Easyjet reveals plan to ease travel chaos for passengers

More customer service staff employed to resolve issues

Easyjet has introduced new initiatives to reduce disruption for passengers. Bloomberg

EasyJet has unveiled new initiatives to help passengers travelling this summer after airports were mired in chaos through cancelled flights, lost baggage and huge queues.

The budget airline's plan to reduce the trauma for travellers includes extra customer service staff and the introduction of a hotline for families with young children.

Easyjet has been forced to scrap thousands of flights since travel restrictions were eased. Airports have also demanded that airlines rip up their schedules to reduce chaos in terminals.

Emirates and Heathrow were engaged in a row over how many flights should be cancelled and who was to blame.

Now, easyJet's customer service hours have been extended for the summer season and will now be open between 6am and 11pm, while a new hotline for families travelling with children under 12 has been introduced.

EasyJet, which is expecting to transport 6.2 million passengers this summer, says it has recruited 350 customer service staff and is opening a call centre in Milan.

The airline will also be stationing head office staff in UK airports to provide additional support to passengers, and has introduced interactive signage in airports.

It will also allow customers travelling on early morning flights to drop hold baggage off the evening before they travel.

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said: “Delivering a reliable operation this summer and providing a positive experience and the help our customers need when we take them away on their holidays is easyJet’s highest priority. We are introducing this new range of initiatives to provide additional support for over 6.2 million customers flying with us over the holidays, many of whom we know are taking their first long-awaited trip since the before the pandemic. And so by introducing new services, extending our customer service hours and adding more people to our customer service team than ever before, we are ensuring our customers have the support they need when they travel with us this summer.”

Travellers to the UK this summer should brace themselves for disruptions and changes to flight schedules. Reuters

Officials at Heathrow Airport have announced a cap on flights over the summer. Photo: Jonathon Heyward / Twitter

The cap on flights is aimed at cutting huge queues. AP

Airlines were told to stop selling tickets to the west London airport. AP

Uncollected suitcases pile up at Heathrow's Terminal Three baggage reclaim, as British Airways axed another 10,300 short-haul flights up to the end of October. AFP

Lines of passenger luggage lie arranged outside Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport. Reuters