TUI has issued a warning for customers travelling to the airport this week.
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Holidaymakers have faced travel chaos this summer, with millions of travellers caught up in the disruption.
Post-lockdown demand as well as staff shortages have resulted in chaos in airports across the UK, with reports of hours-long queues and thousands of flights cancelled or delayed.
As a result, more people are opting for a staycation within the UK.
But chaos at the airports has not been the only thing standing in the way of Brits’ summer holidays.
This summer has also seen train services across the UK disrupted due to strikes. And now, with more on the way, travel company TUI has issued a warning to travellers heading on holiday this week.
In a statement, TUI said: “We’d like to remind customers of a planned national train strike on Wednesday 27th July which is likely to affect services into airports across the country throughout the day and into Thursday 28th.
“If you are heading on holiday on either of these days please plan ahead and make alternative plans to get to your departure airport if necessary. We’d also recommend allowing extra time for your journey.”
On July 27, around 40,000 RMT union members are set to strike for 24 hours.
The companies affected by this strike will be Network Rail, Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains, London Overground and GTR (including Gatwick Express).
It is expected that a severely reduced service will run on July 27 and that services will begin later than usual on July 28.
Therefore, anyone intending on taking a train to the airport on Wednesday or Thursday this week should plan ahead and should consider taking alternative transport, if possible.
Furthermore, ASLEF union members will strike on July 30, impacting services from Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, Greater Anglia, Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern, London Overground and West Midlands Trains.
There are also planned RMT strikes on August 18 and 20.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Strike action will take place next Wednesday as planned and our members are more determined than ever to secure a decent pay rise, job security and good working conditions.
“Network Rail have not made any improvement on their previous pay offer and the Train Companies have not offered us anything new.”
He went on to say: “In fact Network Rail have upped the ante threatening to impose compulsory redundancies and unsafe 50 percent cuts to maintenance work, if we did not withdraw our planned strike action. The train operating companies have put driver only operations on the table along with ransacking our members terms and conditions.
“RMT will continue to negotiate in good faith but we will not be bullied or cajoled by anyone. The government need to stop their interference in this dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement with us.”
