UK

How travel firms are helping British holidaymakers in Rhodes

Jet2 is one of the holiday firms which has taken action to help British tourists on Rhodes (Nicholas T Ansell/PA)
Jet2 is one of the holiday firms which has taken action to help British tourists on Rhodes (Nicholas T Ansell/PA)

Flights rescuing British holidaymakers in Rhodes have begun arriving in the UK, as wildfires ravage parts of the Greek island.

People have complained about a lack of information from travel companies on how the incident will affect them.

How have different firms responded to the emergency?

FIRE Rhodes
(PA Graphics)

-Jet2

Jet2 announced it will operate three repatriation flights from Rhodes to bring holidaymakers back to the UK.

They will take hundreds of people to Manchester, Leeds Bradford and Birmingham on Monday evening.

It comes after a flight, carrying 95 passengers, landed at Leeds Bradford Airport on Sunday evening.

The company has “significantly increased” the number of its staff on the island.

It has cancelled all flights and holidays due to depart to Rhodes up to and including Sunday July 30 and has contacted customers with regards to potential refunds.

-Tui

Three repatriation flights landed in the UK overnight, with further plans to bring more people home “as soon as possible”.

Tui said it had cancelled all flights and holidays to Rhodes up to and including Tuesday July 25, with passengers receiving full refunds.

Those due to travel on Wednesday July 26 can change to another holiday or cancel free of charge.

It said customers currently in Rhodes will return on their intended flights home.

The firm said more than 300 members of staff are at the affected part of the island, urging customers to keep in touch with them.

–easyJet

easyJet announced it would operate repatriation flights to bring home British holidaymakers trapped on Rhodes.

Two rescue flights, an A320 and an A321 aircraft totalling 421 additional seats, will fly from Gatwick on Monday, and a third flight will operate on Tuesday.

Nine flights already operating between Rhodes and the UK will also continue alongside them.

Flights are still operating for customers booked to travel to or from Rhodes before July 29, but if they would like to change their plans, customers can change the date of their flight or request a flight voucher.

Greece Wildfires
Fires have swept across the south-eastern part of the island (Lefteris Diamanidis/InTime News via AP)

–Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook is offering to cancel and issue a full and swift refund to those due to travel to Rhodes on Tuesday, should customers no longer wish to travel.

It earlier announced it had cancelled all holidays to Kiotari and Lardos – the areas most at risk – up to and including Monday July 31, and would be in touch to offer full refunds.

Holidays in popular resorts including Faliraki, Kallithea, Ixia, Ialysos are continuing.

–British Airways

British Airways said it was still operating flights to Rhodes as normal.

However, customers currently on the island needing to come home early can change their return flight free of charge, and anyone travelling out from the UK in the next week can postpone their flight to a later date.

The firm has put a larger aircraft on the next flight from the island to accommodate customers who need to return earlier than planned.