Over the past four days, there has been mayhem, confusion, and cancellations at the majority of UK airports as families try to go away for half term and the jubilee, with 6,000-plus flights to and from the UK expected to peak next Monday.
Long waits have also occurred at Dover for drivers bound for France, as well as at St Pancras for Eurostar services to the continent.
People waited in line all night to check in, and some brought pillows and duvets in anticipation of having to sleep on airport floors. Others slept on baggage carousels for hours while waiting for their belongings, some of which never arrived and are still missing 96 hours later.
Airlines and airports have been blamed for the carnage having slashed staff during the pandemic while hoovering up furlough payments and state aid. Now they do not have enough workers to cope – and cannot find people to fill often low-paid vacancies – as the numbers booking foreign holidays over the Platinum Jubilee week and through the summer months hit pre-pandemic levels.
Below is a snapshot of how the chaos is affecting passengers.
Legal reviewer Paris Nedderman and James Palmer were left waiting for their luggage for four days after it got ‘stuck’ at Manchester Airport – but never received any communication from carrier Ryanair to tell them what had happened.
Ms Nedderman, 23, and her 28-year-old boyfriend left for Bologna in southern Italy on the morning of May 28.
She described Manchester Airport as an ‘absolute shambles with minimal staff, huge queues, broken conveyor belts and a lack of organisation’.
After arriving at Bologna Airport, the couple and around 60 other passengers spent three hours waiting to be told what had happened to their luggage.
‘The lady at the lost baggage desk informed us that ”the conveyor belt broke” in Manchester so they still had our luggage,’ she told MailOnline.
‘Kids were crying and parents were anxious as they knew they would have to bear the expense of having to buy lots of new clothes, suncream and whatever else was in their case.
‘During our time in Bologna we spent over 200 euros on clothing for the week because we did not know when we would get our bags back due to the lack of communication.
‘We are now on day 4, and have only just received a call from Bologna Airport to say that the case has been received and they will get it on the next flight to us. Still no call from Manchester Airport or Ryanair, we are disgusted.’
MailOnline has contacted Manchester Airport and Ryanair for comment.