Passengers hoping to take one of 11,000 flights over the four-day Bank Holiday weekend were caught up in delays caused by ongoing staff shortages.
Drivers found themselves snared up in “car park” conditions as an estimated 19 million motorists took to the roads for the long break.
Rail travellers to the Continent were also held up after Eurostar services were disrupted by a fatal accident on a line in France.
The turmoil came after holidaymakers were warned to take just one carry-on bag to help carriers cut down the time spent checking people in.
Andy Prendergast, national secretary of GMB union, said: “It is one less thing to worry about.
“If people can check in online and do not take bags, that limits the disruption. It’s not a magic bullet but it does reduce the chance of there being problems.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has accused the airlines – who shed thousands of workers during the pandemic – of selling too many holidays then failing to plan for the extra business.
But Mr Prendergast called his comments “disingenuous” and added: “This unfortunately was a foreseeable problem.
“It was one we warned about at the point at which the mass redundancies were made.”
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, urged the Government and Civil Aviation to intervene if airlines failed their passengers.
“The Bank Holiday Jubilee weekend is meant to be a time of celebration and has given many people a chance to take their first holiday abroad in years.
“But instead it is bringing stress for thousands of passengers who are facing painfully long airport queues to get away.
“The shameful scenes at UK airports this half term are the result of an industry in which some airlines feel they can get away with ignoring consumer rights and acting with near impunity. “
Flight tracking company Cirium said at least 377 flights affecting Bank Holiday weekend and the school half-term break had been cancelled since last Friday.
Tui had cancelled six flights each day, BA cancelled more than 120 Heathrow short haul services and easyJet withdrew at least 36 domestic and European flights at Gatwick.
The AA said the heaviest traffic came in the morning as shoppers stocked up at supermarkets and families went to Platinum Jubilee events.
But drivers took to social media to report jams on motorways including the M25, M4 and M5, and major roads like the A39 in Cornwall, which was closed following an accident near Wadebridge.
In the north-west, they warned that traffic had ground to a halt on the M6 northbound as day-trippers headed to the Lancashire coast, Cumbria and the Lake District.
Tim Duckworth tweeted yesterday morning: “If you’re planning a trip to The Fylde Coast or The Lakes, and you’re not already on the M6, forget it. It’s a car park.”
Charlotte Taylor added: “Definitely preferred my last trip up the M6. Nightmare traffic.”
But an AA spokesman said callouts to their rescue services were below what was expected and most of the heavy traffic had cleared by the afternoon.
“It fitted the pattern of what we expected with people shopping or going out to jubilee events, but being off the roads by afternoon.”
Eurostar apologised to passengers who were “experiencing disruptions” after the accident and warned them to seek advice from staff if they missed connecting services as a result.