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Original poster

Cancelling holiday... Due to current airport situation

91 replies

Flidina · 01/06/2022 08:48

Watching the news this morning and the current situation with the holiday companies cancelling flights, has left me pondering whether to actually cancel our long awaited holiday this year,we fly at the beginning of July, the payment balance is due in 2 weeks, and we would lose the deposit, a few hundred, it looks like things will not be improving anytime soon, in fact could get worse. Is anyone considering cancelling?

OP posts:
balalake · 01/06/2022 08:50

It's the beginning of July, not during school holidays. So likely to be much better, as I am sure Borders Agency staff won't be on holiday in large numbers, and airport staff newly recruited won't be holidaying then.

WooNoodle · 01/06/2022 08:51

Up to you. Does the thought of dealing with the chaos outweigh your desire for a holiday?

Treecloudtree · 01/06/2022 08:51

No way would I cancel and lose my deposit. If it is going to be cancelled then the company can cancel it and give me a full refund.

KermitlovesKeyLimePie · 01/06/2022 08:53

I'm due to fly out of Manchester a week today and Hell would have to freeze over before I cancelled.

DashboardConfessional · 01/06/2022 08:55

Not in term time. You'd regret it.

AlternativePerspective · 01/06/2022 08:55

Who are you travelling with?

TUI have announced they’re cancelling 36000 holidays over the next month alone so if yours is one of them you’ll at least get your money back.

I would just go in open to the possibility it won’t be happening and then be happy if it does.

In some instances this is about airport chaos but not all. TUI are cancelling full holidays not just flights, and I expect to wake up one morning to the news that they’ve gone into administration. But either way they’re ATOL protected so you’ll still get a refund.

LoudingVoice · 01/06/2022 08:55

No, I wouldn’t cancel at all.

If the airline cancels you get a refund, if you’re delayed you’ll get compensation but if you just cancel you’ll lose your deposit so no I wouldn’t.

BarbaraofSeville · 01/06/2022 08:56

I wouldn't. We're going then and have no thought of cancelling.

While it probably all looks horrific for those who've lost their holidays, it's probably only a low percentage, eg if 10% of flights are cancelled, then you have a 90% chance of getting away and if they do cancel at short notice, you're entitled to a full refund and hundreds of pounds per person in compensation.

So pay the balance and prepare for your holiday. Chances are you'll have it and if you don't, make sure you're aware of your rights and that you receive them.

Then make the most of the time you'd otherwise have been away - see if you can get something last minute in the UK, have some nice days out, or just relax at home and buy in treat food and drink for example.

Marston01 · 01/06/2022 08:59

We are in the same situation but our holiday is all paid for. Its our 1st ever holiday in 24 years with no kids ( they are all grown up). I don't know we're you are but I'm in the UK & all I've seen is the nightmare that people are dealing with at Manchester Airport & we are flying from the dreaded Manchester Airport on 13th June & I'm dreading it....can't cancel as will lose our money so I'm hoping for the best but preparing for the worse. I'm just praying that Jet2 are better than Tui & Easyjet.

Marston01 · 01/06/2022 09:02

KermitlovesKeyLimePie · 01/06/2022 08:53

I'm due to fly out of Manchester a week today and Hell would have to freeze over before I cancelled.

Same here but on the 13th...dreading it but hoping for the best & preparing for the worse. We are flying with Jet2 & we we're so close to booking it with Tui. Keeping everything crossed we'll get there x

bellabasset · 01/06/2022 09:06

There's been so much bad publicity about the cancellations when people have travelled to airports incurring charges of travel, overnight stays that I think any cancellations will be made well in advance of travel. I think it depends where you're travelling from as well.

CeeJay81 · 01/06/2022 09:08

I wouldn't as its outside school holidays. We've just been away without any issues. I do wonder if people will start holidaying more in term time now. What with the pandemic, people realising kids schooling won't be affected really by taking a week out of school. Now less hassle now at airports too and cheaper holidays

MakingNBaking · 01/06/2022 09:09

Same stress here and I'm not even going on the holiday!
I've booked and paid in full for a week away for dd and her bf to celebrate their end of exams. It's the first week of July so am just hoping that the fact that it's not school holidays and there's a month for new staff to come online means that it will come off.
Trying to steer dd away from any news sources at the mo.

kittensinthekitchen · 01/06/2022 09:09

balalake · 01/06/2022 08:50

It's the beginning of July, not during school holidays. So likely to be much better, as I am sure Borders Agency staff won't be on holiday in large numbers, and airport staff newly recruited won't be holidaying then.

The beginning of July is school holidays for plenty of people - Scotland and NI for sure.

ninnynonny · 01/06/2022 09:12

We're flying with Jet2 on the 26th. Hoping that they will be ok. I haven't seen anything about them ...so far!

BrioNotBiro · 01/06/2022 09:14

I flew Easter Monday, after similar scenes of chaos over the preceding weekend. Got to the airport extra early and the halls were almost deserted! Everyone had left Fri-Sun.

The current chaos is a bottleneck due to half term. I'm sure you'll be fine outside of the school holidays OP. Don't cancel, enjoy your holiday.

Hunderland · 01/06/2022 09:17

You need to pay for your holiday in full to get your money back so definitely don't stop paying now.

LesLavandes · 01/06/2022 09:17

I'm flying from Gatwick on Sunday. BA have emailed and asked me to check my hold luggage in day before!

Echobelly · 01/06/2022 09:21

I wouldn't cancel. Remember probably 90% of flights still did happen - doesn't sound like you're travelling in holidays so should be fine.

We had to abandon our holiday this week as our flight was cancelled as they had started boarding people, so I'm a bit apprehensive for my summer holiday but we were unlucky - I didn't see many other cancelled flights so I'm just sticking with the hope lightining won't strike twice for us!

3luckystars · 01/06/2022 09:22

Why would you cancel?

what’s your main worry?
have you got travel insurance?

WhatsHoppening · 01/06/2022 09:26

OP I was worried and we breezed through dun dun dun….Manchester airport both in and out recently. Honestly it was fine and absolutely nothing like the news. Not to diminish how horrendous it has clearly been for lots of people and I do feel awful for them but it would be ridiculous to cancel given it might very well be fine! It was no worse than travelling in the past.
I would highly highly recommend just using cabin bags/handbags though. All the queues I saw were for bag drop and luggage collection. You need barely anything in a hot country so pack v v v light you’ll be so glad you did!

Womencanlift · 01/06/2022 09:26

DashboardConfessional · 01/06/2022 08:55

Not in term time. You'd regret it.

It is actually the first two weeks of the summer holidays in many places

OP depending where you are flying from it is worth considering. However they do seem to be on top of offering refunds (so far). So if you want to risk it getting cancelled last minute and the inevitable disappointment then I would still continue with your plans

Brightermornings · 01/06/2022 09:26

I flew end of April absolutely no issues. Some reports on the news say 45 minute wait to get through security. I wouldn't say a 45 minute wait was that bad.
Going again end of June no chance I will be cancelling.
Guess what the "news" isn't always true

Roselilly36 · 01/06/2022 09:30

I wouldn’t cancel, you will lose deposit and may also be liable to pay more, check the contract particularly if it was a low deposit holiday. If the company cancel, which could be a possibility you will get your money back anyway.

Flatandhappy · 01/06/2022 09:33

I’ve been reading the threads with horror. I no longer live in the UK but years ago when I did consumer law was my thing. What has changed that allows companies like Easyjet to cancel flights leaving people to just go home? Where I am now (Aus) I don’t think any airline could do that, they would need to get you on an alternative flight whether than meant finding another plane or negotiating with competitors. Our airports were in chaos too over the Easter period with massive lines for check in and security and a lot of unhappy people but they didn’t miss their holidays, maybe just got delayed as the airlines had to sort it. I’m not doing an “other countries are better” btw just genuinely curious about how it’s now legal to just leave people in the lurch.