Airport Chaos Undercover | Dispatches | Channel 4 Documentaries

With the summer holidays in full swing, reporter Jane Moore goes undercover in one of Britain's busiest airports, with the truth about delays, cancellations and baggage chaos.
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[@diane4488]

Imagine having your salary cut from over £40k to £17k, for longer hours, less holidays, worse working conditions! It's simple greed by the airlines. I bet their directors are still being paid obscenely high salaries, probably much higher than they were before. They deserve to go bankrupt. All of them. I've flown a lot, in my adult life, but because it's such a horrible experience now, I don't mind if I never fly again.

[@peterkelly5672]

That’s probably why at Edinburgh airport Ryan air 95% of staff are from India cheap labour 😂😂😂

[@johnjardine1595]

We spoke to a Special Assistance person last June who was helping us through our airport. He commented that it was his last day of working before being made redundant. On asking if he had another job lined up, he said he had - working for a major supermarket - better hours, more pay, less travelling and staff discount from day of starting !! Good move, in my opinion !

[@anyexpat]

That is mental that working for a Supermarket is better, never would have guessed that.

[@kitchfacepalm]

Yip, absolutely true. It’s funny that Schiphol was mentioned in this documentary. I am surprised that Easy Jet paid anything (even if it was only because the tv crew contacted them) because I am pretty sure it will have been the airport’s fault. Schiphol laid off so many staff, and just as the above comment mentions, many of them found new jobs at local supermarkets which were booming during the pandemic. They paid more, the work was less exhausting both mentally and physically, and to top it off there were no funny shifts nor commuting required. Just a quick cycle to work.

[@koby4094]

Awful company ABM assistant, sack staff constantly

[@lisaazzano1811]

The airlines need to STOP overcrowding booking when they DO NOT have the crew to support it. GREED !!

[@chipbuttytime3396]

Crew shortages are most often caused by sickness which is beyond the control. of the airlines This documentary never sought to tell the full story, it was a journalistic hit-piece typical of Channel 4.

[@M.voorhees]

This a disaster waiting to happen

[@alexritchie4586]

As a former Heathrow worker I can assure you that the biggest problem in air travel is how it's been fractured into thousands of ultra-specific private entities who are all seeking ever-increasing profits. They take a process that should be smooth and integrated and hack it into a million steps that they can charge for each stage of. They bully and bluster away their competitors (even though they're all working towards the same goal) and carve out little fiefdoms over which they have complete control, and steadfastly refuse to communicate with the other petty corporate fiefdoms scattered across the airport unless it's done in some executive lounge in a city hundreds, if not thousands of miles away, days or weeks later. They constantly scrap and backbite at each other, many having more people working in their accounting and legal departments working out how to shunt fines and penalties onto their rival corporate fiefdoms than they do addressing and fixing the problems. Although the airlines and their orbiting corporations like to give the impression that they're all working together as a smooth, well oiled machine, the reality is that behind the scenes their all just constantly squabbling children, and they don't give a shit who suffers providing it isn't their fiefdom's bottom line. Oh, and they'll lie shamelessly and constantly. They know due to 'security restrictions' that they never, ever have to tell you any information you could actually verify, so they'll just lie to you, each other, the media, the Government, everyone, over and over, again and again. As a passenger, you're but a casualty of attrition in never ending spats between pathetic petty corporate fiefdoms trying to eek mere pennies more out of every time one of their staff so much as twitches.

[@Mikey__Mike]

I love how companies fired their experienced staff over the pandemic. Then cried and tried to bring them back with a worse contract. I dont blame the staff for not wanting to go back. They got a better payed job doing 9-5 then any Airline job. They struggled then crying out for staff. Its hilarious.

[@larstenfaelt1859]

Same logics, or lack of logics, as Brexit?

[@larstenfaelt1859]

@The smoker if you want to live in that dilution you are welcome. I have no clue how much you have traveled but Manchester was always a challenge, even before the pandemics and i guess this has not helped.Neither has Brexit....

[@mrbluesky9891]

"' 'then' any airline job" ? Are you American or did you ever skip school? It's THAN.

[@Mikey__Mike]

@@mrbluesky9891 pedant

[@wyzolma99]

@The smoker it does NOT mean it should be accepted. Airlines need to lift their game😡

[@monroemalena]

Cabin Crew here: laid off for 2 years, had to ask social services for money during the time as the airline did not pay me anything. In those 2 years, 400-500 people resigned as they saw no return to work for offered salary. Starting gross salary with zero experience in the Northern Europe was; 1074 eur! With 6 years flying experience gross was 1836 eur. Some places raised the minimal pay, meanwhile others (many of so called legacy airlines) are making the conditions worse. My airline tried to cut off the extras like daily allowance and overtime (paid in case of delays or extended duties). At the end, Court ordered to pay the allowances ( yes Airline needed to be brought to Court to fix the problem). Bosses are still working hard on getting that overtime cut from the extra salary. Needless to say that overtime comes from delays, where your work days gets extended from 7 to12 hours or from 11 to 15 hrs. And sadly on those delays you also become a punching bag for frustrated costumers. Alternative to decrease of salary, is being fired... My gross is approx 28k this year, my boss's 1,2 mil. And I am working 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 December also 1 and 2 January, and well.... offices will be closed on most of those days. It's not just passengers being fed up, as seen in documentary; we're all getting tired.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

£9.65p an hour? There's your problem, right there! 🙄

[@Anon-xd3cf]

£15 per hour to supervise teens flipping burgers. Less than £10 per hour for intensive manual labour. That is the problem.

[@yyc_flyer8729]

And what do the execs make? Not just the airlines, but the airport authorities, ground handlers, security, etc? THAT is ALSO a large part of the problem!!

[@trollmeistergeneral3467]

@Porridge Gun Where I live, in S.E. Asia, the minimum wage will shortly increase to the equivalent of £4.21 per hour. And unions / workers have to accept that figure - even if they are not happy with it. They know that the alternative is to be out of a job - with NO welfare state to support them. You Europeans don’t know how lucky you are sometimes.

[@evajaneschubert]

@@Anon-xd3cf agreed entirely. at 16, my first job at mcdonald’s paid £10/hr, at 17, i was looking at a promotion to £12/hr before i left to move onto further education. for over a year, i was putting lids on drinks, food in bags and handing out napkins. how on earth that mind numbing job earns more than the amount of labour and overtime these people work is atrocious.

[@Liverpoolboy01]

@@trollmeistergeneral3467 👈totally different circumstances. It is more expensive to live in Europe!

[@mikoto7693]

I’m an aircraft cleaner and have been for just over six months now and I hybridised into ramp staff to help them out when I could. But the shortness of staff was truly insane during summer. I have so many stories about that time that many might not believe me. For example at one point during a hugely busy afternoon with planes taking off every few minutes there were only three Swissport aircraft cleaners in the entire airport in Bristol. And the other two were needed for the water and lavatory truck services so I ended up running from one aircraft to another doing everything that I could to get the essential cleaning tasks done. I was soaking with sweat and getting increasingly tired and out of breath as I literally ran between aircraft. And eventually I ended up trembling with exhaustion and utterly out of breath at the bottom of the aircraft steps of the second last plane that I needed to clean and I was unable to move. Fortunately I didn’t take too long long to recover my breath and drink some water then finish the final two aircraft for that afternoon. On both planes the flight attendants expressed concern over my physical condition and supplied me with fresh water bottles. But the truly most insane moment came just as I finished the forward galley, the captain came out of the cockpit looking a bit harried himself. He basically pleaded to allow the pax to start boarding while I finished up my tasks. I thought about it a moment and said that if they start boarding the pax using the forward door then I would have time to do the essentials at the back before they reached me and I could slip out quietly at the back and let the flight attendants know so then both doors could be used. I still occasionally wonder exactly how much pressure he was under to first bend the rules about all the cleaners needing to be off the aircraft before the flight attendants do their security checks then let the pax start boarding. Utter madness. But the plan worked and I finished the essential tasks to clean just as the rows at the emergency exits at the wings were filling. I grabbed my stuff and slipped out then waited under the horizontal stabiliser to be picked up by my supervisor once he’d finished his duties. And yeah I’d barely put my stuff down before pax were being sent up the back steps. And I still wonder why he asked my permission-he way outranked me and could have just ordered it anyway. Regardless I was glad to help. Then there were the two night shifts alone but that’s a story for another day.

[@MaartenOosterbaan]

He asked because he probably wasnt a dick and saw you were just as stressed as he was and you have to admit. You now still think he was a nice bloke and if he’d ordered it you’d think of him as a dick but the same thing would’ve happened in terms of the pax loading….so some people skills go a very long way in not making both your days any more stressful than it needed to be.

[@balance3201]

How much were they paying?

[@flashbeaster]

he knew that hes asking for something he shouldn't but he made sure his plan was sound and everyone knew what was up. Proper captain but good job to you too 👍

[@italianjesus99]

If one person keeps doing the job of five people then the bosses will keep expecting this and will not hire any more staff.

[@julianwaugh8221]

You are the epitome of the dedication that most people in the airline industry strive for. The mentality of working for an airline is the excitement of working together to create a wonderful experience for the public. This has become increasingly difficult as the responsibilities far exceed the pay. It is a good job these airlines are not going on bombing runs to Berlin the war would have lasted decades.

[@pippamellon8678]

We need more of these documentaries to show people what’s happening..well done to the team..

[@gdwnet]

The problem is it won't change anything. The companies will release press statements blaming everything else but them and everything will carry on while safety gets eroded.

[@julieemery8963]

Absolutely, the public are always left in the dark without any explanation, its not right after people have spent lots of money on their holiday😩😩😩

[@DanielTobinAyaka]

Thank you channel 4 for making these documentaries available.

[@thepvporg]

Companies don't want to employ people, thats the issue, profit over people.

[@thepvporg]

Also notice that all these issues arrived after BREXIT.

[@garyrea2320]

Not mentioning the OTT pandemic where the global system was shutdown. That’s the cause, lockdowns should never have happened.

[@brandrange2288]

Deeply shocked by the poor pay and hostile treatment of pilots, CAs, and ground staff on the part of the carriers. These people are the fundamental units in ensuring passengers’ safety and how they are treated reflects a lot on the mindset and culture of the airlines.

[@firstname4865]

Mass immigration means they can pay as little as possible, always someone else to do it

[@gdwnet]

@@firstname4865 Actually, no, that's not at all true. UK registered aircraft (G-something) can only have pilots that have passed the UK CAA pilots licence. Those pilots cannot work in the EU because their licences are not valid and vice versa. That's down to leaving the EU. Want to find someone else to blame? _they can pay as little as possible_ If only there was a law around minimum pay............ Nah, what a daft idea.

[@firstname4865]

@@gdwnet yeah we're not talking about middle class pilots

[@gdwnet]

@@firstname4865 _we're not talking about middle class pilots_ Nor am I. I'm talking about pilot licences. You just seem to want to blame immigrants and the middles classes rather than understanding how pilot licences and minimum wage actually works.

[@firstname4865]

@@gdwnet mass immigration drives down wages, that's a fact

[@TheTonytiger89]

25 years ago a baggage handler would have been a respectable career which allowed one to have a family, own a house, and drive a brand new car. Now it’s a poverty job which barely puts you above the breadline. It’s a microcosm of everything that’s gone wrong in this dump of a country.

[@firstname4865]

Argh but now there's millions of new people to replace you

[@wyzolma99]

Make CEOs personally liable for forcing staff to work outside rostered hours....Including cancellations etc.

[@anabellepreis1920]

What a groundbreaking idea!! Why don't you lead this revolution then, or posting nonsense is the best you can do?

[@chuckpenfold4748]

I live in Germany where things are relatively well organised but I have given up on flying. I plan to drive to Croatia next summer.

[@marita2007aus]

I love all 'airport' stories and have always been on-side with the staff. My suggestion was always to the passengers to 1. check their tickets 2. Get to the airport sooner than expected 3. Make sure they have all the required documents 4. Medical conditions affected with delays and increasing medications needed. . etc etc etc... After watching this program I feel more inclined for airlines to clean up their act to avoid these unnecessary delays.

[@KaraN-ug9lt]

"Wasn't prepared for the volume of people" No...THIS is what happens when you don't respect or value your staff enough, for the work they do and think they are disposable, and think you will be able to replace/ rehire them easily. Don't fire your ground staff (the literal people who keep your industry moving) when a pandemic hits because you don't want to pay them or facilitate them being able to claim furlough, then seem surprised or shocked when not everyone is willing to come back after a year of unemployment, that they had no choice or say in, and work for an employer who showed little compassion or concern when making mass numbers redundant with no safety net. The stress these workers are put under even before the pandemic was ridiculous and for only a tad over min wage! JOKE! but post pandemic...its diabolical!! When you do have enough staff to do the required job standards and security measures slip and in the aviation industry this can have horrendous consequences - Prime example in NO WAY should passengers be able to stick their heads through to the baggage handing area Oh surprise surprise blame the cleaners for the delay... the usual scapegoats, the lowest peg on the pole that is abused and taken the for granted at every stage. Despite having one of the most important jobs as its not just "cleaning" that they do, It's meant to be secure search and clean of the aircraft, as stated in their contracts and training - that is also dictated by the CAA! but is ignored and belittled but the aircraft providers at every turn. OH FANTASTIC making fatigued pilots fly planes... seems like the safest option, what could go wrong... opens another tab to put on air crash investigations Our Easy jet return flight from Pairs was delayed back in June and the way they rushed and shoved us onto the plane once it landed and we zoomed down the runway in order to keep the delay under the "allowed" delay time so they didn't have to compensate us was honestly comical, I didn't help that my sister was on crutches and couldn't move fast/ easily but no one seemed to care. Then when we landed we waited over an hour for luggage to come out which increased our parking fee.

[@firstname4865]

Shows you how the country would work without mass immigration. These airports would be forced to pay staff better and better benefits to their staff. With mass immigration there's people to replace them

[@timlewis5096]

This confirms my decision not to fly until the airports and flight companies have got their act together. I'm guessing it will be 2-3 years til things may improve

[@Kuukiet]

I have worked at the airports and up in the air since 2015 and have not returned since the pandemic. It is the ever worsening conditions and constant battles between the airlines and the staff about reducing the salaries. I'm not going back until the salaries reflect the job and the hours.

[@JNG889]

I worked for Manchester Airports Group, although not at Manchester. They are the most inept and clueless at what they do. The undercover reporting we’ve seen here is unsurprising. All they are concerned about is profit and working employees to the point to exhaustion. Whilst the airlines are responsible for the check-in process for their flights, one of the major issues is the replacement of “people at check-in desks” with automation, which you then rely on the general public being able to use at speed. As part of the cost cut, there’s never enough staff to then help those that struggle with this. Aviation processes have always been challenging except to the most experienced and it’s bad service and unfair to expect people to have to deal with this. As for MAG - they need to wake up and smell the coffee. You get more satisfaction from jamming your hand down the u-bend of a toilet than being on their payroll. Their corporate brand is “watch your career takeoff with MAG.” The reality is watch it nose-dive into the ground. Vile company.

[@cyberwalkerYT]

May I know what the problem with Boarder Force at Manchester? They seems to be more difficult to deal with compared to those at LHR.

[@davidpearn2484]

Yes most companies now are truly incompetent, pay peanuts you get monkeys 🐒.

[@lzh4950]

Meanwhile in my country's newest terminal 7 out of the 8 check-in rows/desks are automated. I haven't used that terminal yet but fingers crossed that they don't face any major hiccup

[@MeiinUK]

This is what happens when you privatise airports.. and want these management companies to be based on profits, than to work together with the sector alone and to stay strong. Many an airline used to be government-owned as well.. So there we go... and once, they are now privatised as well... what exactly did people expect anyway? Nothing comes from anything.. and if anything shows us, is that, even if you have oil.. and stupid management. Then nothing is that literally.... workable. So trade.. open trade is often carefully monitored... and here we are. No trades. Gone. Yeh, I do agree that Schipol was one of the best one, and then it was also bought out by foreign investors who want their returns. So why should it surprises anybody, to be fair ? It would have happened sooner or later anyway ? People take things for granted for so long... such that... Well....

[@MeiinUK]

@@lzh4950: HK also boasted about automation as well... up to the point that, even those computers needed an actual replacement time and period too. Cos people assume that autmation means to be able to run something forever without maintaining it. As with anything, every piece of equipment needs to be maintained. I recall when HK Airport first opened.... all their computers went wrong. And most of them didn't work... and it wasn't ironed out til like a good 6 months period. Same now, with their so called "check in desks"... being run by another small time supplier..... who wasn't accessed or could access those prioriety softwares. lol.... Same with the accountancy systems now in HK and in China too. LOL...."we want to join the WTO, but we don't want the cost of the running of those specific computers and infrastructures of those banks, or those computer companies etc"... WELL !!!!..... (That is right, the cost of the equipments CAN be MORE expensive than the actual value of the money that you print. That is CORRECT.)

[@jandedick7519]

We had a huge problem at Vancouver airport with people just not showing up for work. It was a mad house. People stranded, sleeping in the airport for days. What a mess.

[@aberamagold7509]

Most employers dont really care about their staff and think they can be replaced, not caring how it effects their lives, by anyone.

[@alexandermichael117]

Reason why I'm not traveling at present, is the Airports are a mess. Manchester is the WORSED, as I live near it, the staff, the whole Airport is a mess. It's not getting better but worse, no way I'm waiting outside to fly away, I'll wait, save money, and go around the UK in the mean time.

[@04williamsl]

Manchester airport was bad pre-covid, worse during covid, however I've just flown from there in November and honestly it was the quickest I've ever gone through security (in both directions). Going again in March, so hopefully we have a similar experience, but yeah, it's a lot better now than it's been in the last 5+ years.

[@YourAvergeHuman1]

.I uuyu7

[@alexandermichael117]

@@04williamslnot many on here will believe that.

[@mark_8719]

@@04williamsl agree I always avoided manchester before covid, was always horrible. Flew out and in over the last 2 weeks, quickest its ever been.

[@anabellepreis1920]

How do I, an immigrant, know that it's *bad, worse and WORST* (not worsed),and you brits don't know how to spell basic words in your native language and the only one you know 99% of the time, and don't know the difference between there,their, they're // your, you're??

[@Volkhari]

Seeing all the footage and chaos of sorting out the hold luggage, I'm reminded why I only ever take a cabin bag. No worry of it getting lost, no queuing for checking it in, and can just leave straight away once you arrive at your destination. Obviously there are times where you need a proper suitcase, but I feel like for a regular week long holiday you can get away with just taking a cabin bag. Hold luggage isn't worth the stress, cost and risk just to get a bit more luggage space..

[@nicholasthompson7690]

Same! I try to pack carry on always

[@lorrainebennett7528]

More often than not passengers are asked to check in their cabin bags due to lack of space in the cabin, I don't mind but people with connecting flights would!

[@Minniemooz]

Same! I took just a small bag and 10kg cabin bag for my 10 day holiday the other week. Just rolled up all my clothes and it all fit fine.

[@Volkhari]

@@Minniemooz yep its all you need a lot of the time. I was on a 5 week trip across Spain and Austria a couple of months ago, managed no bother with a cabin bag + under the seat bag. It does feel good just walking straight out of the airport while so many people wait for suitcases lol

[@lindamcdaniel8958]

😅

[@richieyyz]

This story brings back so much anxiety. As an airline employee in Canada working in YYZ as a gate agent and check in agent we lost so much experienced staff during the pandemic. Once the flood gates opened we were like deer in headlights and the company was not able to staff any area adequately. There were so many times when I was boarding a flight at a gate on my own. Most of the time there would be 2-3 agents and it is a wonder that so many of us did not burn out and go on a medical leave. Glad to say things are better now but it did take a very long time to recover. Thanks for sharing this story.

[@c.t5136]

After Charles de Gaul, Birmingham is the worst airport that I have ever been through. This documentary has warned me not to bother with Manchester - ever, and having tried EasyJet once, never again also! Thank you, Jane and your undercover reporter.

[@debsday5445]

Manchester is a nightmare

[@easycake3251]

Same in the Hotel Industry. And what people usually do then is go vent their frustration on the people that show up for work. The only thing that does is make sure those people quit too. You want to blame someone ? Blame the management. Its not a shortage of people, its record low wages that expect you to work for 3 people. More can be found easily. But then the yearly bonuses would not look quite so nice.

[@davidcole333]

So, these people that are quitting...are they good workers? Do they show up on time? Do they give an honest 8 hour shift? Do they follow policy? Do they call out and accumulate attendance points? Why should "management" pay more for workers that are underperforming? Why should they pay more for unskilled labor? Don't accept the position to begin with if it doesn't pay well enough for you. If they can't hire anyone at $XX an hour, they will raise the starting wage until they can. Companies don't exist to provide a comfortable lifestyle for its workers. They exist to maximize profits. Same thing you would do if it was your name over the door.

[@easycake3251]

@@davidcole333 And I dont disagree at all. Hence why I am saying, people vent frustration on the ground level guy who makes zero of the decisions that resulted in "you" getting bad service. The guy whos name is on the door is interested in milking both the worker and client. Its like going to a restaurant, the food is bad, and you blame the guy that served you. Its delusional thinking. May make you feel better, but then again it wont change anything. On top, there is no "qualified" or "unqualified" worker when you have to work understaffed for 2-3 people. There is only burnt out.

[@nicholasthompson7690]

@@easycake3251 Or ppl will vent online

[@jbar_85]

I would have a panic attack waiting in that line!

[@dianapeek6936]

At 80 year old, I honestly don't think I'll ever be in a position to fly back home to the UK. I just couldn't cope.

[@lizeggar2421]

​@@dianapeek6936don't fly in holiday time. Fly out of season. Of course, then you run the risk of being snow bound, as I almost was. Missed it by one day.

[@LucaSitan]

I haven't flown anywhere in over two years and won't do any time soon. It's chaos everywhere, no matter where you go. It seems that all the airlines and airports have made the same mistakes. I feel most sorry for the frontline staff, they have to deal with the consequences and it's none of their doing :(

[@rosen9425]

If this is or was the going working environment I'd encourage anyone not needing that particular job to leave mid shift. Just bail, anyone is so on the losing side of that deal it's pathetic

[@ramblingrob4693]

I haven't been on a plane since 1991

[@aberamagold7509]

​@rosen9425 The problem is if you have one of these horrible jobs that barely pay a living wage, let alone allow you to save any of it, there's no way you're in a position to just up walk off the job.

[@kibaanazuka332]

Remember traveling out of Florence, IT last year and had to endure waiting 2 hours to check in for my flight due to an airport strike at the time. Which meant I missed my original connecting flight in Amsterdam and had to wait 6 hours for the next available one.

[@ellee2937]

“They refused to work because they were exhausted “ 😳 can one blame them? Overworked & complaints of being underpaid do not make for productive employees. studies do show that fatigue causes accidents & airlines can get sued for millions but priceless lives r lost unnecessarily so does cost savings really make sense in long run? 😮

[@ianyoung9539]

Having spent 23 years in airline industry, mst as cabin crew member, the good imes are now over for staff and passengers. Airlines have taken on the "American ethos" - tif it doesn't make max profit, then forget it. Airfares were once very cheap, but it meant 95-100 of seats had to be filled to cover costs, so say good bye to cheap fares. The airline I worked for now has employees working under 4 contracts, some with crew from other countries, paying basically a bus conductors wage where others are higher, so it causes conflict on some flights when different contacted crews talk about their salaries & conditions, but are doing exactly the same work. Check in staff, baggage handlers, engineering & maintenece staff & cleaner have been hired to do the job, and they keep quitting due to work conditions and Swissport & Dnata along with other emerging companies now do the jobs trained airline staff used to do, without the wage or conditions. If you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys!!!!

[@lostintransit5822]

You should investigate the legalised robbery of the car park fees while waiting for baggage that takes hours to be processed in arrivals. I work as a chauffeur and won’t pick up at Manchester airport anymore

[@anabellepreis1920]

Never seen arrivals misspelled before...

[@lostintransit5822]

@@anabellepreis1920 annabellend go troll somewhere elss

[@shaneD7378]

I work at one of the airports mentioned on this. One of the biggest issues is PASSES, not to go into too much detail. The airport pass application process is so longwinded and over complicated and causes so much stress and anxiety. I started working via an agency. Now I direct for a company so my pass has to be changed. considering I have a full pass it's taken over 5 weeks to transfer and 3 of those weeks the airport ID centre has been sitting on my application.its not just an isolated issue for me I know about 5 college's in the same situation

[@ArialAElise]

I see the risks associated with handing passes Out without appropriate checks though ..tricky

[@ProfessionalKonigSimp]

Yeah i will admit the checks are really long winded but it feels necessary, especially anything security related. Although I would’ve thought people who already hold passes would have an easier time than people like me applying for jobs for the first time

[@maxvandenberg955]

At the airport I work for, the standard screening procedure is 8 weeks. And after that the member of staff applying may make a booking to get his/her badge. It’s a factor, but only a very small percentage get refused on those grounds. Bigger problem is attracting enough staff in the first place.

[@wkgurr]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="720">12:00</a> I thought it was possible to get married in the UK too. How about even getting married in the town where most of the participants in this joyful event live? So they can walk to the celebration? And the bride wouldn't have to feel so drained afterwards.

[@chatapratt7680]

Lol people have destination weddings all the time. She probably wanted to get married at someplace other than dreary England. With normal operations getting there shouldn’t be an issue. People should be able to go to anywhere they like. This is the airlines problem.

[@Roadent1241]

Bold of you to assume most people live in the same area XD

[@harrygibbs9436]

The French ATC are ALWAYS on strike. This often means re-routing flights to avoid French airspace. I notice the researchers didn't bother to mention this.....

[@boxerr1100s]

Manchester Airport is an embarrassment.

[@raquetdude]

Rail, water, electricity, airports, broadband, nhs… all should be owned by the British state or at least be overseen by the state. Foreign nations and foreign investment firms shouldn’t control/own our national essentials. Essentials shouldn’t be designed around profit especially when these companies never invest in their own firms.

[@arghjayem]

Yeah, unfortunately that’s never gonna happen- with either the current government nor on the off chance “Labour” get in.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

All of the industries you listed with the exception of the NHS can and did make profits when under state control. If they didn't, the foreign investors would'nt be extracting eye-watering profits. The NHS's profit is health and happiness and a healthy population who can work. There is a reason many of these industries were state-owned: The private sector is only interested in extractive profit but is inneficient and does not re-invest

[@_Ben4810]

Precisely....Go to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha & these airports are a national source of pride...We've so lost our standards here...

[@clairepapadatos1116]

I totally agree with 'Mikey'! The Covid Situation was an exception to the rule, but I really don't understand how, when we were 'coming out of Covid' that plans weren't immediately put into place to deal with the onslaught of passengers, whilst still offering the same pre Covid service!

[@ambydaly5713]

Hi Jane the biggest holdup at all the airports has been caused by some bright spark creating the single queue for all passengers. Before, each airline had its own queue for each flight. I can remember flying to Las Vegas a few years ago when this single queue system was introduced and even then the ground hostess were walking along the queue calling out for various flights that were due to go shortly. So even then, this system didn’t work. When are the people in charge going to wake up and sort the queuing system out and revert back to the old system. Also it was very rare for bags to be lost with the old system because the booking in Clark put a tag on each bag when you booked in. This is a case of new system is no good and someone needs a kick up the backside.

[@michaelotieno6524]

It is way cheaper for airports and airlines to have one queue instead of several. To management it wasn't a bright idea to try and improve anything but an idea to try and reduce costs and maximize profit (increase shareholder value). We are no in an era of hyper capitalism seeing an airline CEO telling staff to violate safety regulations for the sake of the bottom line, it is the exact same thing that happened with the Boeing 737 Max - in the end all the CEO has to worry about is paying a fine not jail time.

[@ucheucheuche]

Imagine you order your new car, but on going to collect it the company blames delivery drivers for being on strike, and so you cannot have your car. And NO, you can't get any compensation or refund. THIS IS HOW RIDICULOUS THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY SOUNDED LIKE in this video!

[@bradleythomas27]

Paid absolute peanuts on the ramp as a baggage loader, as Cabin Crew or as Check in and gate agents. Its a career like many others that no one can sustain or live on and those that try either have someone (a partner) that earns substantially more than them or they live in shared accomodation. If they sort the wage out and pay better, these airlines and handlers will get far more interest in their vacancies and maybe even attract previous employers back! I for one left the airport because of these shocking pay packets. I now earn 3 and a half times more in the city than i did at the time working for Servisair at Gatwick and Heathrow, and guess what...i still struggle to get by! WORK THAT ONE OUT!

[@lily_m3538]

British Airways has to be one of the worst offenders when it comes to compensation or rebooking using one of their useless vouchers. Rebooking using a voucher trying to speak to a person which is impossible. Their goal is that people will give up.

[@MP-jy5ic]

Thought all the vouchers could now be used online? I picked up 8 of them during covid and they all turned into online vouchers and have manged to book with all of them

[@pmrose18]

Theyre all equally crap, Try Oman Air Business class........left us starnded at the airport for 13 hours.

[@Habu2]

Quite agree Lily.....sly ba*****s. My partner and I lost a grand when we had to cancel a flight a few years back.

[@ProfessionalKonigSimp]

Not sure how it’s sly when its in the terms and conditions that they wont refund you but instead give vouchers if you willingly cancel on your own terms. Bit different if they cancel the flight with no alternative, but if you cancelled your own flight and they gave you a voucher, that is their terms?

[@Habu2]

@@ProfessionalKonigSimp Well you have a point but have you heard of customer service ?

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

My employer has two large offices in the Netherlands and one of our senior directors from there came over to the UK around the time this was filmed. He was truly angry about the situation at Schiphol on his outbound trip and said it was a national embarrassment because the Netherlands shouldn't be like that. Friend of mine says she had similar issues in Barcelona flying back to Glasgow. Also the airports in New Zealand were having trouble coping with demand once the country started to open up again. It's worth pointing these things out to pre-empt the absolute balloons who try to blame everything on Brexit. It's a global problem.

[@joebannon9443]

Forty years of international travel & I have found Schiphol one of the far better airports. British airports are on a par with third world country airports & CDG a combination of incompetence & totally disinterested staff (should have tried harder at school). The only item consistent in the U.K. has been the decline. Travel is far better via regional airports.

[@Unknown_Ooh]

It doesn't matter if you hire 4,000+ new baggage handlers when you fire all of your experienced staff. Of course there's gonna be delays until your new staff becomes experienced enough or if you have a high turn over rate on employees you will never be as efficient as you were before the pandemic.

[@mastersingleton]

Unfortunately this is not an isolated case but happens at almost every country and airport.

[@nicc5122]

Rubbish, We've flown through manchester, johannesburg x 6 times, jfk, frankfurt, maun (MUB), dublin and heathrow. Manchester is THE WORST. others acceptable to very good. Not 'every airport' and 'every country' but enough to know MAN is THE WORST. Over the past 12 months have used manchester as departure/arrival all except one flight via heathrow. All except once have we just got to MAN departure at 'last call'.

[@mastersingleton]

@@nicc5122 Well I said 'almost' every country and airport.

[@samk_8426]

Gone through many different airports in Europe during last 12mo and haven't seen any issues or major delays. Had one flight cancelled, but it was due to storm and refund was given instantly

[@lzh4950]

Think this problem is less severe at many Asian airports as aviation demand hasn't recovered as much there, with countries there slower to open up at the end of the pandemic e.g. Singapore's Changi airport was operating only @ 1/2 its pre-pandemic demand while European & American airports were operating at 90%

[@MeiinUK]

@@nicc5122: Manchester didn't used to be this bad. It used to be pretty international and well run.. when it transitioned into an EU airport, rather than to also support their international flights, this is whereby it went Pete Tong... they should've focused on the better routes, and the smoother routes... as with anything sometimes, the more you focused on this, the more people want a piece of the action AND pie.. and the worst it becomes as people compete and ruin the very thing which benefits everybody. Cest la vie....

[@two_cent]

The airline definitely should be held accountable. Hit in the pockets enough times they'll fix something

[@Englishman999]

Think it through. If, as you suggest, they are 'hit in the pocket' they will have to increase prices in order to recover those costs, they'd also have to increase the prices to generate more revenue to pay for the 'fixes'. It could be argued, indeed is argued that air travel has been too cheap for too long and it's that, pandemic aside' that has led to the mess we now see. As with everything, you buy cheap, you get cheap. Almost all of the airlines featured in this video are budget airlines. Britain, along with many other countries just loves to buy on price, rarely quality. That's fine, but never expect more than you really pay for. So no, best not hit them in the pockets, not unless you too want an end to cheap air travel.

[@two_cent]

@@Englishman999 if you do nothing then nothing will be done.

[@Englishman999]

@@two_cent Is that your 'clever' answer? In case you missed it, nowhere did I say 'do nothing'. What I did say was that hitting them in the pockets would be stupid. You think when people don't think like you that they don't think at all, is that it?

[@MeiinUK]

These are small time internal EU flights. So why would and why should they operate like the old international flights... which was kind of backed as well ? Or insured ? People take things for granted too much. So yeh... way... hay... for EU. They can dig from their own pockets and everything, so why not ? They can afford it.

[@michaelotieno6524]

@@Englishman999 It is better to have the airlines pay fines and increase the ticket prices. Eventually, some airlines will figure that if we can improve efficient and make savings by not having to pay fines we can lower our ticket prices and kill the competition. Eventually, all airlines will figure out that is is much cheaper and profitable to be more efficient.

[@cafsixtieslover]

We flew to Italy last year with Easy Jet and we did not know until the last minute whether everything was going to be OK. Luckily our flights left on time and my wheelchair user husband had excellent service at both ends at both Gatwick and Milan. I am so glad that we did not fly until August so things had calmed down a bit. We do usually cruise now without flying as it is far easier.

[@roverchap]

Flew through Manchester Airport at the end of October on Jet 2 to Malaga. Terminal 2 was really good, very modern and efficient. We had no queues or problems at any point in the journey, and the same when we landed back at Manchester a week later. Obviously, it is not as busy as in the summer when this report was filmed, and we thought it was a very good experience. Hopefully they have got it sorted now. If you live in northern England Manchester is the only airport with a good range of flights to lots of places so you're stuck with it really.

[@lightningtwostrikes4317]

Jet2 have their own baggage staff and ground crew. They have performed better. The problem is with the contractors employed to run the airport. They are an absolute chaos and continue to be.

[@MeiinUK]

@@lightningtwostrikes4317: Jet2 did not used to have their own team of ground staff and their baggae staffs... And yes... the old British Commonwealth routes used to be what trained those individuals. I don't know whether Jet2 is doing the right thing here or not. Even now, they are a listed company. And this is what the whole EU project was all about.. and yes, these companies, and these people shapes the world which we live in today. So yeh.. no more commonwealth countries really. So yeh.. I don't get why so many people still then want cheap goods, or to do their "one single stop shop".... And yet, so many manufacturing doesn't even start in Europe at all any more either. It's gone. So why buy from Third World countries then, if at that? This is also precisely why in the USA, they no whave their own airlines. Companies like Amazon enters the arena with their own private planes for goods and services... Gone are the state-owned airlines now. Which is a shame.

[@s.g2344]

To be fair to Easy Jet ive personally never had a problem with them unlike BA and other bigger companies. Side note: I really want Dispatches to go behind the scenes of private nurseries/childcare centres - i worked in a few and some nurseries are just shocking 😢😢

[@mailman63155]

I would recommend that all airlines immediately cut their number of flights by 15% until delays/cancelations reach pre-pandemic levels. It should be accompanied by an intense See Britain and Stay-cation campaigns.

[@aprildec5518]

And which lawyer/ lawyers or law firm are lobbying for better laws and compensation for passengers who are victims of greedy airline owners and contractors.

[@ianjameshodges1509]

British Airways treated their long serving staff appallingly.. Staff that had given their loyal service over years were just thrown on the heap..

[@marnidamoulakis3827]

My goodness, it’s a bad day if a security check point isn’t passed in 10 mins in Sydney. Melbourne’s not bad either I flew out from London in 2015 to Australia and it was the same thing, less than 10 mins to pass through

[@nicklund9572]

I traveled out of MAN September 28th 22. Security was a mess, bags backed up and hundreds of wall to wall passengers. Lost sight of my bag and it took several minutes before it came through the scanner. I did not consider the need to check the contents of my bag and was in a hurry to get out of the cluster and head to the gate. Never had anything stolen by security staff previously. After I returned to the US and was putting my stuff away and realize a large sum of cash my Mom had gifted me was gone from my wallet leaving me about 600 GBP in twenties. Whoever got my cash got a HUGE windfall and I hope, but doubt, a guilty conscience.. They won't let you carry your wallet on your person and I know why! Great bennies for airport security staff. I do believe most of them are honest and take their position seriously. Keep your cash to a minimum going through Manchester..

[@david-reason]

This sounds like a story from a 3rd world country! But then again, Britain has become a 3rd world country lately. Ha ha ha - I left in 2009 and I'm never come back!

[@emeraldhope8829]

What??? They won't let you carry your wallet on your person? What the heck is that all about? There is no way I'd ever consider packing my wallet or purse in a bag that was taken out of my sight. This has gone beyond what any of us should accept.

[@diane4488]

Working at airports as a cleaner, or baggage handler, was always well paid, when I was young. They paid premium salaries, far better than anyone could earn, doing similar work locally. The travel sector was a privileged area to work in, which meant you got very good service, and it was a real pleasure, as a passenger. Delays were pretty rare. Clearly now, it's like a cattle market. Staff are poorly paid, overworked, stressed, and treated in a very disrespectful way - from baggage handlers, to pilots. The public have gone along with the legislation, cutting back on union rights, over the last few decades. Now there is no real support for staff, or expert negotiators, negotiating salaries, and working conditions etc. Greed, by corporations, and company directors has destroyed many industries. I'm just pleased that I'm older now, and don't have to be a part of it all.

[@Kiinell]

Well, that's me never ever flying Whizz Air. I cannot believe their CEO actually sat there and said "We are all fatigued, but sometimes we have to go the extra mile." NO. NO NO! Pilots should be told the exact opposite. If you feel anyway fatigued you should feel confident enough to decline a flight. I hope that CEO is fired. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

[@peterfinn6098]

The airport even has a scandalous cheek of charging £5 to drop off passengers. How can this have been allowed, a major international airport: shame people don’t boycott the place or as on other countries just riot or drop off on roundabouts until power of the people wins. Glad I’m out of the UK. The quality of the new T2 renovation uses the cheapest materials too and is incorrectly designed for passenger ease. Also as a baggage handler for British Midland over 20 years ago as a student, the management would always come down and help when too many sickness or staff shortages situations arose in the busy summer. Shows how they give a shite today!

[@richardincm]

The £5 drop-off charge is also now being applied at Heathrow & Gatwick too.

[@peterfinn6098]

@@richardincm rip off Britain and they accept it, terrible!

[@alopexlagopus626]

What I learned is that you need a media to help you get the compensation you deserve.

[@wkgurr]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2060">34:20</a> Break in Amsterdam. I can check within 30 seconds the travel time by train from London to Amsterdam Centraal. It takes between 4 and 5 hrs, there are 4 connections a day two of which are direct. Return the trip takes between 5 and 6hrs. That couple could have been back home in the UK the day of their cancelled flight. No reason to take the plane for such short hops.

[@donaldholder782]

Completely agree

[@WhakataneMaori]

Flew into Auckland New Zealand last week. Immigration was a breeze as a kiwi, but when we picked up our bags, we had to wait at least an hour and a half to go through customs. I estimated that by the time i got in line and near the front there was about 1000 people behind me. Only fpur planes had landed, from San fran, Tokyo, Singapore and New York. I missed my connecting flight. New Zealand is having the same issues.

[@MaartenOosterbaan]

This is probably an unpopular opinion. But we’ve got ourselves to blame for a large part of this chaos. We all were fine with the low low low cost of flying we were offered. This is the other side of that. Race to the bottom for the cheapest services. All to go on holiday on the cheap…

[@paulaosborne9534]

Absolutely disgusting that all they pay is $9.76 an hour for baggage handlers. I’m in the US and our federal minimum wage is STILL $7.25! Hasn’t went up since 2009!! People refuse to work for that now, so it forced employers to pay more. Most people here won’t work for under $10 an hour now,and at that wage, there better not any physical labor involved. Lol. The baggage handlers in my area start out at $18.00 an hour and larger cities like NY and LA pay them way more than that because the cost of living is higher there. I guess my point is, is you want a good worker, who’s going to be productive and one that will give a shit about the work they do, then pay them accordingly. Pay them a little amount, and you’ll get very little work out of them 🤷‍♀️

[@nicholasthompson7690]

We have tons of open jobs here in Cincinnati area where I am. It's crazy

[@burntearth85]

This! In Canada (at least where I'm at) min wage is $15. That's what rampies start at, then they wonder why applicants don't stay. You can go across the highway and make more, for less work

[@rosen9425]

Putting the pressure on. At some point the discussion of slashing executive compensation has to arise. Corporations can't expect to flog customers with price hikes and slashing working staff wages while taking a massive chunk for themselves without blinking. If the company tanks, so does their bonuses. Time to pony up for decades of fleecing!

[@Cali-707-ica]

In California, the minimum wage is now $15.50. Still it’s not enough to live on. Fast food workers are making in some cases $23 an hour.

[@davidcole333]

Higher minimum wage is not the answer. Minimum wage goes up, everyone else's net wage goes down. In the USA, no one pays $7.25 an hour, no one. The way you approach it is to not accept a position that pays less than what you're willing to work for. If you need more money, you need to bring more to the table. Employers owe no one a living, they owe no one a minimum standard, they are not in business to provide corporate welfare. If their working conditions do not match the wage offered, you leave. That's how you approach it, not demand a higher minimum wage which just devalues everyone else's check.

[@rosieHolliday5887]

Oh gosh...I mean it's been a while since I last flew anywhere & it's probably going to be longer before I ever do again considering how broke I am, but OMG I don't know if I've ever seen an airport that busy at 4am before in my life. I can feel the anxiety by just watching it hahaaa. If I turned up to an airport that early & had to slowly shuffle my way through the queues with that many people I'd have a panic attack without a doubt. Looks horrific & I'm only 4 mins into this video

[@04williamsl]

It's not like that now, just flew in November and it's the quickest I've ever been through Manchester Airport (in both directions). We got there for about 4am for a flight just after 6, through security in 20 minutes with no problems. I've flown from there about 10 times now, and November was the best experience (September 2021 was horrendous, however, which will have been about when this was filmed or just after)

[@Taylor23890]

@@04williamslNov compared to school holidays it’s going to less busy

[@paulone805]

Dream on

[@Anon-xd3cf]

You'd be quicker driving from the UK to Australia than flying in 2023. Cheaper too.

[@BhagyaBlossom]

I am so glad I am not travelling since the pandemic. There are lots of nice places in the UK to explore

[@Roadent1241]

Would you be able to recommend some, to someone who's used to being trapped in the middle of the sticks and is a smidge bored of trees and fields after a quarter of a century? XD

[@realltoxic1118]

if theses company's pay staff a good wage then everything would be good, over a 1500 suitcases a shift or more is unreal

[@jerryforeman4543]

Great report!

[@Phierecephairy]

I work at one of Canadas biggest Airport We are experiencing the EXACT same thing

[@stevensarson482]

Manchester Airport was once a jewel in the city’s crown. Epstein sculpture, chandeliers and the thrills of modern jet aircraft. It is now a rather shoddy color ruin of portacabins where the public go to be treated like lab rats and to be shouted at in accents that are difficult to cipher. Fast Track services are often not operating and the waiting areas/food courts are often dirty and close before you’ve returned from trying to find a functioning WC. I’m sure there are worse but apart from Liverpool I just haven’t found it yet.

[@eveoakley6270]

We’ll stay in the UK and tour in our little camper van thank you 🛣 To think, I once dated the CEO of Manchester Airport, when he worked in HR at the factory I worked in. Now all he’s doing is sitting behind a desk and collecting his millions of pounds bonus while everyone else is suffering this chaos 😡

[@anabellepreis1920]

So he's worked his way up from HR AT SOME FACTORY to the CEO of Man airport, and you're bitter because you're "happy" cruising in a tiny van all over the country instead of living in a nice house. Don't pretend like you care about those suffering from flight cancellations etc...all types of transport gets cancelled and delayed. People like you are pathetic, truly, don't want to do what's needed to make it, yet moan and complain about those that do as if they took something from you or stopped you.

[@eveoakley6270]

@@anabellepreis1920 bless you sweetie 😘 and my camper van is not tiny, when I say little, it’s a whopper really and 200,000 pounds worth dear 😘 coz I later married a very successful man who doesn’t sit back and take million pound bonuses while his employees suffer and get paid off . Put that in ya pipe and smoke ya daft cow.

[@italianjesus99]

I doubt he’s happy.

[@ianmorris7485]

It didn't take Einstein to work out that sacking people during the pandemic was going to come back to bite companies on the backside when travel restrictions were lifted because of pent up demand. Then trying to get staff to return on reduced wages was always going to compound the issue. Companies are completely to blame for chasing the money and treating staff like slaves.

[@2081dwillis]

As my flying instructor would always tell me "Time to spare ? Go by Air"

[@williampatrickfagan7590]

No problems with Ryanair. They held onto their staff and made sure the aircrew both pilots and cabin crew kept their hours up so as to hold their certificates to work in in the air. They flew empty planes.

[@flitsertheo]

In Belgium their staff go on strike because they are not even paid the Belgian minimum wages, instead still paying them according to less beneficial Irish laws.

[@williampatrickfagan7590]

@@flitsertheo Well, at least they have the right to strike. The U K is talking about making it illegal to strike. Having said that, O Leary said in an interview a few years ago, that his profits are wafer thin. 1 euro per passenger flight taken. But this year he hopes to carry around 150 million souls. His answer to your post would be to tell them go work elsewhere. He has, to be fair to him, done for the working person flying, the same as Ford did to the working person and driving. I am one of those who fly Ryanair. He said one time, my planes are full of people who swore they would never again fly Ryanair. I am that man who so swore that.

[@flitsertheo]

@@williampatrickfagan7590 I don't know if they actually have the 'right' to strike, according to company policy. But nothing stops a Belgian and especially a Wallonian (airport in Charleroi) from striking if (s)he wants to.

[@williampatrickfagan7590]

@@flitsertheo European Union law protects them if they strike. Something that the Brexshiteers are giving up.

[@MariaCarabin]

I have friends who spent decades in the aviation industry and quit over covid, because the industry used that time to downgrade their already meagre salaries and conditions further. I am lucky to be in a country with good public transport and have opted for train travel only, since 2019. I will only fly if I ever need to go to the US or Asia, but in Europe I'll use the train! Delays at Deutsche Bahn are also annoying, but it's nothing like this.

[@Wing8565]

The problem is that passengers want to pay as low as possible for their seat on an aircraft and the Airlines pay for their handling is lower. So the handling agents puts 1 to 2 people in the baggage hall and 3to4 men at the aircraft said and 1 dispatcher 3to4 check-in staff then you got all the equipment you need to work on that flight for the handling agency to make a profit if they put more members of staff per flight handling agency loses money. I worked at Manchester airport for 24y, I’ve seen cheap budget airlines come and go and the job has got harder to do with less men

[@rosen9425]

Flying has become cattle transport. Standing isles and a harness will be the next move, probably Ryanair first

[@emeraldhope8829]

Sorry, the problem is NOT the passengers. They've been treated like cattle for many years. I started flying in the early 60's. Even though there have been many changes in the industry since then, there is no reason for the airlines to treat their staff like slaves, to treat their passengers like caged animals and to expect to rake in the cash for their top executives and administrators. The pandemic was just an excuse for them to get rid of long-term rules, staff and an excuse to treat the public like trash. That one man at the end of the video either is a great liar or he really doesn't have a clue. I wondered how he could keep a straight face during that interview.

[@04williamsl]

A year before the pandemic we flew from Manchester Airport. Flight was about 7.45 in the morning with EasyJet. We'd stayed overnight at a local hotel, then dropped the car off in one of those park and rides nearby. We were told a bus comes around every 15minutes to collect passengers. We got to the bus stand in the car park for 5am, almost 3 hours BEFORE the flight was due to depart. 45 minutes later and finally a bus turned up, but we thought, we, still fine, we've got about 2 hours to get through security, no problems! No, security was backed up almost as badly as this. 15 minutes before our flight was due to depart we were still in security and got told if our flight was leaving in the next half hour to push to the front of the queue. We did, and only just made the terminal at the time it was due to depart. We had to wait a further 30 minutes for other passengers to get on board who'd also been stuck. This issue hasn't come into place because of the pandemic, it was already bad. In September 2021, we again flew from Manc at about 7.30am. Security took about an hour and 15 minutes (so an improvement!), however returning it took us almost 2 hours to clear. Meanwhile, those with American passports were through in 20 minutes as they went down a different queue. Absolutely shocking. March 2022, again flew from Manc airport with EasyJet... no issues whatsoever. Through security in 20 minutes, however our flight was just after 6 and was about the fifth of the day, so I'm not sure if the lack of flights before helped. Returning, we landed 40minutes before our train was due to depart... and we made it with 10 minutes to spare. No problems. So, I'm hopeful Manchester Airport has now fixed things. But we'll see

[@MarkUKInsects]

Pre pandemic I twice flew transatlantic from Gatwick, via Manchester. Both times we left Gatwick on time, but after stopping at Manchester were held up over an hour with the excuse there no available take off slots, I had a clear view of the runway and there was only one plane every 6-7 minutes. You could tell from the sarcasm in the captains announcement he wasn't buy that excuse either. So I was not in the slightest surprised by Manchester featuring in this documentary

[@Johnycum]

Was there recently it's still a shambles. No air circulating at all just stale dead air it's horrible cueing for 3 hours, just breathing other peoples breath..

[@brickiebrigg3022]

Stop moaning and fly from another airport if you don't like it

[@MarkUKInsects]

@@brickiebrigg3022 I don't like it, and I have done that, even though I have to pay for it. Avoid MAN, dip into you pocket for a better route and travel is so much better!!

[@brickiebrigg3022]

@@MarkUKInsects I'm poor so can't afford to go on holidays so I don't have these problems, I just go to work and get on with it

[@francinesicard464]

Well! In 2018, I had to go to Barcelona in emergency, and the only convenient last-minute flight was with Easy Jet. It takes me over an hour to get to the Geneva airport. Once there, I was told my flight was cancelled without any explanation. I never got there on time. I was so furious. The flight wasn't THAT cheap, and I won't go into details about my complaints which never received any response. Those low-cost airlines treat you like cattle. My previous flight with Easy Jet to London was nearly 3 hours delayed. I don't fly Easy Jet anymore. Period.

[@julieweiner1623]

I hate flying now. It is a nightmare

[@noellumleysavile5063]

I've never had any problems flying abroad because i never fly by charter and don't do package holidays....

[@laulau194]

Then that's just you being lucky (and seemingly a bit of a snob)

[@nicc5122]

We do not do package either, scheduled only and it is no different through manchester. MAN is the worst.

[@noellumleysavile5063]

@@nicc5122 I've only ever flown out of Heathrow or London City airport ..

[@lindagustafsson1337]

Lucky you are not flying into Amsterdam, as you wouldn't have been able to avoid the chaos of Schipol. You're not always immuned regardless if you only fly schedule.

[@Roadent1241]

You don't have friends in other countries?

[@mii481]

I work "behind the scenes" with logistics, and I can totally understand the feelings of the staff. When we, i.e. the "background staff" are not there, everything fall apart.

[@hanagara1907]

there is a certain airport where even before the pandemic, planes never left on time. The staff are also exceedingly rude. For example, I am disabled and do not require much assistance, I can walk just fine but I have a speech difficulty and people always incorrectly assume that indicates a learning disability. I was told "someone like you shouldn't be allowed to go on holiday alone"

[@_Ben4810]

A total lack of customer focus & service... The Swissport supervisor's first action is not to help the clearly frustrated passengers but call security on them instead...🙄 It seems Swissport are under no penalty or threat of loss of business...

[@lzh4950]

Well Swissport was offered a baggage handling contract at Singapore's Changi airport ~15-20yrs ago (which would break the monopoly by the state-owned/affiliated SATS (originally stood for S'pore Air Terminal Svcs I remember)) but quit after being unable to be profitable

[@kevinl8440]

Wtf is with all these people paying for a $50 roundtrip ticket with a budget airline out of an airport that caters to budget travel and then are surprised that they have a budget experience?

[@SS-mf5bz]

What I experienced at the hands of gulf air in Singapore and bahrain absolutely shocking worse than this clip what there going through

[@tracyniemeyer8691]

We went away in October and Manchester Airport is still as bad just constant queues all the time

[@Michele-ot8bh]

Fabulous report and shocking. Am so sorry for the “Victims “ and I don’t just mean the passengers but more the poor baggage handlers and staff.

[@kmcat]

What single traveller need to check in a bag for a shot trip. The carry on limit is perfectly adequate in 90% of cases

[@GuruJus]

Landed at Manchester Airport on the morning of 18th December. Swissport took 2½ hours to unload our bags. They're clearly no better, almost 6 months after this was filmed.

[@ambydaly5713]

Hi Jane, now that I have read more of your video I can understand how staff feel about returning to work for any airline that have offered loyal staff such poor renumeration to work for them. As an ex- shop steward I certainly would not put up with these type of employers. These employers are typical of the present government attitude to their employees today and causing the disputes in many of our public sector industries today. It can not be a co-incident that a similar mentality seems to be existing in those that are in charge of our industries today.

[@Binsonhope]

Moral of the story - don’t get married abroad

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

For real. I've heard about destination weddings where guests either couldn't afford to attend, or couldn't get there despite desperately wanting to because they had a medical condition or crippling phobia which stopped them flying. Even if you do force yourself onto the plane the anxiety of the return leg can spoil your entire trip. Have your wedding somewhere sensible, then just go to the 'destination' for a private honeymoon.

[@flitsertheo]

Your marriage should be one the most beautiful days of your life (until divorce day) so I can understand people wanting to enhance that feeling by marrying in sunny Corfu instead of getting soaked in rainy England.

[@ramblingrob4693]

@@flitsertheo Never rains in South Essex

[@flitsertheo]

@@ramblingrob4693 South Essex, the desert of England.

[@adriancurtin6012]

Anne is brilliant!!

[@gabrielstevens3884]

I had my flight cancelled with easyjet back in June. Luckily they gave me advance notice but I was not happy with options available as the other flights were at times that I couldn't get to the airport for. Also the flight they re booked me on to at the time of purchase was half the price of the one I had booked. Ended up getting a refund and flew out with Ryanair however the flight was delayed due to crew shortages and then had to queue for over 2 hours at passport control. I did fly easyjet in October and even though the flights went better you can still see there are staff shortages. Both our flights were operated by a different airline on behalf of Easyjet. Vueling in September at Gatwick had 2 check in desks open for 6 flights. British Airways are no better. I once had a flight cancelled because of an Italian Air Traffic Control Strike so the next available flight wasn't until the following day and they weren't offering overnight accommodation. Also with BA they cancelled my flight back from Amsterdam to Gatwick. Again there wasn't a flight until the next day however they did fly me to London City a couple of hours later. But they said that because I arrived within 3 hours that there would be no compensation. They didn't even refund the £18 train ticket I had pre booked from Gatwick to Southampton or the new ticket I had to buy to travel from London to Southampton.

[@Aaron-zh7qm]

A system with no accountability is destined to fail

[@Samoa21]

why are people going abroad for a holiday when they have £0 in their account and have to loan money to pay?

[@Roadent1241]

They had the money, the airports took it, cancelled flights, took time to refund so they didn't have the money back to try again. Not their fault if whatever company takes your £300 (let's say you have £600 in your bank) and cancels your flight, doesn't give it back and the next company's flight is £400...!

[@TheAbdo0]

for the standard one week /ten days holiday one should only take one carry on bag... you will never lose it and you will help with this crisis. Another trick is bring a shopping bag full of clothes, buy something from the duty free -not alcohol because they seal it- and just put your stuff in the duty free bag (free carry on bag)

[@gilenasimons7081]

Long ago, I flew all of the time for business and pleasure. I’m so happy I did that then and not now. I feel for our youth bc I do believe travel is essential to appreciate our world.

[@rmyers1000]

I just visited easyjet site, a return trip to corfu next April would cost me £80!!!! Don’t live in the UK, but that sounds unbelievably cheap. And can only be sustained by paying everyone involved in getting you there the bare minimum.

[@MrGollum27]

I'm actually not feeling too sorry for the folks having a hard time getting married in Corfu. But it's insane, how skilled workers are getting fired left and right.

[@deborahclarke1875]

I flew to Portùgal with BA Both going/returning 2 hours delayed. Got home 11pm!

[@tejana971]

How scary. Not doing Europe this year for sure.