Hotel costs surge by as much as £946 as livid travellers hit out at corporations for ‘profiting off individuals’s misfortune’ amid Heathrow Airport meltdown

Hotel prices have surged by up to £946 after Heathrow Airport was forced to close – with furious passengers accusing firms of ‘profiting off people’s misfortune’. 

Travellers have scrambled to find last-minute accommodation close to the airport on Friday amid thousands of delays and cancellations. 

One hotel by Heathrow was tonight charging a whopping £1,000 for a standard room for two people.

The price listed for the North Avenue Guest House on Booking.com is staggeringly higher than the £54 it would cost you to stay next Friday instead. 

Meanwhile, prices have also surged to £555 for a standard room at Radisson Red London Heathrow tonight, compared to next week’s cost of £132. 

And costs are equally high at Holiday Inn London Heathrow which are charging £569 for standard room but just £89 on March 28, according to Booking.com

It comes as one angry passenger accused hotels of hiking their prices to ‘absolutely absurd’ levels. 

Louis, a video producer, was due to fly home to to Dublin with Aer Lingus just before 9am on Friday.

But said his flight was cancelled following the London Heathrow closure affecting more than 1,300 flights.

The 28-year-old stayed the night at a hotel just ‘500 metres from Terminals 2 and 3’, but was forced to book a new room at a different hotel over fears his rescheduled flight for Saturday could be cancelled again.

And he has now accused nearby hotels of increasing its prices amid the disruption.

‘They’ve actually doubled, if not, in some cases, tripled the prices of the rooms based on what’s going on, which is absolutely absurd. 

They’re profiting off of people’s misfortunes in this. I don’t know how that’s allowed,’ Louis said. 

He said his original room cost around £90, but claimed he saw the same room on the hotel comparison site Booking.com for £280.

‘It’s frustrating, but it’s just beyond control,’ he said.

The costs of flights in and out of London have also surged in wake of the shutdown at Heathrow today.  

According to Google Flights, prices to destinations such as New York, Edinburgh and Dublin are all well above their usual levels. 

A ticket to New York is currently being listed at around £2,100, compared the usual cheaper options of £250 to £500. 

Whereas prices for flights to Edinburgh are also ‘high’, with averages at £158 on Friday lunchtime, compared to lows of £14 to £25. 

Other passengers have complained of having to rebook flights at extraordinarily high prices. 

Lucy Sargeson told MailOnline she has spent £1,300 on flights to Singapore from Gatwick tomorrow, following cancellations at Heathrow today. 

She said: ‘I had a flight booked from Heathrow to Sinapore today at 10pm and obviously I woke up to find that it’s cancelled. It’s a mess.

‘Singapore airlines told me that the earliest they can re book is March 29 but that is no good as I have an onward flight to Japan for a once in a lifetime holiday that is non-refundable.

‘I just had to spend 1300£ for last minute flights from Gatwick for tomorrow instead. The situation was a scramble as everyone had the same ideas and seats were selling out on Gatwick flights by the second.

‘I am honestly in shock I managed to get a seat for a Gatwick flight tomorrow. The whole thing is a nightmare and there’s absolutely no help from anyone.’

Meanwhile, a group of four friends told MailOnline the cost of their dream Caribbean cruise had more than doubled after they had to rebook flights at extortionate prices. 

Chloe, Ashley, Monisola, and their friend, who didn’t wish to be named, had been planning their trip, which begins in Miami, since January.

They paid £1,600 for the cruise, but the cost has since doubled after they rushed to book flights from Gatwick at 7.20am this morning to ensure they could still travel.

Monisola said: ‘We need to be at Miami by tomorrow afternoon otherwise we are going to miss our cruise.

 ‘The cruise lines are really strict – if you don’t get there, they will leave you behind, so we need to land in the next 24 hours.

‘So we have been checking flights, checking flights, and also we didn’t get notified by the airline until this morning. I found out from the Uber driver and our flight is at 9.40am.’

It comes as would-be passengers were seen congregating outside airport hotels on Friday – one woman revealing she may now miss her cousin’s wedding.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I was meant to be flying to Cape Town for my cousin’s wedding but my flight has been cancelled.

‘It’s on Sunday so I’m trying to get a flight for first thing tomorrow – but everything’s booked up and it’s all so expensive.

‘And to make things worse, I’m stranded here as all the hotels are full. I’ve been along all the ones on this road and they can’t take me.

‘I can’t go back to Manchester as I need to be here for any possible flights. I just feel really overwhelmed.

‘It’s no one’s fault but it’s difficult for those of us affected. I’m just at a loss.’

MailOnline has contacted the hotels for comment.