrow

    One affected passenger, Andrew Douglas, described how he was due to be on a flight to go on holiday but had “spent the last four hours in multiple queues at Heathrow Airport because it’s been cancelled”.

    He added: “Absolute shambles, complete chaos and only found out at check-in with no prior notification. Horrific service.”

  • Joseph Gamp

    Total chaos at Heathrow

    Airline passengers hit out at the “total chaos” at Heathrow on Thursday morning after the airport ordered flights to be cancelled because it could not handle them.

    Thousands of travellers were disrupted by a rare “schedule intervention” which led to the scrapping of 30 flights during the morning peak.

    Some passengers did not find out their flights were cancelled until they arrived at what is the UK’s busiest airport.

    Travel writer and broadcaster Andy Mossack wrote on Twitter: “Total chaos at Heathrow this morning. British Airways flights cancelled and zero customer service!”

  • Joseph Gamp

    Ten bases across Spain affected by three-day strikes

    A three-day Ryanair walkout is planned in Spain this week running from today (June 30) until July 2.

    This will affect flights at ten bases across Spain – Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla, Palma, Valencia, Girona, Santiago de Compostela and Ibiza.

  • Joseph Gamp

    The holiday hell that could affect you this summer – part 2

    • German flag carrier Lufthansa will cancel up to 1,000 flights on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through July
    • EasyJet cabin crew in Spain may walk out again between July 15-17 and between July 29-31
    • Hundreds of BA check-in and ground staff at Heathrow have voted to strike in July or August. BA operates from terminals 3 and 5 at the airport and disruption is likely
    • Joseph Gamp

      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.

    • Joseph Gamp

      First of three Spanish strikes taking place today

      Airline staff who belong to the Spanish USO union announced they'll form picket lines after easyJet confirmed 11,000 flights would be axed from its summer schedules.

      The strikes, three 72-hour stoppages at fortnightly intervals from July 1, would mean hundreds of crew stop work at easyJet’s bases in Barcelona, Málaga and Palma.

      Workers will walk out in three phases across the month – between the 1st and 3rd, between the 15th and 17th, and finally between the 29th and 31st

      It's feared there'll be a "summer of discontent" that could paralyse the travel industry throughout the summer.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Around 98% of flights still expected to operate as planned

      It is thought around 98% of flights out of London Heathrow will operate as planned.

      Customers who have been affected by the cancellations should be contacted by their airline and given advice on the possible alternatives.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Statement from Heathrow spokesperson

      A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We are expecting higher passenger numbers in today's morning peak than the airport currently has capacity to serve, and so to keep everyone safe we have asked airlines to remove 30 flights from the morning peak for today only.

      "We apologise for the impact this has on travel plans.

      "We are working hard to ensure everyone has a smooth journey through Heathrow this summer, and the most important thing is to make sure that all service providers at the airport have enough resources to meet demand."

    • Joseph Gamp

      Heathrow passengers vent on social media

      Travellers are taking to social media to vent their frsutration at the chaos at Heathrow Airport this morning.

      One tweeted: "@HeathrowAirport terminal 4 – Appalling – standing here 4 near on 2 hours waiting on my baggage.

      "Not just myself but many others that have train tickets booked & onward journeys!

      "I hope I make my hire car pick – or will you pay the charge for late collection?"

      Another iragte travekller said: "@Gatwick_Airport @HeathrowAirport you thought about going to job centre and doing a mass employment? Would solve your issues in a heartbeat this has gone on for to long now"

    • Joseph Gamp

      Heathrow must reduce passenger charges, says CAA

      HEATHROW must reduce its passenger charges, the Civili Aviation Authority (CAA) has said.

      The cap on the West London airport's average charge per passenger will fall from its current £30.19 to £26.31 in 2026 under the proposals.

      Bosses had asked for them to be increased to £43. The decision follows a bitter dispute between the airport and airlines.

      Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye last night said the regulator "continues to underestimate what it takes to deliver a good passenger service".

    • Joseph Gamp

      How get a refund or compensation if your flight is cancelled

      Here is how to get a refund or compenstion if your flight is cancelled.

      Mwanwhile, a travel expert has revealed what you should do if you are affected by the cancellations this summer.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Cancellations and disruption to carry on through the summer

      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.

      German flag carrier Lufthansa is cancelling more than 2,200 flights this summer.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Ryanair plays down fears of widespread disruption

      A Ryanair spokesperson has sought to dispel fears of widespread disruption.

      They told Sun Online Travel: "Ryanair has negotiated collective agreements covering 90 per cent of our people across Europe.

      "In recent months we have been negotiating improvements to those agreements as we work through the Covid recovery phase.

      "Those negotiations are going well and we do not expect widespread disruption this summer."

    • Joseph Gamp

      The holiday hell that could affect you this summer – part 1

      • 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

        Source: Read Full Article

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