A major Eurotunnel rule change could see families pay double for their journeys this Easter weekend.
Holidaymakers have been warned that they could be hit with surprise extra charges on the Eurotunnel for failing to comply with a change in rules.
Le Shuttle, formerly known as Eurotunnel, quietly changed its terms and conditions for those who have booked day trip and overnight tickets.
The new terms, introduced on March 5, mean holidaymakers who arrive less than one hour before departure – or later – will have their departure and return journey voided.
The changes will impact both returning and departure, which could mean families may arrive at their destination and have to pay all over again upon return.
It comes lorry queues have began to form at airports as passengers race away for Easter weekend.
Droves of passengers have already flocked to Manchester Airport this morning, preparing to make their Good Friday getaway.
A sea of red brake lights was also seen at the port of Dover in Kent today, as a queue of holidaymakers wait to check onto their ferries.
Holidaymakers have been warned that they could be hit with surprise extra charges on the Eurotunnel for failing to comply with a change in rules
Cars queue at check-in to board ferries at the Port of Dover in Kent today as they race away to their Easter breaks
Queues of people have began to emerge at Manchester Airport, suitcases in tow
Lorries sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic further up the A20, as drivers rush to begin their Easter breaks.
Around 19 million people are set to travel today – meaning many motorists could face snaking queues along some of Britain’s busiest motorways.
Among the worst hit, is anticipated to be the M6 around the areas of Birmingham and Blackpool, the M25’s south-western section from the M23 to M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire.
Previously, drivers who arrived within the two hours after their booked departure time could exchange it free of charge.
Now, Britons travelling across the Channel could face paying hundreds of pounds for premium tickets on the spot if they do not follow the new rules.
Jean-Claude Gonneau, 70, from Greater Paris in France, was travelling from Calais to England to see friends, and spent 144 euros on his outward journey on Wednesday last week at 11:16am – returning the following day at 4:24pm.
He arrived 20 minutes late because of a road accident near Calais and was told his tickets were void.
Having lived in both France and England, Mr Gonneau – a retired investment banker who worked in London for 15 years – has made the crossing almost 100 times, and would normally pay a small fee to use the next train if he were late.
However, he was informed, due to the new rules, he would have to purchase new tickets at a cost of 252 euros, or £216.
He said: ‘It’s just unbelievable – because I was caught in a terrible traffic jam, I was forced to pay more than 250 euros for new tickets.
‘It’s a quick fix for the people in charge to save an unprofitable service.
‘There was a time in France when everyone was talking about train services running at a deficit, but now people are talking about issues with the tickets.
‘That’s because they’re trying to bring the service to profitability through cheating people out of their money – it’s technocratic and irresponsible.’
He says that when he challenged the company on the new policy, he was told he should have read the travel conditions which had been updated.
The travel conditions on LeShuttle website for day trip or overnight tickets state: ‘Arrival Window: Check-in at least 1 hour but no more than 4 hours before departure.
‘Early Arrival: Your ticket is valid only for the booked departure. If you arrive more than 1 hour early, you will not be accommodated on an earlier departure.
Lorries in bumper-to-bumper traffic can be seen further up the A20, as drivers rush to being their Easter breaks
Passengers arrive at King’s Cross Station in London this afternoon as the Easter getaway starts
Passengers carrying luggage stand in the concourse at King’s Cross Station today
‘Late Arrival: If you arrive less than 1 hour before departure or later, your ticket will be void. A new ticket must be purchased for travel.
‘Failure to travel on the outward crossing will invalidate the return crossing.”
A spokesperson for LeShuttle said: ‘After reviewing customer preferences and behaviours, we decided that we need a new simpler ticket structure that match the needs of our customers.
‘The new tickets mean more flexibility and control to our customers to select the experience that meets their needs. If opting for the most restricted ticket customers must arrive in time to travel on their booked departure and this cannot be changed.
‘Our check-in time for this ticket type is at least 60 minutes prior to the booked train and this was explained in the ticket terms, which the customer would have been made aware of at the time of booking.
‘Indeed if they booked online, they would have needed to check a box to confirm that they had both read and accepted these revised ticket terms. The restricted nature of the ticket is also made clear during the booking process.
This was the scene along the M25 motorway near Addlestone in Surrey on Thursday afternoon
Traffic snakes its way onto the M25 near to the Dartford Crossing in Kent this afternoon
“We believe that the terms of our tickets are important and when our new terms came into force, we drew our customers’ attention to this fact.
‘This is why the main points a customer needs to be aware of when selecting a ticket (for example, whether a ticket is amendable or refundable) are highlighted on several occasions during the booking process.
‘Customers must confirm that they have read the ticket terms prior to making a booking. From the implementation of the revised terms, we have clearly alerted customers to the changes.
‘We feel that the information provided on our website is in line with other travel providers and our revised ticket terms are displayed clearly.’
