Passengers have described joining "biblical queues" in the early hours of the morning outside UK airports as the half-term holiday chaos continues.
Holidaymakers at Leeds Bradford Airport shared scenes on social media, showing queues snaking out with huge crowds forced to stand in the cold and dark at 4am on Jubilee Friday.
In Manchester, returning passengers claimed their children were forced to sleep on the floor after their flight was cancelled and video shows passengers climbing through the carousel curtains to retrieve their luggage.
At Bristol Airport, travellers have described "absolute carnage" in the departure lounge with "people in every available inch" of space.
The half-term week has been marred with horror stories from hopeful Brits who have faced last-minute holiday and flight cancellations from major providers including TUI, Ryanair, Jet2, easyJet and now British Airways.
Have you been affected by half-term holiday chaos with a cancelled/delayed flights? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk
Retired Police Chief Superintendent Owen West was among those caught up in the queues at Leeds Bradford Airport on Friday morning.
Mr West, who is travelling to Spain, posted pictures outside and inside the airport as crowds were forced to stand outside at 4am.
He wrote on Twitter: "Biblical queues. Once in out, out of the rain, it’s right around the inside of the building to get to the security queue."
Speaking to LeedsLive he added: "Queue so big now one lad just took some pints from the bar down into his mates in the security queue."
On Wednesday, dad of two, Ernest Murray, 50 told The Mirror how his flight to spend three nights in Paris with his family had been cancelled as they sat in the departure lounge at Manchester Airport.
The data scientist from Leeds, West Yorkshire, said: "It wasn't until we got through security that we even found out that the flight had been cancelled.
"They're saying they can refund the flight there but not the flight back and they're saying they can get us on a flight to Paris from London but we would have to catch the returning flight back to Manchester.
"We can stay with friends in London but if we drive down there and leave the car in London we have no way of getting home when we land back in Manchester.
"The problem is there's no advanced warning or even a text to tell you that it's cancelled, you have to get through security before you find out.
"I was expecting maybe a delay after reading the news about the chaos at UK airports but not this."
On Wednesday The Mirror spoke to another group, who had travelled to Manchester Airport for the second time in under a week, after their TUI package holiday to Kos, Greece was ripped from underneath them as they stood to board the plane.
Lucy Hollister, 24, had been one of 11 friends and family who had booked the getaway to lift their spirits after the death of her stepdad.
But after a 7-hour delay on Saturday, as the estate agent stood waiting to board the plane, she explained how police had sent passengers home claiming there was "no pilot" to fly the craft.
Lucy, from Sale, Manchester, said: "We were in the airport for more than 11 hours in total.
"We were finally stood at the gate, waiting to get on, and a policeman just got up and announced that the flight was cancelled and there was no pilot available to fly the plane.
"No one from TUI even said anything to us, we didn't even get an apology, and when we called the customer call line you couldn't get through.
"The whole time the departure board just said the word 'Relax' next to our flight which just made it even more frustrating.
"After wasting the day in the airport we had to turn back round and leave through the arrivals section but there were only two people checking through 230 passengers.
"They were asking us if we 'had a nice holiday' and their systems weren't working because the computer classed us as having left the UK but never having arrived in Greece, so we were just in this digital no-man's-land."
The group had returned to try and get away for five days in Barcelona together instead but were still met with long queues at security where only two baggage check lanes were open.
Airport officials at Leeds Bradford have pleaded with passengers not to arrive any earlier than three hours before their flight as many admitted they had arrived well in advance in a bid to beat crowds and delays.
Speaking to the Mirror at Manchester Airport, Damian Morgan, 53, from Stockport, Manchester, said: "I think the reason it's quite busy is because most people have arrived a few hours early before their flight to avoid the rush.
"We haven't flown for years, it's our first family holiday since before Covid so we are hoping for smooth sailing."
Others told how they had turned up three and a half hours before they were flying after being spooked by scenes on social media.
In a pinned tweet, LBA said: If you're due to travel from @LBIAirport this week, please arrive no earlier than three hours before your departure time.
"You can help to speed up your passage through security by familiarising yourself with the process. Thank you for your support."
