Fears of family vacations as flight prices triple due to cancellation of thousands of trips
- Nearly one-fifth of BA flights scheduled to run until fall do not take off
- BA tickets to Faro and Crete, usually just a few hundred pounds, are over £600
- Prices on some holiday routes have more than tripled, the Daily Mail found
Families may be priced out of the summer break as fares rise after airlines cut thousands of flights.
On Wednesday British Airways canceled 10,300 flights to Europe until the end of October – on top of the 16,000 that were halted in March.
It means that almost a fifth of BA flights scheduled until the fall will not take off. EasyJet canceled more than 10,000 of its flights last month.
The combination of fewer seats and rising post-Covid demand means prices on some holiday routes have more than tripled, an analysis by the Daily Mail shows.
Airlines have lost billions during the pandemic and will try to increase their margins on the seats they have. Even flights with Ryanair, usually the cheapest airline, have soared. Fares from London to Gran Canaria were £156.60 on July 16, but £368.69 a week later. Flights to Madeira and Rhodes increased from £72.80 to £349.20 and from £89.99 to £351.20.
BA has pushed up the price of tickets to Faro in the Algarve and to Crete, which usually cost just a few hundred pounds, to over £600 and £500 respectively.
British Airways canceled 10,300 flights to Europe until the end of October, on top of the 16,000 it canceled in March
EasyJet fares from Gatwick to Rome on July 16 sold for £226.99 yesterday, but by July 23, the first weekend of the school holidays, the price had nearly doubled to £441.99. For flights to Crete and Mallorca on the same dates, prices rose from £178.99 to £383.99 and from £61.99 to £138.99 respectively.
Even flights with Ryanair have increased enormously. Fares from London to Gran Canaria were £156.60 on July 16, but £368.69 a week later. Flights to Madeira and Rhodes increased from £72.80 to £349.20 and from £89.99 to £351.20.
While passengers whose flight has been canceled are entitled to a seat on another flight – or a refund – there is no guarantee that there will be enough seats and alternative flights may be discounted.
The prices of Easyjet flights to Crete and Mallorca have risen from £178.99 to £383.99 and from £61.99 to £138.99 respectively
The boss of holiday airline Jet2 blames the chaos at airports, and the subsequent flight cancellations, on the companies that run them.
Referring to the personnel crisis after thousands were laid off during the pandemic, Philip Meeson said airports were “ill-prepared and ill-equipped.”
It was “unforgivable, given that our flights have been on sale for many months,” he added.
The Airport Operators Association said the recruitment campaigns for security personnel are progressing well. A spokesperson added that airports are also working closely with companies that manage check-in and baggage on behalf of airlines to reduce any delays.