STAY PUT OR GET FLYING?

Airport hell, security chaos — it’s enough to put anyone off a trip overseas. So should you...

HOLIDAY GURU

All the answers you need

QIS MY summer holiday going to happen? This recent airport chaos doesn’t bode well.

AYOU’RE right to be concerned. Alarm bells are ringing, with flights being cancelled willy-nilly by BA (in addition to the 16,000 it cancelled between March and October), easyJet and TUI. The last of these is axing 43 flights a week this month from Manchester, affecting up to 37,000 travellers. Meanwhile, airport understaffing is causing dreadful queues. Yet perhaps there are reasons to be hopeful.

Staff are desperately being recruited for the summer — and industry insiders claim that the Easter and Platinum Jubilee bank holidays simply came too soon after travel restrictions ended in March. New background checks and talk of better pay could help. We have our fingers crossed.

QTHAT sounds a little iffy — can you offer any further reassurance?

AYES, there is the bottom line to consider. Last-minute cancellations cost airlines and tour operators vast amounts of money in compensation and lost revenue. They cannot afford this in the long term and are under huge pressure to deliver.

QWHY are they cancelling flights, then, if they lose so much money from doing so?

APARTLY because of the sudden unleashing of wanderlust since the lifting of travel restrictions in March. For example, between Thursday and Sunday this week, flights trebled year on year — and that number would have been even greater if airlines and tour operators could have kept up. Letting go of so many employees during Covid has badly backfired — many have since found jobs in other industries.

QWHEN can we expect the situation to improve for travellers?

AhOPEFULLY by July — but it won’t be anything like pre-pandemic levels. Airlines and tour operators see little point in pushing ahead with services only to have to cancel at the last minute.

QDOES that mean these companies are likely to continue cancelling holidays in advance?

APOSSIBLY. What TUI is doing with its package holidays from Manchester this month is a bad sign. BA and easyJet are also making many advance cancellations.

QWHAT are my rights if my holiday is eventually cancelled?

AWITh package holidays you are due a full refund paid within 14 days of the announcement of the cancellation. With airline cancellations announced more than two weeks before your flight, the carrier is required by law to find an alternative flight as close to the original one as possible — potentially with another airline.

QWHAT if my flight is cancelled just before we go?

AYOUR airline has a duty to get you on the next flight to your destination. You are also due compensation when a flight is cancelled within 14 days of travel. If your flight is less than 1,500 km, this is £220, rising to £520 for long haul. So you should get to your destination and receive cash back.

QIF THE next available flight isn’t until the following day, will accommodation be provided?

AYES, the airline must provide accommodation of a three-star standard and food. Keep your receipts.

QARE airports really recruiting enough people to cope with the surge in demand over the summer?

ANOT currently. Major airports have 80 per cent to 90 per cent of staff required for the summer, and at smaller airports it’s more like 70 per cent. Recruitment drives are on and only time will tell if they work.

QDOES this mean we need to allow for more time at airports before flights?

AARRIVE three hours in advance of your flight, but not earlier as this can just make things worse.

QWHAT happens if we end up missing a flight because of all the airport delays?

AYOU will struggle to get a refund from your airline, the airport or travel insurance. So don’t cut it fine.

QANY OTHER travel advice that might help travellers this summer?

AYES: manage your expectations. Travel is simply not back up to speed yet. Long queues formed at Eurostar’s London terminal this week, meanwhile, confidence in P&O Ferries has plummeted after its mass sackings in March. Expect plenty of bumps along the way this summer.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

IF YOU need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk.