Flight delays, cancellations in Europe and Britain

Travel in Europe is back but, as in other parts of the world, brace yourself for change. Staff shortages are having an impact on the best-laid travel plans.

Cancelled flights are a regular feature of international travel.

Travel in Europe is back but, as in other parts of the world, brace yourself for change. It’s a story, now becoming familiar, of flight cancellations and long delays caused by staff shortages.

In one recent week I missed two flights, forked out for new tickets, was stranded in Bilbao in Spain and spent a night in a single bed with a shared bathroom in a two-star hotel in the backstreets of London’s King’s Cross so I could catch a 6am train to Edinburgh to make it to a cruise.

The problem has been made worse in Britain with half-term holidays (from May 31) and the recent bank holiday weekend to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but the problems are expected to continue through summer as the travel industry struggles to cope with the rebound in demand.

One of the main issues is staffing, with more than 200,000 roles yet to be filled. Airlines across Britain cut about 30,000 jobs during the pandemic, while thousands were laid off from airports and aviation support activities such as baggage handling and security. Many of these experienced employees have moved on to work in other industries.

However, the government disagrees about the cause of the problems. According to the BBC, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says the airlines’ staffing issue “does not excuse poor planning and overbooking flights that they cannot service”. He rejects the industry’s request to add airline and airport workers to the shortage occupation list, which would allow companies to recruit staff from overseas.

European workers cannot be employed so easily in Britain.

Let’s not forget Brexit, which means European workers cannot be employed so easily in Britain. Aviation workers are also subject to strict background checks, leaving thousands of new recruits waiting several months for their security clearance. The good news is there are moves to expedite this vetting process.

Technology glitches, operational problems, supply chain issues, runway works, high levels of sickness, air traffic control restrictions and strikes have been blamed for disruptions, too. And it’s not just affecting England, with major delays or last-minute cancellations reported in Dublin, Belfast, Paris and Amsterdam.

With the peak of European summer holidays in late July and August, there is still time for improvement. It helps that summer is spread across three months rather than the one-week rush at half-term or the four-day jubilee weekend.

While there is no way to control what happens with your trip, you can reduce your stress. Ensure you have travel insurance and book your flights through a travel agent. If possible, check in online and take carry-on luggage only.

To streamline your airport experience, you may be able to access a dedicated security lane, with a shorter queue, by purchasing Fast Track from your airline while booking your flight, or afterwards in “manage my booking”. Some airports also sell premium security passes online. Pricing varies from airport to airport. I paid £5 ($9) for it on my Ryanair flight from Gatwick. First and business-class passengers and frequent flyers with top-tier status (such as Oneworld Emerald and Star Alliance Platinum members) automatically have access to the faster lane.

Pack a fully charged smartphone (with global roaming or a local SIM card), your phone charger and an international adaptor in your hand luggage. This will save headaches if you have to rearrange your own flight. At Bilbao airport, for example, there were no EasyJet staff to help, so I had to take care of my own bookings with another airline, hotel and train.

When the airline is available, or you can rebook via its app, airlines will shift you to another flight or provide a refund. If necessary, they will arrange and cover overnight accommodation and food costs, or reimburse “reasonable” expenses if you organise it independently.

Compensation is also offered. If you’re flying from a British airport on any airline, arriving at a British airport on an EU or British airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a British airline, you are entitled to compensation if your flight is cancelled with less than two weeks’ notice.

For flights shorter than 1500km, you can claim up to £220/€250 ($380) a person. The maximum claim is £520/€600 a person for flights more than 3500km.

Where possible, consider alternatives such as trains or ferries. Next week I’m planning to take the ferry to Ireland. I just hope everyone else doesn’t have the same idea.