Air passengers face 10% fare hikes this summer despite the continuing threat of travel chaos.
The boss of budget airline Wizz Air said today its average ticket prices were likely to rise by nearly 10% over the peak getaway months.
Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary warned last month fares will be higher this summer due to soaring demand.
It means families will pay more to jet abroad while risking being hit by delays and cancellations.
Travellers have already endured months of shambolic scenes at airports, with long queues and flights pulled because of staff shortages.
Martyn James, of complaints resolutions service Resolver, speculated airlines could be raising prices to cover an expected surge in compensation claims for cancelled flights in the pipeline.
“People will be outraged they are paying even more,” he said. “Airlines have told us they have faced unprecedented demand, but they have oversold flights and been under-staffed.”
EasyJet cancelled 70 flights today, partly due to an air traffic control strike in Italy. A video emerged showing baggage falling off an overloaded conveyer belt at Manchester Airport with luggage left strewn across the floor around it.
And passengers at Bristol Airport continued to suffer long queues after a week of security delays and horrific wait times for bags to be loaded.
Peter Dacambe, 39, and his wife and children aged six and three were two days late getting home from Menorca. They were due to fly to Bristol on Sunday, but easyJet cancelled the flight while they were at the airport. “It was chaos,” hospital consultant Mr Dacombe said. “No-one knew what was going on.”
They eventually managed to book a flight back to Gatwick on Tuesday.
The prospect of higher fares comes as the threat of strikes at airports risks adding to disruption. Unions are demanding better pay for staff, many of whom lost money when they were furloughed during the pandemic.
Industry chiefs say they are facing a shortage of workers, from cabin crew to baggage handlers. But the basic pay for many airport workers remains low. Job vacancies currently include aircraft cleaners on £10 an hour, and airport security officers on £10.85 an hour.
Hungarian carrier Wizz, which operates routes from the UK, is among airlines which caused cancellation chaos for passengers in recent weeks.
Yet chief executive Jozsef Varadi said today he expects increases of “upper single digits” in the second quarter, which runs from July to September.
Ministers have been urged to bring in tougher penalties for airlines which overbook routes. MPs want the Civil Aviation Authority to get more power.
Tory Karl McCartney said “firmer action” was needed, adding: “Given the high pay of executives and profit levels, on-the-spot large fines could work.”
Lib Dem spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: “We need urgent action to address this cowboy behaviour.”
Pilots’ union Balpa warned some airlines were “sailing close to the wind” when it came to having enough pilots to cope with the demand this summer.
