Christmas getaway: Travel tips on how to avoid disruption

Data analysts Cirium looked at all departures scheduled between 20 December and 2 January and says that overall, this year will see 5% more departures compared with 2023.

The busiest day for Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham and Bristol airports is expected to be 22 December.

Strong winds have caused disruption to some flights. Heathrow said around 100 flights had been cancelled on Sunday.

A spokesperson for British Airways said that adverse weather and restrictions on the number of flights able to take off and land had led to some of its services being cancelled cancellations.

Mr Bray says customers should stay in touch with their airline and expect alterations.

Leaving plenty of time for travelling to your departure airport is sensible, as well as checking baggage rules as some airlines have changed their policies recently.

He also says that customers should always reconfirm their return journey before setting off.

Which? advises that passengers will also be entitled to assistance from the airline, with things like food and drink, if their flight is delayed by more than two hours.

“For short-haul flights, the threshold for compensation kicks in after a three-hour delay – but is only payable if the delay is deemed within the airline’s control, meaning you won’t be entitled to it if your plane is held up by a snowstorm or security incident,” Mr Boland says.

For cancellations, you should also get the choice of a refund or rebooking on the next available flight.