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BRITS flying to or from a popular holiday destination in Europe will face delays and cancellations today.

Major flight disruptions are expected today on Lufthansa Group flights which includes Lufthansa and short-haul carrier CityLine, as pilots and cabin crew strike.

While Lufthansa has not provided cancellation numbers, German airport association ADV estimated that more than 460 flights will be cancelled – affecting 70,000 passengers.

Sun Travel found that 14 flights from Frankfurt Airport to the UK today have been cancelled from Frankfurt Airport.

Lufthansa often uses aircraft for these routes that have between 150 and 180 passengers.

If 165 passengers are travelling in each flight, then the total number of people impacted by the cancellations could be more than 2,000.

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Ten flights from London Heathrow to either Frankfurt or Munich have been cancelled.

One flight to Munich and one flight to Frankfurt have been cancelled from Birmingham Airport.

Two flights to Frankfurt have been cancelled from Manchester Airport.

German pilots’ union VC (Vereinigung Cockpit) called the 24-hour strike on Tuesday, to demand more generous retirement benefits.

A spokesperson for Lufthansa said the announcements were “extremely short-notice” and “disproportionate”, adding that they would hit passengers hard.

The spokesperson continued: “Sustainable solutions can only be found through dialogue; strikes must always remain a last resort.

“We therefore call on the unions to resume talks with us.

“We are ready to do so at any time.”

The spokesperson also said that passengers would be notified if the strike impacted their flight.

The strike action comes just three days after Lufthansa City Airlines officially commenced flight operations from Frankfurt Airport, which is also the Lufthansa Group’s largest hub.

Sun Travel has contacted Lufthansa for comment.

Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

In other aviation news, there are 37 new flights launching from a major UK airport this year including budget routes to Asia and Jet2’s first ever.

Plus, a woman’s plane was hit by birds – blood splattered the windows and it had to do an emergency landing.

FOR A week in March you can get your hands on discounted and free tickets to hundreds of attractions across the UK.

Between March 7 and 15, National Lottery players can get free tickets, discounted tickets and special offers by purchasing a National lottery ticket, scratchcard or Instant Win Game in store or online.

One top saving is to the Eden Project, which has tropical trees and even a living clay sculpture called Eve that grows out of the landscape.

Entry will be free across the week, which is a saving of around £100 based on a family of four visiting.

Loved old-school, school dinners? Then you might want to head to the UK’s only Food Museum in Suffolk, where visitors can sample different foods and step inside an 18th-century dairy.

Adult entry will be free from March 7 to 8.

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Other spots offering free entry include Audley End House and Gardens (March 7-15); Eltham Palace and Gardens (March 7-8, March 11-15) and BBC Studios tours at Alexandra Palace (March 10).

If you’ve always wanted to visit some of the country’s palaces, then March 7 to 15 might be the time to.

Hampton Court Palace is offering half-price entry from March 7 to 8 and March 13 to 14, which could save families up to £42.

Other destinations with half-price entry include the Tower of London (March 7-14) and Kensington Palace (March 7-8, 11-14).

It’s not just historical destinations included though…

You could get a half price annual membership to the Butterfly Conservation in Winchester if you purchase it between March 7 and 15.

Rugby fans could head to the World Rugby Museum in Twickenham, with two for on entry from March 7 to 8 and 10 to 15.

You can also upgrade to include an Allianz Stadium Twickenham Tour.

It’s not just entry and seeing things, you can also get discounts on workshops, bookstores, cafes and tours.

For example, you could head to Bernard Leach Trust in St Ives for a Kurinuki Pots workshop on March 7 or an introduction to printmaking.

And if you want to keep active, some gyms are even opening their doors for free workout sessions.

Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England and Chair of the National Lottery Forum said: “National Lottery Open Week is a chance to get outside and explore the UK’s rich history, stunning landscapes and vibrant culture through free and low-cost days out, whether you’re looking for a solo adventure, or a fun day out for the family or with friends.

“It is our way of thanking National Lottery players who raise £32million every week for good causes, supporting vital projects in arts, sports, heritage, and communities nationwide.”

To benefit from the offer, you must head to any retail or online National Lottery ticket seller and purchase either Lotto, EuroMillions, Set 4 Life and Thunderball or a National Lottery Scratchcard or an Instant Win Game.

You can see the full list of locations at NationalLotteryOpenWeek.com.

In other attraction news, the UK’s strangest (and coolest) theme park launches new ‘crazy trikes’ attraction for 2026.

Plus, world’s first Paw Patrol land opens at UK theme park in weeks – here’s what it’ll look like.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — In a church crowded to overcapacity, two-dozen faith leaders and their audience of hundreds sang and prayed together in unity Monday as a sign of support for Haitian migrants, some of whom fear their protected status in the United States may be ended this week.

Religious leaders representing congregations from across the United States attended the event at Springfield’s St. John Missionary Baptist Church, demanding an extension of the Temporary Protection Status that allowed thousands of Haitian migrants to legally arrive in Springfield in recent years fleeing unrest and gang violence in their homeland. The TPS designation for Haiti is set to expire Tuesday, and those gathered were hoping that a federal judge might intervene and issue a pause.

“We believe in the legal system of this country of ours, we still believe. We believe that through the legal ways, the judge hopefully will rule in favor of current TPS holders today that will allow them to stay while we continue to fight,” Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, told the packed church.

“We have been called for such a time as this to protect those who have nowhere else to go. They cannot go back to Haiti,” she said.

So many people turned up for the church event that a fire marshal had to ask 150 to leave because the building had exceeded its 700-person capacity.

Hundreds joined a choir clapping and singing: “You got to put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.”

They also observed a moment of silence for people who died in federal immigration detention and for Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were shot and killed by federal officers in Minneapolis. Some of the speakers evoked biblical passages while appealing for empathic treatment of migrants.

Federal immigration crackdown and TPS

The Department of Homeland Security announced last June that it would terminate TPS for about 500,000 Haitians in the U.S., including some who had lived in the country for more than a decade. DHS said conditions in the island nation improved enough to allow their safe return.

“It was never intended to be a de facto asylum program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades. The Trump administration is restoring integrity to our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, noting there were no new enforcement operations to announce.

A federal judge in Washington is expected to rule any day on a request to pause the TPS termination for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds.

TPS allows people in the U.S. to stay and work legally if their homelands are deemed unsafe. Immigrants from 17 countries, including Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan and Lebanon, had the protective status before President Trump’s second term started.

The uncertainty over TPS has deepened worries for an already embattled Haitian community in Springfield.

Trump denigrated the community while campaigning in 2024 for a second term, falsely accusing its members of eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs as he  pitched voters  on his plans for an immigration crackdown. The false claims exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment in the mostly white, working class city of about 59,000 people.

In the weeks after his comments, schools, government buildings and the homes of elected officials received  bomb threats.

Since then Springfield’s Haitians have lived in constant fear that has only been exacerbated by the federal immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis and other cities, said Viles Dorsainvil, leader of Springfield’s Haitian Community Help and Support Center.

“As we are getting close to the end of the TPS, it has intensified the fear, the anxiety, the panic,” Dorsainvil said.

Sunday church service

Some of Springfield’s estimated 15,000 Haitians also sought comfort and divine intervention in their churches Sunday.

At the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, its pastor estimated that half of the congregants who regularly attend Sunday service stayed home.

“They don’t know the future; they are very scared,” Rev. Reginald Silencieux said.

Flanked by the flags of Haiti and the United States, he advised his congregation to stay home as much as possible in case of immigration raids. He also offered a prayer for Trump and the Haitian community and reminded congregants to keep their faith in God.

“The president is our president. He can make decisions. But he is limited,” he said. “God is unlimited.”

After the service Jerome Bazard, a member of the church, said ending TPS for Haitians would wreak havoc on his community.

“They can’t go to Haiti because it’s not safe. Without the TPS, they can’t work. And if they can’t work, they can‘t eat, they can’t pay bills. You’re killing the people,” he said.

Many children in the Springfield Haitian community are U.S. citizens who have parents in the country illegally. If they are detained, Dorsainvil said, some parents signed caregiver affidavits that designate a legal guardian in hopes of keeping their kids out of foster care.

“They’re not sending their kids to school,” he said.

Volunteers from nearby towns and from out of state have been calling the Haitian community center offering to deliver food for those afraid to leave home, Dorsainvil said. Others have been stockpiling groceries in case immigration officers flood the community.

Some, he said, have been receiving desperate calls from family members abroad asking them to leave. “They keep telling them that Springfield is not a safe place now for them to stay.”

Henao writes for the Associated Press. AP reporter Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Hundreds of protesters in Italy have denounced plans to bring ICE agents from the US to the Winter Olympics in Milan that begin on Friday. Italy’s interior ministry says ICE will only operate at US diplomatic offices and won’t be patrolling on the ground.

A MAJOR airline has confirmed it is axing all long-haul flights from a UK airport – starting next month.

The airline will cancel its long-haul transatlantic routes to the US and the Caribbeans.

Aer Lingus will stop flying from Manchester to New York JFK from February 23.

The operator will then cease its flights to Orlando and Barbados from March 31.

In order to re-accommodate impacted passengers who were scheduled to travel to the Caribbean island from Manchester, the airline will run a service from Dublin to Barbados in April and May.

The affected customers have already been contacted and given options for a refund or rebooking.

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The airline said that the developments will not affect Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional services between Ireland and Manchester.

A spokesperson told The Sun:

An airline spokesperson told The Sun: “Aer Lingus informed staff and their representatives at its Manchester base today that the airline’s Manchester transatlantic operations will fully cease as of and from 31st March 2026.

“Manchester-New York operations will cease from 23rd February 2026 and Aer Lingus plans to operate a service from Dublin to Barbados (subject to receipt of necessary approvals) during the months of April and May to reaccommodate affected customers.

“There is no impact to Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines) flights between Manchester and Ireland. Customers are being informed directly of the cancellation of flights and provided with reaccommodation and refund options.

“Aer Lingus will continue to engage with staff representative groups to discuss the phased reduction in operations, redeployment opportunities and the terms of a severance package at the Manchester Base.

“Aer Lingus acknowledges that this is a very difficult time for colleagues based in Manchester and will seek to ensure that colleagues are kept informed and supported as discussions evolve during the next phase of the consultation.”

In the past, the airline has said that its long-haul routes from Manchester had an operating margin that “significantly lags behind” that of Ireland.

About 200 employees at the base, which Aer Lingus launched in 2021, could be impacted if the closure goes ahead.