Travel agents say they have worked around the clock in the past week to help “desperate” customers in the UK and overseas find new flights as storms wreaked havoc across the country.
Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin battered the country, while more “blustery winter showers” that could develop into Storm Gladys have been forecast by the Met Office.
More than 850 flights at UK airports – including Heathrow, Manchester, Gatwick, Belfast and Glasgow – were cancelled between Friday and midday Monday.
Sandra Corkin, managing director of Oasis Travel in Northern Ireland, said staff helped 12 clients over the weekend. She stayed up until midnight on Saturday waiting to hear from customers due to fly to Barbados.
She said: “I’m really concerned because I don’t feel the resources are there to deal with the number of passengers that are desperate if these storms happen. We’re reliant on connecting flights.”
Blackpool-based Travel Village Group and Cruise365 in County Durham said customers were stuck in the US or had missed connecting flights in the UK due to cancellations.
Six Cruise365 customers had to go home after their flight from Glasgow was cancelled, while another four had to travel to Manchester from Glasgow for an alternative flight.
Director Anthony Blackmore said: “We’re in a difficult situation because they’re cruise packages, so the lines have to resolve it. We deal with the fallout. I felt like I was hit by a storm.”
Some agencies were forced to close amid power cuts on Friday as Storm Eunice hit the south and southeast. Tui said 48 stores opened late, closed early or shut for part of the day. A spokesperson said Tui would keep “a watchful eye” on developments this week, adding: “Hopefully we’ll weather Gladys without too much disruption.”
Hays Travel said a number of branches in Wales and southern England were closed; Barrhead Travel said “a few” shops closed early; and Miles Morgan Travel reported some branches opened late.
Barrhead and Hays stores in the Isle of Wight remained open despite facing 122mph winds on Friday.
Barrhead agent Sophia Moule said: “Footfall is still a bit low, but the phones are busy. We’ve now got Storm Gladys on the way.”