Bank holiday misery as easyJet makes dozens of last-minute flight cancellations

Travellers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to be flown on the same day on any airline that has seats available

Strikes by ground handlers at Portuguese airports have got the bank holiday weekend off to a bad start, with more than 25 easyJet flights between the UK and Lisbon cancelled.

From London Gatwick four easyJet flights today, two on Saturday and four on Sunday have so far been affected. At Luton airport, seven round-trips to the Portugal capital are cancellation over the weekend, representing 14 flights.

The airline has cancelled other flights to and from Lisbon, including one round trip from Manchester. But the main holiday airport of Faro, serving the Algarve, appears largely unaffected.

On Thursday night and Friday morning the airline told an estimated 4,500 passengers hoping to fly between the UK and Lisbon: “This is due to an industrial action affecting ground handling staff in Portugal.”

Travellers whose flights are cancelled, for any reason. are entitled to be flown on the same day on any airline that has seats available – but these are expected to be in short supply on one of the busiest days of the summer.

Passengers have been told they will not qualify for compensation, with easyJet insisting: “The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance.”

Flights to and from Lisbon on British Airways, Ryanair, TAP Portugal and Wizz Air appear to be unaffected so far.

With millions of travellers returning to the UK over the next week, Belfast International, Birmingham and London Gatwick are predicting Friday 26 August to see peak passenger numbers.

For Luton and Stansted airports, bank holiday Monday, 29 August, is expected to be the busiest.

With an estimated 1,800 flight cancellations over the bank holiday weekend – mainly on British Airways and easyJet – fares from Continental Europe to the UK are soaring.

From Barcelona to London Heathrow, some British Airways flights are sold out – with seats available on those that are departing for £531 one way.

Only two flights are available from Malaga to Manchester for around £300 one way.

Services from Faro to Birmingham and Rome to Gatwick comprise relative bargains at £200 one way.