Thousands of UK travellers could be stranded until May

Monday, 26th April 2010

Up to 50,000 British travellers, already weary from a week spent sleeping on airport floors and washing in public toilets, may not get home until May.

Many are tired, hungry and running low on funds as airlines based outside the European Union are not legally-obliged to provide the stranded travellers with food or accommodation.

Airlines are struggling to get some holidaymakers home because the week-long suspension of airspace has left carriers without enough planes.

Industry sources estimate the total number of stranded British tourists could be as high as 50,000. Up to 30% of those may have booked directly with airlines, leaving them without the support of travel agents, whose real value often only becomes apparent in crises such as this.

Meanwhile, airlines have been highly-critical of what they see as an over-reaction and are seeking compensation from the government for the losses incurred during six days of travel suspension.

An embattled Gordon Brown, meanwhile, defended the suspensions and insisted that passenger safety was paramount.

But economic and political arguments are unlikely to be of much interest to the thousands of Brits who face many more days of chaos, cold floors and uncertainty abroad, especially in places like Bangkok, Thailand where local political violence has some tourists terrified of even leaving the airport.

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