Many travellers across the country have faced cancelled flights sparking holiday misery.
But to add insult to injury, some have even been made to return duty-free purchases.
Lengthy queues and travel disruption have been the common enemy of holiday-starved Brits, but fliers may not even be aware of another potential setback.
Passengers who have made the gauntlet of check-in and security have been forced to give back their shopping in another stroke of bad luck, reports BristolLive.
"Returning duty-free is normal procedure for a cancelled flight," a spokesperson for Bristol Airport said.
"Customers can purchase duty-free (and receive the duty-free discounted prices) [but] this allowance is only eligible for customers who are departing from the UK."
They continued: "When flights are cancelled, the customer is not leaving the UK, so it is a customs requirement that all duty-free purchases are returned, and a full refund provided. This is an HM Customs requirement."
One holidaymaker shared how the shocking rule caused passengers to burst out laughing.
Aaliyah Miller, who had a flight cancelled from Bristol Airport to Lisbon, said: "I was told 10 minutes before boarding that my flight was cancelled.
"As if that wasn't bad enough, being asked to return duty-free purchases was certainly salt in the wound.
"I think the entire room was in disbelief, and a chorus of laughter literally erupted when they made the duty-free announcement."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
