Urgent holiday warning as price of flights to soar this summer

AN URGENT warning over plane tickets has been issued as families prepare to head off on their summer holidays.

Transport bosses have cautioned that tickets prices will be going up amid the flight cancellations happening across airlines.

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One has even gone as far to say that “flying will be more expensive for consumers, without doubt.”

The revelation means families looking to get away could be left facing an awkward summer amid the chaos happening at airports.

Competition to claim seats on planes has grown due to the cancellations, which is seeing ticket prices climb.

Earlier this week British Airways announced it is to cancel thousands more summer flights as previous schedule cuts aimed at easing disruption did not work.

The airline said in a statement that it had “regrettably” become necessary to further reduce its operations.

Tens of thousands of passengers will be affected by the move to cancel flights at Heathrow and Gatwick.

British Airways are among companies who have had to cancel flights.

Easyjet have also axed around 10,000 flights between July and September, affecting 1.5 million people.

And Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, said this morning he believed surging oil prices due to the war in Ukraine, and the many flight cancellations, will affect the prices of tickets.

He told the BBC’s Sunday Morning: “Flights are getting more expensive because of the high price of oil and it has been clear to everybody that will be reflected in higher ticket prices.

“Flying will be more expensive for consumers, without doubt.

“Oil is the single biggest element of an airlines’ cost base. It is inevitable that ultimately the high oil prices will be passed through to consumers.”

Mr Walsh also said he agreed with flight cancellations as it allowed airlines to reschedule amid staff shortages.

He said: “I think that it is right that these cancellations are made early because that will allow airlines and their customers to adapt to the revised schedules.

“I actually expect people to be able to get away. I think there will be some disruption but I don’t think it will be on the scale we have seen to date.

“I believe that there are solutions that have been put in place.”

Staff shortages at airports have led to weeks of disruption, flight cancellations and frustratingly long queues for travellers.

Holidaymakers have been pictured sleeping on airport floors while suitcases have been seen piling up at Heathrow.

This comes on top of two years of difficulty for the aviation industry due to Covid.