Travel news live: Christmas getaway delays as 100 Heathrow flights cancelled amid 80mph wind weather warnings
RAC estimates 22.7 million drivers will hit the roads as people get away for Christmas
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Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of passengers have had their Christmas travel plans torn up as over one hundred flights at the UK’s busiest airport have already been cancelled on Sunday.
At least 15,000 travellers have had their travel plans thrown into question as the Predicted high winds mean the rate of arrivals – normally as many as one every 80 seconds – is extended, reducing the number of planes that can be handled.
Eighty of the Heathrow cancellations are on British Airways, involving short-haul domestic and European flights. Three round-trips to Amsterdam and Glasgow have been grounded.
Rail passengers are also facing another chaotic Sunday as Northern cancels all trains on 11 routes.
It comes as weather warnings kick in for parts of the UK on Saturday as millions more people get away for Christmas.Yellow warnings for wind are in place from 7am on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday in the North West, the North East, Scotland and parts of Wales and Northern Ireland.
The AA predicted 23.7 million drivers hit the road on Friday, making it the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010.
It projected that Sunday would see 21.3 million drivers.
Traffic expected to peak today
As Christmas falls mid-week this year, the RAC predicts there will be an extended period of “pre-Christmas panic” on the roads.
Friday 20 December is set to be the busiest day of the winter on motorways and trunk roads according to rival motoring organisation the AA, which predicts a record 23.7 million car journeys. The AA warns Saturday 21 and Monday 23 December will also be extremely busy, with 22.7 million on each day. The RAC, meanwhile, predicts 1-6pm on Saturday and 10am-4pm on Monday will be the busiest times.
The AA has issued amber warnings for 20, 21 and 23 December, “due to the volume of congestion predicted”.
While most of those journeys are expected to be under 50 miles, The Independent has analysed AA figures to calculate that one in seven motorists plans to drive more than 100 miles on “frantic Friday”.
The AA predicts the heaviest traffic on Friday 20 December to be on these roads:
- M25 western section, particularly between the M3 and M4 interchanges, including Heathrow Airport; The RAC warns of congestion on the stretch all the way from the M1 to the M23 (Gatwick and Brighton).
- M4 heading west from London towards Bristol, as well as around Newport and Cardiff.
- A34 between Newbury and Oxford.
- M27 in Hampshire from Southampton to Portsmouth.
- M6 in the West Midlands between junction 4 (M42) and junction 11 (Wolverhampton), especially at the M5 interchange.
- A38 in Somerset, with particular pressure around Bristol airport.
In addition, the RAC warns the M53 from Chester to Liverpool will be particularly hard hit on Friday during the evening rush hour.
Lane closures on motorways caused by accidents and vehicle fires
As of 10.50am Friday morning, there are three of four lanes closed on the M25 clockwise between J2 and J3 near Swanley due to an accident, causing congestion on the road.
On the M5 southbound between J30 near Exeter / Topsham and J31 near Matford / Exminster lanes have also been closed due to a vehicle fire.
There is also a lane closure on the M62 J33 eastbound near Pontefract and Knottingley due to a broken-down vehicle.
Congestion is also hitting other areas of the network, such as M42 northbound between J6 near Birmingham Airport.
Lane closures start on busiest Christmas travel day
Today, Friday December 20 is expected to see the most cars on the road, with an estimated 23.7 million drivers planning a trip.
As of 10am, there are lane closures on M3 westbound within J2, M40 northbound between J8A and J9, M62 J36 westbound exist, M62 J21 westbound exit and M65 eastbound within J3.
There is also a hard shoulder closed on M6 southbound between J7 and J6.
Accidents, broken down vehicles, vehicle recovers and lane management are among the causes of lane closures.
Rail strikes on the horizon
Looking ahead to New Year’s Eve, Rail strikes are back with a vengeance. Passengers on Avanti West Coast face months of disruption, starting on 31 December and continuing until the late May bank holiday weekend.
Train managers working for the West Coast main line operator and who belong to the RMT union will walk out on New Year’s Eve, Thursday 2 January and then every Sunday between 12 January and 25 May.
The plan is to strike on a total of 21 days, disrupting the plans of up to 100,000 passengers for each of the chosen dates.
The network covers around 700 miles of track. It centres on the West Coast main line to and from London Euston.
The main cities served are:
- Birmingham
- Manchester
- Liverpool
- Glasgow
Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Preston, Carlisle and Edinburgh are among the other cities on the network.
In addition, Avanti West Coast runs along the North Wales coast, connecting Crewe with the port of Holyhead. The dispute is about payments to train managers for working on their rest days.
Train managers have been offered around £250 for each eight-hour shift worked on a rest day, or £300 at weekends. The union says Avanti senior managers working as stand-in train managers earn upwards of £300. Train drivers employed by Avanti earn a flat £600 for working on a day off.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said: “Our members have had enough, and this strike action demonstrates their determination to win a fair deal.
“It’s time for Avanti to put forward serious proposals that reflect the vital contribution of our train managers to the railway.”
Avanti West Coast says: “This strike action will cause significant disruption to our customers making journeys on the West Coast Main Line over an extended period.
“We’re disappointed our train managers who are RMT members have voted to decline the very reasonable, revised offer made to them to resolve the rest day working dispute and avoid inconveniencing our customers.
“We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.”
Read more here:
When are the next train strikes? How industrial action will affect passengers
‘Sustained strike action is now the only way to focus management’s minds on reaching a negotiated settlement’ – Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union
Frantic Friday in the skies
Friday 20 December is projected to be the busiest day overall this season for UK flight departures, with 2,807 departures alone – equating to over 500,000 departing seats, according to the aviation data service Cirium.
The most popular international destinations for UK departures are Amsterdam, Dublin, Geneva, Paris CDG and Tenerife South. To Amsterdam there will be more than 100 flights a day on average between 20 December and 2 January.
Heathrow airport is scheduled to see the largest number of departures over the festive period (8,741), followed by Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted and Edinburgh.
Piccadilly line partly closed on Friday morning during London rush hour
As London commuters make their way into work in the final days before Christmas, some were hit with closures on the Piccadilly line impacting their journeys.
There is no service between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge on Friday morning due to a shortage of Piccadilly line trains. The lack of trains is the result of damage caused by leaf fall, which Transport for London (TfL) staff are working to fix.
TfL advises passengers to use the Metropolitan line to complete their journeys
Wind warnings of up to 85mph as Met Office cautions Christmas holiday drivers
The UK is set to see rain and disruptive winds of up to 85mph this weekend as the Met Office issues weather warnings for Christmas holiday drivers.
Yellow wind warnings have been released for the weekend, with one covering Scotland, much of Northern Ireland, north Wales and north-west England between 7am and midnight on Saturday.
Another warning is in place between midnight and 9pm on Sunday, covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and all of western England.
Winds of up to 85mph could hit coastal areas across northern Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with more widespread gusts of 50 to 60mph on Sunday.
Jabed Ahmed has more:
Met Office issues weather warnings across UK as Christmas holidays begin
Met Office says area of low pressure will bring rain and strong winds across large swathes of the UK
RAC urges drivers to avoid roads today 2pm-7pm
Nearly 3 million trips are predicted to take place on the roads today December 20, with a “gridlock period” expected in late afternoon and early evening.
The RAC recommends festive commuters avoid major routes during these hours. Queues of more than 45 minutes are expected on the M3 between Surrey and Hampshire, on the M25 in west London, and the M1 near Watford.
Further north, the M53 northbound from Chester to Liverpool will be worst affected by delays during home-time traffic.
Amber traffic warnings have been issued by the AA for today through to Sunday.
Simon Calder offers last-minute escapes
You can still get away at a reasonable price this side of Christmas. The cheapest flight-plus-accommodation deal I have found for a week, flying away on 24 December, is just £180 per person in a four-star hotel. Per hour, that’s basically one guinea (ask an elderly relative). Spoiler alert: the deal, from easyJet Holidays, may not be the trip of your dreams. You fly on 24 December from Birmingham all the way to, er, Glasgow, and check in at the Doubletree by Hilton on the northern edge of the city centre. That’s about 200 miles closer to the North Pole than the West Midlands. And you will be flying back just as Scotland’s Hogmanay celebrations get under way on 31 December.
If a southbound trip is more enticing, British Airways Holidays has a three-night Yuletide break on the Côte d’Azur, out on Christmas Eve and back on 27 December, for £191 per person. This includes flights from London Heathrow to Nice and a stay at the three-star So’Co boutique property (which describes itself as “a subtle blend of vintage and contemporary”) and 63kg of baggage (physical, not emotional). When you arrive you will also discover the UK is an outlier in locking down on 25 December. Plenty of trains shuttle up and down the Riviera, allowing you to visit Antibes and Cannes on Christmas Day should whim or appetite take you there.
The best airfare bargain for the last week of the year, though, is Jet2 from Edinburgh to Lanzarote for an absurdly low £92 return, flying out on Christmas Eve and back to the Scottish capital on New Year’s Eve (probably crossing flightpaths with those folks who opted for the Birmingham to Glasgow adventure). How can a 3,900-mile round trip on a quality airline be so darned cheap? Because accommodation on the islands is in short supply, and therefore demand for seat-only deals is weak. This could be the year for Christmas camping in the Canaries.
How to ensure you Christmas flight goes smoothly
The last thing anyone wants is to miss a flight just before Christmas – so The Independent's travel correspondent Simon Calder has pulled together some advice for stress-free travel during the festive period.
His key points are:
- Sort out your holiday money in advance
- Research the customs rules for your destination
- Check that you can reach the airport
- Allow for long security queues
- Wrap presents after security
- Leave Christmas crackers out
- Avoid too much celebratory booze
Read Simon Calder’s full guide on stress-free festive travel:
Everything to remember if you’re flying this Christmas
Check you can reach the airport, don’t wrap presents you’re taking through security and go easy on the celebration drinks
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