The budget airline easyJet will be cutting over 200 flights from its schedule in the next 10 days alone from London Gatwick as it struggled to cope with demand.
The airline will shed about 24 flights a day from Gatwick Airport from its operation between 28 May and 6 June, causing disruption and chaos for families heading away for the half-term holidays. easyJet says all the cancellations are required in order to provide a "reliable services over this busy period". Although for the thousands that have seen their expensive travel plans ruined, the move doesn't show any aspect of being reliable or of offering any kind of service.
On the 26th of May, the airline had to halt and axe a large number of flights because of computer and IT issues, at the time easyJet said: "Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing IT systems issues which means that flights due to depart between 13:00 and 15:00 UK time today may be impacted. Our team of IT specialists is working to restore the systems as soon as possible."
Many believe there will be many more weeks of disruption, not just at Gatwick, but at many other airports as easyJet is having great difficulty in continuing its normal operations with the staff it has and the ongoing IT issues.
Whilst nobody likes to have their travel plans scuppered at the last minute, there is some consolation as airlines have a duty to look after customers. If the airline axes a flight within seven days of its scheduled departure, airlines must offer to put them on an alternative flight - including with other airlines - to fly as soon as possible or provide a full refund for all or parts of the ticket not used. People do not have to accept credit or future flight vouchers and can insist on a full refund back to the original method of payment. Plus, if flights are cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, compensation may be payable subject to the time of any alternative flights offered. The amount varies depending on the distance to the destination, up to 1,500 km £220 and between 1,500 and 3,500 km the payment rises to £350.
