Cancelled flights and long airport queues are among the problems facing travellers hoping to get abroad this summer.

But the disruption people face in taking a trip in 2022, says one Kent travel agent, comes down to staffing and a lack of people to manage pent-up demand from the public.

Despite the last of the UK's Covid-19 travel restrictions having been removed close to 100 days ago, airports and airlines are struggling to get their services back on track.

With Easter and May half term getaways blighted by problems, people with July and August breaks now fear the same fate will befall their long awaited summer holidays.

A perfect storm

A complicated combination of staffing issues caused by Brexit and recruitment challenges posed by the aftermath of the pandemic have left both airports and airlines scrabbling for enough workers.

Chris Scoble, owner of Go Scoble travel agents in Kent says the current disruption can only be improved by rectifying issues with staffing levels across the aviation industry.

When the global pandemic struck and flights were grounded companies had very little choice but to either furlough workers or make them redundant. As a result, thousands have since abandoned their travel careers altogether either, he says, because they've needed to find other work to keep them afloat during the last two years or that it brought into sharp focus the sometimes poor pay and working conditions they experienced.

"After furlough they realised that there was something else out there for them" he explained.

And while few Covid-19 restrictions are now in force for those trying to take a holiday, the havoc the virus can wreak has most certainly not gone away, says Chris.
With testing of airport and airline staff still a daily or weekly occurrence the current rise in infection rates only further serves to throw rotas and staff numbers off course when workers phone in sick or are forced to isolate, which they're now doing again in growing numbers, further depleting small teams that are already struggling to manage workloads.

Added to that, the experienced Tunbridge Wells travel agent explains, is an exodus of European workers since Brexit that is only now serving to make the problems worse.

"This will be a continuing theme for a little while until it settles down and we get staff in the doors" says Chris. "We just can't get the staff to work at the airports."

Relaxing stringent employment rules for foreign workers to help attract European staff and ensuring that company terms and conditions are favourable believes Chris, may both improve the situation in the longer term - but that might be little consolation for anyone hoping to get on a flight in the coming weeks.

Yesterday - shortly after Heathrow cancelled 30 flights because it couldn't manage the numbers - the government announced a 22-point action plan of things it is now putting in place to try and to ease this summer's disruption and guarantee people their trips abroad.

An amnesty on airlines returning unwanted airport slots, a plea for carriers to look and slim down summer schedules now and not at the last minute, and a campaign to clearly show travellers their rights should they be subjected to a last-minute change are all part of the policy.

But what is the advice if you've got an imminent booking?

Travelling in July or August

Don't panic, says Chris Scoble, who says it is worth travellers remembering that while there are many cancelled flights, hundreds are still leaving UK airports every day with no hiccups.

Anyone with a booking this summer should keep up-to-date with their airline and flight, and within a week of your planned departure make regular checks to your booking to see if there have been any changes to schedules or you've been sent correspondence advising of a cancellation or change.

And crucially, when it comes to actually leaving, don't arrive at the airport too early!

While we've all been warned to leave enough time to pass through security, overloading airports already struggling with staff numbers can just add to the confusion while companies like Easy Jet, explains Chris, won't open baggage rails until three hours before a departure which just leaves early arrivals killing time.

But should anything go wrong, Chris Scoble suggests travellers understand their rights clearly so that they can communicate with airports or airlines effectively to find a resolution that should include being offered alternative flights, even if this is with a rival company, or hotels and expenses if different arrangements don't take-off immediately.