A Welsh family, along with around two hundred other passengers have been some of the latest travellers affected by airline cancellations. Steve Davies, along with his wife, two children, brother-in-law and his wife and child, were all due to travel to Cyprus from Bristol on Sunday, June 26.
"We got there to book in about three o'clock and we went through normal procedure, queued, went through security," Steve explained. "As soon as we got past security there was a delay."
The flight was initially meant to leave Bristol Airport at 6.25pm, however, the family saw it was delayed until 8pm. The plane then had a second delay, taking it to 10pm.
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"We finally got on the plane, but you could tell there was something not right. So we're sitting on the plane and the captain kept saying we're trying to get a flight path over Europe etcetera.
"It turned into an hour, then two hours, and then he said sorry, the flight is cancelled. So we had to get off the plane, get our luggage, we went through security again and there were no TUI reps, not a single TUI rep."
Steve explained that the only people available to question were the Bristol Airport staff, who didn't have the time or access to the necessary information to help the travellers. Eventually, the travellers were contacted by TUI who said told them to make their way back home - in Steve's case back to Merthyr Tydfil - or try and get a hotel for the night.
"This is about two hundred people, and it's about 1am, 2am," Steve explained. Worrying that the holiday would be lost for good if they left the airport, Steve encouraged passengers to stay and wait.
"I said I don't know about you lot, but I'm not going anywhere. I've waited for this holiday for two years with Covid and all the rest. We've all worked hard, if you send us home now you will cancel this and none of us will have a holiday.
"I said that if we all make a stand, if we all just wait, then they'll have to sort us out."
Have you had trouble travelling abroad recently? Email us at corrie.david@walesonline.co.uk.
While some people did leave the airport, a majority decided to wait in hopes they would still see part of their holiday. "We all just stood our ground, found a space, made friends, and stayed on a freezing cold floor for the night."
Steve added that, due to the stress of the situation and still needing to retrieve his luggage, he was "unable to have a wink of sleep". Eventually, at 6am, someone came to see the travellers offering to put them up with breakfast and vouchers, and a replacement flight was offered for 11am.
"They brought us through at 10 o'clock, fast-tracked us through for a two o'clock flight, and it was delayed again." By this point, Steve and his family had spent 24 hours in the airport. The flight finally departed at 4.30pm.
Passengers on the other side waiting to return home had faced similar delays, with Steve reporting that those passengers had to fly back to Gatwick instead and find their own way home. MyLondon reported both staff and passengers were left in tears after being delayed and having to make their own arrangements to get home from the London airport.
Steve acknowledged that there were many on the trip who were facing worse circumstances than his family, however, "everyone was mentally drained. It just felt like we were never going to get here. There was no duty of care, there was no one there on the end to reassure us. Still, now, we haven't seen a TUI rep yet."
Now finally enjoying the warm Cyprus weather, Steve said thinking of the journey home "is turning my stomach". With his return minibus already booked for Bristol next week, he said he just hopes they can get back as planned.
WalesOnline has contacted TUI for comment.
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