The owner of a city centre burger van has erected a company sign after TUI cancelled her holiday at the last minute. Hard working Couch Potato owner Virginia Hulston was looking forward to taking a break from her duties running the mobile food van on Manchester's Oxford Road by jetting off to Turkey next Monday.
However, those plans came crashing down this morning when her friend and planned holiday companion phoned to break the news that the summer break, which had already been moved twice because of Covid, had been scrapped by TUI at the last minute.
It comes after the travel company announced last night they would be cutting six flights a day, 186 in total, from Manchester Airport between May 31 and June 30, scuppering thousands of people's chance of a break abroad.
More than 30,000 TUI passengers due to fly from Manchester Airport over the next month received a crushing text at around 2am on Wednesday, after the under-fire operator slashed its flight schedule to tackle staff shortages and "ongoing disruption."
A sign hung up on Virginia's Couch Potato van this morning read: "We are open next week due to TUI cancelling my holiday. Thanks, not." Speaking to the Manchester Evening News Virginia said: "I was very annoyed this morning."
"We were planning to close for just short of two weeks, but now we won’t be." She said she hadn’t stocked her fast food van as usual because she had anticipated being away for the next two weeks.
"It’s annoying, but it’s just one of those things. No use getting upset over it,” she said. "I’d have been more upset if I’d got to the airport and stood there for five hours before being told!"
TUI say they have taken the drastic step, which will decimate half-term and summer plans for around 34,000 people, in a bid to help resolve issues that have caused flight delays, cancellations and baggage problems in recent days.
Hundreds of other holidaymakers have also taken to social media to complain about their own trips being cancelled by the travel firm. One person wrote on Twitter: "I was due to go a week on Monday. Just had the email through this morning to say it's cancelled." Another said: "My brother's TUI flights to Menorca cancelled at end of June. Disgraceful."
Another said: "This needs sorting out and fast, it's a complete shambles. People work hard all year for a holiday and can't even enjoy them because of your incompetence."
Another wrote: "After phoning TUI yesterday and them confirming my holiday for this Thursday was going ahead we’ve now had a text to say it’s cancelled, couldn’t write it."
In a statement on Tuesday, TUI said: “" We would like to apologise to our customers who have experienced flight delays and cancellations in recent days and understand that many of our customers have been looking forward to their holiday with us for a long time.
"Due to the amount of ongoing disruption in our operation at Manchester Airport, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to cancel six flights a day (43 flights a week), from Tuesday, May 31, until Thursday, June 30. All other airports in the UK are planned to operate as normal.
"We understand how disappointing this will be for those impacted; however, we believe this is necessary to provide stability and a better customer service at Manchester Airport. We will continue to work closely with all our airport partners and suppliers so we can provide the best possible holiday experience for our customers."
They said customers affected would receive a full refund for their holiday as well as an "extra gesture of goodwill". Customers affected in the next 14 days will also receive information on how to apply for compensation in line with regulations. They added: "We would like to reassure our customers that cancellations of this nature are extremely rare and would like to thank them for their patience and understanding."
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