Rufo originally planned an 11-day holiday to Sri Lanka with her boyfriend, but as reports of the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel intensified, they began to question whether their flights home would be affected.
No Etihad services flew on Sunday after airspace closures and her 04:00 UAE flight from Colombo the following day was confirmed cancelled at 02:00.
An email said the airline would be back in touch when it was time to rebook – but Rufo only learned about a possible flight next week after visiting the airport in person.
She said: “I think overall the communication has just been really bad.
“It is just impossible to get through to anyone on the live chat. There are no lines.”
Rufo added that she felt the airline should send out one clear email explaining the cancellation, what passengers should do next, whether to call or wait, and what they were or were not entitled to.
“It is unclear how to get booked on to another flight and it is unclear in what priority order.”
She said passengers at the airport seemed “quite stressed and anxious”, describing long queues and plenty of travellers also trying to return to London, but added that “everyone is in the same boat”.
Rufo said uncertainty around whether food and hotel costs would be reimbursed was one of the “most stressful parts” as they were told to keep receipts and claim later, although a representative has since indicated this is unlikely.