Furious holidaymakers stuck at Gatwick Airport for hours after their flights were cancelled say there were no staff to help them as "chaos" unfolded.
Frustrated passengers arrived as early as 3.30am today before flights were cancelled at the last minute.
At the departures level of the airport's South Terminal at around 10.30am today, operations appeared normal as people checked in their bags and no flights were showing "cancelled" on the departure screens.
But it emerged this was only the case because people were being allowed through security and passport control before finding out their flights were cancelled at the gate.
Accountant Alice Emery, 28, and her electrician husband Alan, 31, from Southampton, tried to board an easyJet flight at 5.55am for a planned getaway to Venice.
Alice said: ''We got up at 2am to get on and we had got through security when instead of saying 'go to gate' it said 'help at gate.''
''We went down and there was a massive long queue and at least three flights had been cancelled.
''There were no staff there at all, just a bag technician.
''When the queue finally moved we were just shunted through to arrivals.
''Again there were no staff and there was no one on the scene to say where to get your bags from.
''There were no easyJet flights to book so we rebooked with BA which cost us £960 just to go one way.
''Our new flight is supposed to leave at 3.50pm so we at going to have been here for 10 hours."
Transport worker Melanie Church, 49, from Essex, was also due to be on the same flight to Venice to celebrate her 50th birthday.
She said: ''I arrived at 3.30am, checked in my bags and got through passport control believing I would get on the flight.
''I had been past North Terminal in the morning and queues were zig-zagging all the way out the door.
''I went to the South Terminal and was cock-a-hoop because it was quite quiet.
''I had got to the gate when I got a flight update from easyJet saying ''this flight is cancelled, help to gate.'
''Everyone was standing at the gate and there were no staff.
''There was one person who was ground staff. I would not want to be in his shoes. Obviously, people were really upset.
''I have now booked with BA which cost me £680 which I am going to claim back through easyJet.
''I am only going on a short break until Monday and have accommodation all paid for.
‘’The most frustrating thing was that there was no one from easyJet on the ground to speak to.
‘’They move you back through security and through the boarding gates as if you have just got off the plane.’’
Support worker Colin Taylor, 59, from Hastings, East Sussex, is supposed to go to his niece’s wedding in Edinburgh tomorrow.
He said: ‘’I got here at 4.30am for a 7.10am flight. We checked in in the belief that we were going to go through.
‘’We got through security and then the boarding passes were not working. We got an email saying it was cancelled.
‘’We have changed the flight to another easyJet one to Glasgow which was free of charge.
‘’I am going to a wedding, let’s hope I can get there.
‘’When I found out the flight was cancelled I was really anxious I would miss it.
‘’You really think they should have been able to tell us yesterday if they were cancelling it. They must know what crews can go on what flights.’’
Chris Simpson, 57, an HGV driver from Horsham, West Sussex, was supposed to board a flight to Doha with his wife but the pair will probably cut their losses and go home.
He said: “We were here at 10am for a 2pm flight to Doha where we were planning to connect to Abu Dhabi.
“We went to the BA area to check in and said we were early because of the situation and that we were flying to Doha. They just said ‘we aren’t flying there.’
“The way BA have handled it is disgusting.
“They just told us to contact the travel company Voyage Prive UK.
“We were going to Abu Dhabi for a short break and due to fly back Monday. If we change the flight we will just get there and fly straight back there is no point.
“We can’t extend our break because we only booked the time off with work that we booked and we can’t change it.
“It is too late to feel there is any hope.”
Ship worker Jack Hijmans, 23, was due to fly out to Amsterdam at 7.35am, but was initially given a boarding pass for a flight to Geneva.
He said: “I went through security and found out it was cancelled.
“The apps don’t let you check in, you have to check in manually.
“Luckily I have not missed any work and I will be OK until the flight arrives.”
Education writer Fiona Aish, 49, and her partner Mike Burrows, 45, live in Galicia in Spain and were supposed to go back to Santiago de Compostella on Monday.
London-born Fiona said: “We almost got a flight on Monday and then the flight was overbooked and we couldn’t get on it at the gate despite arriving five hours before it was supposed to take off.
“We were sent to a hotel in Guilford on Monday night and we had to check out on Tuesday before checking back in later that day.
“We are due to go back at 8pm tonight but we arrived eight hours before just to be on the safe side.
“No one has given any information and there have been no announcements.
“The one thing we will say about the whole situation is that there have been no staff at all, and particularly no one more senior.
“The people on the ground are trying their best but they just have no support at all.”
An easyJet spokesperson said: "We are very sorry that flight EZY6423 from London Gatwick to Venice on 1 June was cancelled.
"We notified customers directly of their options to rebook or receive and refund and are providing hotel accommodation and meals where required.
"Nonetheless we fully understand the disruption this will have caused to their plans and we are very sorry for this."
