The couple were left stranded at the airport
Thousands of holidaymakers have been caught up in flight disruptions and cancellations following a major cyber attack that caused chaos across computer systems throughout Europe and the UK.
London Heathrow was amongst the airports hit, with passengers enduring lengthy queues as services were either delayed or scrapped entirely.
In the wake of the attack, the European Union’s cyber security agency revealed that criminals are deploying ransomware to cause mayhem at some of the continent’s most bustling travel hubs.
As recently as Sunday, Heathrow insisted it was working to tackle the problem and emphasised that “the vast majority of flights have continued to operate”.
Yet this wasn’t the case for all services, including Rachel Waldrun’s journey from Heathrow to Lisbon.
The 41-year-old graphic designer from the West Midlands had been set to jet off to the Portuguese capital as part of a £2,000 birthday treat, but was forced to abandon her plans and arrange a staycation in Brighton instead.
Rachel, who made new bookings through selfcatering.co.uk, told ReachPlc that by being at Heathrow she and her partner found themselves “in the eye of the storm”, reports the Mirror.
Rachel said Heathrow was “chaos” with travellers “everywhere on foot, in queues and sprawled on the floors, not a nice environment – stress and anxiety was palpable”.
She continued: “We pivoted quite quickly because we knew that cyberattacks don’t get sorted very fast. Instead, we found a lovely two-bed cottage in Brighton. We can deal with the insurance claim later!”
Rachel revealed that although her birthday falls in July, they chose to travel abroad in September to avoid the school holiday rush.
However, despite not being able to experience Portugal, they found Brighton to be a delightful alternative, thanks to its renowned Palace Pier, Royal Pavilion and Brighton 360.
Reflecting on how Brighton held its own against destinations like Lisbon, Rachel mused: “I’ll know I’ll get to Lisbon one day.
“At the time it was very disappointing but we strolled around shops, ate and drank at lovely and quirky places and enjoyed walking by the sea.
“It was different to what I had expected and certainly different to the trip we had in mind…but Brighton over Lisbon? On this occasion hell yes. Beats the queues at Heathrow any day.”
Rachel’s choice of Brighton as her UK substitute for Lisbon follows warnings from the head of the pier she visited, stating that the city needed to do more to draw tourists if it was to thrive.
Anne Ackord, CEO of the Brighton Pier Group, cautioned that the city was overlooking the significance of tourism, stating that “incisive action” was necessary.
She told the BBC: “There is a lack of recognition in this city about how important tourism is, and we risk having a very difficult future unless all get together to take incisive action. We all need to attract people here and not assume they’ll just come.”
