Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Air Traffic Control Airport Misery

157 replies

LongDarkTeatime · 28/08/2023 23:51

Is anyone else sitting at home after having their holiday cancelled today?
We haven’t had a ‘proper’ holiday in 6 years and we’re so looking forward to going away. Waited all day at the airport just to be cancelled just after the plane that was supposed to take us landed. So disappointed.
Well done to everyone who managed today with young kids. All the families around us coped so well.

OP posts:
PollyThePixie · 29/08/2023 17:09

Airlines can call ‘stand by’ crew in (paid to be available if they are needed)

Standby crews are generally on standby in the home hub. They’re not really dotted all over the world waiting to be called into work. I only know this because two of my lot are flight deck crew and they have had to go as a passenger to London for eg to fly an aircraft home if for eg one of the pilots who took the aircraft to London had to go sick.

LlynTegid · 29/08/2023 17:26

Almost every peak holiday time something goes wrong. Failure of IT, then the drone at Gatwick, now this (don't believe the government but understand not telling details), border agency staff shortage, probably others I cannot recall.

Perhaps have reduced flight numbers so recovery from interruptions can be in a reasonable time. Better to have to book longer in advance than a proportion of people face the disappointment and inconvenience that has happened.

notimagain · 29/08/2023 17:32

Perhaps have reduced flight numbers so recovery from interruptions can be in a reasonable time.

Not going to happen unless ticket prices go up.

The whole industry runs pretty much flat out, relying on maximum aircraft and crew utilisation to make a profit...

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Flying Holidays
LlynTegid · 29/08/2023 17:43

@notimagain Ryanair park some aircraft in winter.

notimagain · 29/08/2023 17:57

LlynTegid · 29/08/2023 17:43

@notimagain Ryanair park some aircraft in winter.

Yep, sometimes, when there's low demand...but this is summer, and guess what?

It's all very well claiming you want resilience but you've not come up what percentage cut in flights would give you this magic resilience you seem to want.

The reality you are facing is the industry has spent decades trying to improve airspace capacity (by way of technology and procedures), it's not going to start junking those efforts simply to build in excessive buffers "just in case".

MamaBobo · 29/08/2023 20:03

This has been a total nightmare for so many people and having experienced our own total holiday catastrophe last year (for a completely different reason) I feel for all concerned. Coping with the stress, the false hope and the ultimate disappointment must have been an absolute bugger.

@LongDarkTeatime you sound like the nicest, most reasonable and rational person, dealing with this and being so empathetic to everyone else. I do hope that you get your well deserved break at some point.

Hall84 · 29/08/2023 20:08

I should have been picking up DD3 from nursery after lunch following a wedding in Spain this weekend. Best I could do is a 20hr £££ trip on Thursday as there's no direct flights until next week now. Just hoping this one works out 🙏

Original poster
LongDarkTeatime · 29/08/2023 20:50

@MamaBobo thank you so much for your very kind words. Inside I have thrown my toys out the pram multiple times (this was a one-off opportunity to have a purely relaxing break) But acting like that on the outside won’t help me or others. There’s been a few private tears and move on.
Feeling really sorry for those with young kids or difficulties who will struggle more with the unexpected change.

OP posts:
Edamummybean · 29/08/2023 20:58

I just caught up with all this via news sites and sorry to hear about those of you directly caught up in it. We’re away in Germany currently and not due to fly back until the weekend. The coverage I’ve seen is slim on detail. Is there any sense from media coverage back in the UK when they are expecting things to get back to normal?

We’ve had a run of bad luck with cancelled or disrupted trips over the last 8 years, so will go with the flow. My neighbour is feeding our cat & can keep going if we’re delayed. I will message my line manager/team if it looks like I won’t make it back for work on Monday.

StillWantingADog · 29/08/2023 21:17

Hey @Edamummybean
dont worry too much. The fault is fixed and although there was severe disruption Monday there was overall a lot less on Tuesday and should be less again on Wednesday

obviously there are some horrendous stories on here but the vast majority of flights today flew with minimal issues. There are some knock on delays still but these will ease over the next few days.
essyjet and ryanair have said they expect to run a near normal schedule on Wednesday.

Ozgirl75 · 29/08/2023 21:30

So having flown back from Edinburgh today - I only actually saw one flight cancelled all day (and we were there all day!) - most had some delay, most in the region of an hour, some more, but I would imagine it would be fine by the weekend.

Edamummybean · 29/08/2023 21:43

StillWantingADog · 29/08/2023 21:17

Hey @Edamummybean
dont worry too much. The fault is fixed and although there was severe disruption Monday there was overall a lot less on Tuesday and should be less again on Wednesday

obviously there are some horrendous stories on here but the vast majority of flights today flew with minimal issues. There are some knock on delays still but these will ease over the next few days.
essyjet and ryanair have said they expect to run a near normal schedule on Wednesday.

Thank you! We flew with Easyjet, one the less busy UK regional airports so I’ll keep everything crossed that we have a clear run home.

Edamummybean · 29/08/2023 21:44

Thank you Ozgirl too.

Smithstreet · 29/08/2023 21:56

I think you will be fine by the weekend. My parents flew from Gatwick this morning to Greece. They were worried last night and had provisionally rebooked for Friday as Easyjet were not sure last night. They had a delay of about an hour but got there. They said even this morning hardly any cancelled flights, delays but not cancellations.

Original poster
LongDarkTeatime · 29/08/2023 21:58

For anyone who has been effected here’s some good information re rights
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2023/08/flight-delays-air-traffic-control-failure-your-rights/

OP posts:
Ozgirl75 · 29/08/2023 22:09

The other thing I wanted to say was that my frustration earlier was with the total lack of any staff to ask about anything at the airport.

When I finally managed to speak to a BA staff member, they swapped my flight to an earlier one with no hassle, and were friendly, understanding and just lovely. I absolutely cannot fault the staff - it’s just a shame that the High Ups have decided that staff aren’t needed at airports anymore.

TheHennaHairedHarridan · 29/08/2023 22:22

I'm still at Gatwick, waiting for our rebooked flight which has now been delayed till 2am. Kids are tired but too excited to sleep yet.

I agree about terrible customer service, there are not enough staff and the staff don't know anything so people are just being left to fend for themselves - we haven't been offered any assistance, despite having small kids.

Original poster
LongDarkTeatime · 29/08/2023 22:27

@TheHennaHairedHarridan that sounds really hard. Guessing any company counters are closed. Can you tweet them to encourage them into offering some support?

OP posts:
Was126orbustandmaybebust · 29/08/2023 22:31

@LongDarkTeatime and @PatChaunceysFruitCake I made it! Thank you for your kind thoughts x

MendedDrum · 29/08/2023 22:45

Glad to hear it @Was126orbustandmaybebust I've just got home, only a day's delay in the end. Very happy to be back!

PatChaunceysFruitCake · 29/08/2023 23:15

Thank goodness for that @Was126orbustandmaybebust.

Dreading my trip back via Scotland but not as much as I'm dreading the thought of that one being cancelled too.

Original poster
LongDarkTeatime · 30/08/2023 00:57

Good to hear people are making it out/back ok

OP posts:
WildCountry · 30/08/2023 05:56

I've been stuck in Croatia an additional day. I can't fault Jet2 though. We were only at the airport an hour after the plane was supposed to depart before they had us on coaches to fully paid for hotels with meals included. I only know about my hotel and four others, but they are all 4 or 5 star.

StillWantingADog · 30/08/2023 08:37

WildCountry · 30/08/2023 05:56

I've been stuck in Croatia an additional day. I can't fault Jet2 though. We were only at the airport an hour after the plane was supposed to depart before they had us on coaches to fully paid for hotels with meals included. I only know about my hotel and four others, but they are all 4 or 5 star.

That’s good. You were lucky.

thinking about it, being able to magic up hundreds of bedrooms in peak season must be a challenge which in some places is impossible

LIZS · 30/08/2023 09:44

Although if people did not leave uk for their holidays, presumably their rooms would be empty.