Travelers face flight disruptions and delays at Heathrow Terminal 3
Travelers face flight disruptions and delays at Heathrow Terminal 3
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Passengers arriving at London’s Heathrow Airport on Saturday described delays, confusion and uncertainty following widespread flight disruptions in the US, although some said they were fortunate to have avoided the worst of the chaos.
Emily, from Atlanta, was travelling with her two young children, aged eight months and almost three years, for a family holiday in London and Scotland. Their flight departed roughly two and a half hours late. She described confusion at the airport, saying there were no announcements in the lounge and little clarity about whether they would be able to leave. “It was just a weird experience because no one knew what was going on,” she said.
George, from Bristol, was returning from a holiday in Orlando and arrived at Heathrow around 50 minutes late. He took the disruption in stride. “Not much you can do about it, is there? Get on with it,” he said.
Tobias, returning from a business trip in New Jersey, said JFK airport was unusually quiet and calm despite the disruption. His flight was delayed by around 90 minutes. “I thought, oh Christ, this might be hell on earth,” he said, but found the airport surprisingly relaxed.
Olivia and Rob, also from Bristol, faced a longer journey home after their flight from Orlando was delayed by more than two hours at departure. Although the aircraft made up some time in the air, they missed their bus to Bristol and faced another two-hour wait at Heathrow. The couple said passengers at Orlando airport appeared to know more about the disruption than the ground staff.
Sean, from Seattle, arrived on time aboard an Alaska Airlines flight despite widespread cancellations at his home airport. Travelling to London for work, he said his flight was among the first to depart after the ground stop was lifted. “It was the weirdest on-time flight I’ll ever have in my life,” he said.