28 June 2024 , 10:23
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Easyjet flight cancellations at multiple airports this week left Britons picking up the pieces of ruined summer holidays, with some also left stranded abroad due to what the airline said were restrictions imposed by air traffic control.
Multiple people have complained to the Daily Mirror about having to alter their plans last minute or return home after a slew of flights were cancelled on Thursday. They have said "many people are not happy" about the disruption, and have told how multiple special occasions have been completely upended.
One five-year-old girl had her birthday getaway ruined by the cancellations this week after a family's planned flight from Manchester to Paris was canned at the last minute. Katie Sollom said her brother-in-law had arranged to take his daughter to Disneyland for the special occasion this year, but was left "out of pocket" after the flight was cancelled.
Passengers were left stranded at airports following the cancellations (Chris Lewis)
Furious passengers were left dismayed by the cancellations (Chris Lewis)She said they turned up at Manchester Airport in the morning for the flight, only to find it was no longer running as they arrived. In order to make the holiday, her brother was forced to shell out more than £1,000 for a new one-way flight, and drive to East Midlands airport.
The family was "unsure of what they'll do" to return after booking the replacement flight, and that "what should have been a magical day" was ruined. Alison Murray said she experienced "significant inconvenience" and had "no feasible means" of contacting easyJet support after her flight was cancelled eight hours before departure.
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She said she was notified of her cancelled 6am flight at 10am, and was left with no means of contacting support and "no time to make alternative arrangements" through easyJet services. She added: "This sudden cancellation has caused us significant inconvenience and considerable expense as we were forced to book last-minute flights with another airline."
EasyJet said the flights were cancelled due to air traffic restrictions (NurPhoto via Getty Images)Alison condemned the "lack of communication options", adding the "poor handling of this situation" reflects "appallingly" on customer service. Laura Ritchie said she was due to travel from Bristol to Bodrum for a hen do with a bride in tow on Thursday to a three-night all inclusive holiday "in a lovely hotel".
But the "lower key" occasion was ruined after Bristol airport cancelled all afternoon flights. The trio later found alternative flights at their own cost, but to a new destination, and are now staying at "strange" accommodation in Pula, Croatia, costing "treble what the original holiday would have cost".
Ian Bell, from Edinburgh, Scotland, said his daughter Stephanie and more than 100 guests travelling to Naples for her wedding on Monday now face a race against time to get to the destination.
Ian Bell said his daughter is now in a race against time to make it to her own wedding (Supplied)He told Edinburgh Live: "We're so frustrated and annoyed. My daughter Stephanie is getting married in Italy on Monday. There's about 110 of us going from Edinburgh, and at the last minute we got an email from easyJet on Thursday morning at about 12.30am to say the flight was cancelled. You can imagine the stress this has caused."
Other Britons were left stranded abroad after their flights back home were cancelled; among them elderly travellers whose children spoke on their behalf. Rosie Fuller said her 70-year-old mum Carol planned to travel solo from Bodrum to Edinburgh, and had run out of medication when her flight was cancelled on June 16.
The chaos follows a massive powercut at Manchester Airport last week (MEN Media)The mum was given hotel accommodation and was told to wait for an update on June 28. Rosie said: "Travellers have been massively let down in foreign countries where they don’t speak the same language! No Easyjet representative has arrived to assist and people have had to scramble to get information and translate it themselves.
She added: "Absolutely the last time we book with Easyjet, it’s simply not good enough. I’m sure there are many angry and disappointed people, both passengers and family of, out there hoping they get home asap."
Karen Cooper said she checked in at Prague Airport to travel home only to find the flight was cancelled with "no one there to help us". They were told at 3am on Thursday that they had to book their own hotel as they awaited a replacement and "spent the night at the airport". Ann Thomas said she and her husband were left stranded in Malaga after they were informed of a delay "due to air traffic control problems" and then of their cancelled flight, forcing them to rebook their hotel after they ran out of return flights.
Some people were left waiting overnight for new flights to their destinations (MEN Media)EasyJet said in a statement that the flights were cancelled due to air traffic control issues "across much of Europe" on Thursday. A spokesperson told the Mirror: "Due to the impact of air traffic control restrictions in place across Europe for much of yesterday, like all airlines operating across European airspace, some of our flights were unable to operate with some knock on impact on today’s operation.
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"We have been doing everything possible to minimise the impact for our customers, providing hotel accommodation and meals as well as a refund or a transfer to an alternative flight and are advising customers they will be reimbursed for expenses should they need to make their own arrangements. The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our highest priority and while this is outside of our control, we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused."