Worried about flights being cancelled

[kinkytoes]

Latest news from Lufthansa. It's not good news.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cre1r4n5j5wo

A summer beckoning filled with much looked forward to holidays. I'm sure many of us booked before the war even started.

What do we think the situation will be come July/August? How worried should we be?

(I know there is bugger all we can do about it. I just want to discuss it with others that's all.)

In before someone tells you there are bigger things in the world going on than your summer holiday.

In honesty who knows. I read, on reddit, than apparently in peak season Airlines may only have reserves of 30 days. Also that European Airlines source oil from off the west of Africa, Norway and the US. Not sure how true any of these things are.

I el for anyone who misses out because of egotistical politicians. Us average folk don't ask for much.

Thank you @tinyladybird

Us average folk don't ask for much.

This is it exactly.

We don't even fly every year and have only done it once before in our children's lifetimes. But we do have one booked this summer and obviously don't have anything else to look forward to as we spent all our money on that.

I have a flight (Easy Jet) booked in June to Verona. Not too worried if they cancel as I am able to cancel the hotel and airport parking. I will then look to holiday in the UK (providing there is no profiteering!).

If the airlines start cancelling more flights then they will probably try to put people on alternative flights rather than cancelling entirely. Hopefully you will be OK.

I’m slightly worried about this. We are due to fly back to the uk for the first time in a year in July. IDK which is worse, being stranded in Asia and the kids missing the grandparents or being being stranded in the uk and not being able to get back for work.

Assuming that if flights are cancelled money will be reimbursed so I’ll try and book something in the uk to replace it. We didn't go abroad last year so really looking forward to our holiday in August, but we have also had some really lovely holidays in the uk so I won’t feel too hard done by if I have to do that.

It's a concern for many at the moment and I feel for those who must travel to see loved ones, or are going on a longed for break.

I've a few things booked, but it's DIY. If my flights are cancelled, I'll either get a refund or an alternative flight, or some sort of voucher etc. In the worst case scenario I lose the money on the flights, but they weren't that expensive anyway. Easy for me to say as it's just me going! I can cancel the hotel up to a day or two before. I pay everything by CC and pay it off asap. It's just a bit of extra protection for a chargeback if it came to that.

No one likes uncertainty or losing a shedload of money AND a holiday do they?

I am considering booking a tunnel crossing for my summer break as it is feasible for my to drive to my destination.

Thanks- I'm wondering if they will only cancel the ones that aren't full. Which makes a lot of sense really.

Is it a package holiday? Just thinking about your accommodation as well. If it's package and they cancel the flight, I'd say they're likely to cancel accommodation and you'll get your money back. Have had to package holidays a cancelled in my lifetime, one through war, the other covid - both times it was a really smooth process and money returned quickly.

Had one flight cancelled, we were informed by email. From what I can gather, I was the first to phone as staff weren't even aware of cancellation and had to track what was happening. Luckily, we were offered the nearest available flights.

Not that I'm unsympathetic, but if your holiday is cancelled, there will be something available last minute here (assuming we still have good fuel supplies for what would be considered non essential travel).

Have a plan in case a flight is cancelled. Make sure you can cancel your hotel and don't book anything with no refunds.

Feeling a bit antsy as we've never been away as a family of 5. It will be DC2 and DC3 first time abroad and first time DC3 has been on a plane. DC3 is 8yo.

A combination of Ill health (mine and DC3), lack of money, Covid, my lack of confidence to travel with young children one of whom is disabled, becoming a single parent etc means this is so much more than "just a summer holiday" - I know it's incredibly selfish of me given all that is going on in the world but still. For me and my kids this is a huge deal.

I've been paying off this trip since May 2025, I've had to get all DC new passports (x4) and I have a cat sitter lined - of course its all going to go tit's up.

What about package deals via tour operators?

I need to do some research I guess. I can't have no holiday and no refund!!

It anyone's guess.

It might be more of a case that they'll cancel the one's making least profit (doesn't always = least full), there's also the complication of what is the knock on effect of cancelling a lightly booked outbound sector if the return is full and an earner

On top of that the networked airlines have to look at the effect of cancelling short haul feed to/from Longhaul.

It's probably fair to say some flights might be cancelled on routes where there are lots of services (so it might be possible to consolidate) but predicting much other than that will need a better crystal ball than most of us have.

...and of course whilst I know people are getting twitchy about holidays bear in mind some in the industry might be getting twitchy about their jobs...

I feel a bit like this too.

For us it's not just a package holiday, it's a DIY trip and we are going long haul to see people that we haven't seen in a very long time. It's been a few years in the planning. There will be an emotional cost if we can't go.

The kids aren't getting any younger and we want to have lots of different experiences as a family before they fly the nest. We've done a LOT of the UK and we love it. But we want to show them a bit more of the world now.

Since it's all booked and paid for we may simply have to take the financial hit and try again who knows when?

If fuel shortages are a result of war, will insurance even cover that?

Yes, I remember empty flights continuing during Covid lockdowns just to keep the flight slots filled!

If it comes to jobs being threatened hopefully political will to get this shit sorted out might become stronger. I really hope it won't come to that though!

Yes, I remember empty flights continuing during Covid lockdowns just to keep the flight slots filled!

That was the rumour but we certainly didn't do that where I worked, and TBF most authorities most places waived the use or lose rule.

I am a bit worried. We booked last summer for this summer and although I would get the flights money back or a voucher, the Eurocamp isn't refundable I paid in full and that would be a £2000 loss.

Bigger things going on yes but it's still a lot to lose.

How strange- I remember it being quite the scandal!

OP, it's worth checking the small print on your insurance - generally war isn't covered. I might be wrong, but if airline cancels, there's a fair chance they'll refund most of your fares (might find an excuse to deduct something for management fees, but that'd be a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of your flights) you as they can't provide the service and at that point it hasn't cost them much - again might be worth looking at the small print on booking.

drtft

Oh I recall the stories, but I can only say where I was at the time (Big Airline, London based) we cut back PDQ to a skeleton schedule, most crew were stood down but the airline kept enough of the schedule going to allow movement of essential workers etc, and increased the amount of freight we carried, some Longhaul flights were freight only...

Now I do remember from discussions at the time on places such as this that people were seeing some of the above going on (e.g. Flightradar) and were convinced it was slot sitting but we certainly didn't do it.

Airlines want to run the flights even more than you want to go on holiday, so I trust they’re doing all the can to run as many flights as they can. There is nothing I can do about it and it’s still months away from most people’s summer holidays.

God I hope it's not like covid again where we all have to go on holiday in the UK and spend £7K on a shitey airbnb in Cornwall...

I have a holiday booked to Croatia with DD after her GCSEs, at the beginning of July.

We are also going to Holland in August, but will go through the tunnel. Should probably book that asap in case prices go up/it gets busier