Airline TUI says it has learned from flight delays and cancellations that hit holidaymakers over the past two months.
In an email to customers, TUI said flights over the past week have been running mostly as normal - although there was disruption at Newcastle Airport - and the operator is working closely with partners to address the issues. But there are fears the disruption, which has affected airlines including Ryanair, British Airways and EasyJet as well as TUI, could be repeated when the school holidays start.
Passengers hit by cancelled flights have even been asked to return their duty free shopping, under a little-known rule, leading to a "chorus of laughter" from holidaymakers stranded at Bristol Airport during the chaos.
Read more: TUI passenger slams airline for 'appaling' treatment
With that in mind, we asked HMRC what happens with duty free shopping if a flight is cancelled.
Duty free airport shopping rules if your flight is cancelled
Imagine the scene, you've got through security and picked up some items from the airport duty free store. But in the departure lounge, or on the grounded plane, you are told your flight is cancelled.
Not only is that going to potentially ruin your trip, but anything you have bought duty free technically has to be returned because you have not left the country.
HMRC told ChronicleLive: “When passengers face a cancelled flight having already purchased duty-free items, they should return the items to the duty-free shop and get a refund under the 'buy back' scheme. If the flight is rescheduled, goods can be kept in the duty free shop for passengers to collect when departing.”
A spokesperson for Bristol Airport said: "Returning duty-free is normal procedure for a cancelled flight. Customers can purchase duty-free (and receive the duty-free discounted prices) [but] this allowance is only eligible for customers who are departing from the UK.
"When flights are cancelled, the customer is not leaving the UK, so it is a customs requirement that all duty-free purchases are returned, and a full refund provided. This is an HM Customs requirement."
When can I use duty free?
Passengers can only shop at duty free airports in Great Britain (that's England, Ireland and Scotland, the rules are slightly different in Northern Ireland) if they are flying to a destination outside of the UK.
So, for example, you can't use duty-free if flying between England, Scotland or Wales and Northern Ireland, but you can if you fly from mainland Britain to the Republic of Ireland or any country outside the UK, including the entire EU.
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