Just take one bag abroad to avoid delays, holidaymakers are told

HOLIDAYMAKERS have been advised to board flights with only a rucksack to try to avoid travel chaos, meaning they would have to buy clothes and toiletries abroad.

Airlines cancelled dozens more flights yesterday as passengers faced further disruption.

Some are having to return to airports days after arrival to retrieve their baggage, while others have had their items diverted to other airports or lost altogether. Long check-in queues have also resulted in some holidaymakers missing their flights.

It came as Grant Shapps last night rejected calls by the airlines to allow them to recruit more foreign workers to help tackle the disruption.

The Transport Secretary held talks with around 30 aviation chiefs as he accused them of poor planning to avoid the crisis and overselling flights that they could not deliver.

Home Office sources accused airlines of “wasting” police resources after officers were called in to help hundreds of passengers off an “abandoned” plane at Manchester airport. Andy Prendergast, the national secretary of the GMB union, said that passengers should consider travelling without checked baggage to avoid lengthy delays.

“It is one less thing to worry about. If people can check in online and do not take bags, that limits the disruption,” he said. “It’s not a magic bullet but it does reduce the chance of there being problems.”

Mr Prendergast’s comments were echoed by Paul Charles, the chief executive of the travel consultancy The PC

Agency, who said that, where possible, “passengers should consider packing lightly and travelling with a small bag they can take on board the aircraft”.

Holidaymakers endured another day of frustration at major airports yesterday, with some waiting for almost three hours to get through check-in and security. More than 150 UK flights were cancelled, with Easyjet scrapping at least 31 flights at Gatwick. British Airways axed 124 short-haul flights at Heathrow, but the airline said passengers were given advance notice. Tui Airways is cancelling six daily flights at Manchester Airport,

which represents a quarter of its schedule. Yesterday, at a meeting with Mr Shapps, airlines, led by Jet2 and Easyjet, pushed for aviation workers to be added to the shortage occupation list, which would make it easier to recruit staff from abroad.

However, it is understood Mr Shapps dismissed the demand, saying it was unlikely the Home Office would be prepared to make an exception for the aviation industry when other sectors were making similar appeals to their respective departments.

Immediately after the meeting, Mr

Shapps repeated his criticism of airlines. He said: “The scenes we’re witnessing at airports are heart-breaking, with holidaymakers missing out on their first trips abroad after the pandemic. I also understand the resourcing strains on the aviation sector but it does not excuse poor planning and overbooking flights that they cannot service.”

Airlines, however, have blamed the Government, saying they were given only weeks to prepare for the summer season after the pandemic, when travel was largely restricted.