Volcanic Ash Over Iceland Cancels Flights!!!

[disney_princess_85]

Yesterday. We should have landed at 7am this morning at Heathrow. We've got a hotel - not going to be out of here before Sunday at the earliest.

Enjoy your extra time over there.

Its nobodies fault that the volcano has erupted but large companies such as Virgin should have contingency plans as telling people to go and wait at the airport en masse is just ridiculous. The frontline staff should not be left to struggle with this and beleive me the reps here have no support at all from anyone in a senior position. Lets hope there aren't too many people sleeping on airport floors this weekend....

I agree. It's very disappointing customer service from Virgin.

 

[alisonbestford]

A friend has just posted, on Facebook, that he and his family are officiially stranded in Florida until the 24th unless BA put on more aircraft and the insurance company are refusng to pay for the hotel .......

I love Florida but would hate to have no idea of when we might be home

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

the situation is distressing for travellers all over the world and the airlines are doing their best in a very unbusual situation. Its not just Florida effected, but the whole of the air business.
Every 4 hours or so, the NATS revises their information as to when UK airspace will be open, and as happened yesterday, a small pocket of clean air opened and a Thomas cook flight was able to get out of Manchester, BUT without passengers and lugagge, as there was no time to round up passengers and get them on board before the window of opportunity closeed. However that plabne will be positioned ready for when the airports reopen to bring stranded passengers back.
Of course Virgin and all other airlines want you to go to the airport as they do not know when or how quickly a window willl open up.

Sonetimes people have to see the big picture before criticsing.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

This is the current situation from Eurocontrol, the body responsible for European airspace:

Volcanic eruption of Icelandic volcano: Eyjafjallajokul.

Click here for a map of the forecast ash cloud issued:17-0600 UTC.
Next forecast to be published after 17-1200 UTC

Today (17-April) the ash cloud is extending.

Airspaces zero-rated/closed until:
(Aerodromes geographically located within these airspaces will be unavailable):

EB Belgium 17-1700
ED Germany 17-1200
EE Estonia 18-0000
EF Finland 18-0000
EG UK 18-0000
EH Netherlands 17-1800
EI Ireland 17-1800
EK Danmark 18-0000
EN Norway 17-1200
EP Poland 17-1800
ES Sweden 17-1800
LD Kroatia 18-0000
LFBB France Bordeaux 18-0000
LFEE France Reims 17-1800
LFFF France Paris 17-1800
LFMM France Marseille 17-1800
LFRR France Brest 17-1800
LH Hungary 17-1700
LI Italy 17-1200
LJ Slovenia 18-0000
LK Chech Republic 18-0000
LO Austria 17-1200
LR Roumania 17-2100
LS Swiss 17-1800
LY Serbia 18-0000
LZ Bratislava 18-0000
UK Ukraine 17-1500

Please note, these lists are not exhaustive.


AIRSPACE OPEN
please contact the FMP
concerned for more information

-Italy, Karlsruhe and Maastricht above FL355


The next general teleconference to review the latest VACC ash cloud forecast will be held at 1300 UTC.

No IFR clearances will be issued that penetrate contaminated airspace.
Airborne aircraft planning to enter closed airspace should be prepared to divert to an alternate destination.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Thanks for the updates Obi - I know I would be worrying if I was stuck anywhere - as I don't take a laptop or anything - so only have the TV & phone to rely on.

It's a shame the reps can't give better advice other than to wait at the airport - there would be 1000s crowding it out if everybody did that - and only so many can get on a plane

Good luck to anyone stranded - as Kenny said - hope you do get to make the most of it

 

[babystar]

This is so awful, I have just been reading on the other uk forum about so so many people holidays being ruined. It actually quite heart breaking!

I really do believe that the airlines are doing all they can in the situation they are in (my DH is stranded in the states and I know that he is ok with the situation)

Just keep our fingers crossed that this all "blows over" sooner rather than later!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

The huge problem is when UK airspace repopensto IFR flights.
All airlines have planes in the wrong places, with so many passengers stuck all over the world, there is not a lot of extra flights that can be slotted in as no airline has such spare aircraft capacity and crews available, it will take days if not weeks to get back to normal.
As each day goes by, whilst some will cancel and not go, more people are stranded and more people missing their flights.

Add to this the huge costs to the airline for lost revenue, extra crewing/flight costs/hotel/food etc on costs, you very well may see some airlines collapse over this.

Also, no-one knows waht this damned volcano is going to do next and when it stops spewing out ash. it could go quiet for a few days then blow again

 

[scojos]

This is so awful, I have just been reading on the other uk forum about so so many people holidays being ruined. It actually quite heart breaking!

I really do believe that the airlines are doing all they can in the situation they are in (my DH is stranded in the states and I know that he is ok with the situation)

Just keep our fingers crossed that this all "blows over" sooner rather than later!

i too have been reading stories on the dibb, how awful, people due to go out and get married, its so sad,
disneyjo is still over there she posted on FB she will not be travelling home as planned.
whilst an extended few days must be nice, i think i would be the only one who wouldnt want it, esp with young kids, so i cant imagine the stress for people who are over there.
tracy

 

[scottishgirl87]

The huge problem is when UK airspace repopensto IFR flights.
All airlines have planes in the wrong places, with so many passengers stuck all over the world, there is not a lot of extra flights that can be slotted in as no airline has such spare aircraft capacity and crews available, it will take days if not weeks to get back to normal.

This is what worries me! How do the airlines even begin to sort this. Do normal flights resume and they try and slot extras in spaces?! Or do the people stranded become first come first served.

I can't imagine what I'll do if this happens to us next month!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

This is what worries me! How do the airlines even begin to sort this. Do normal flights resume and they try and slot extras in spaces?! Or do the people stranded become first come first served.

I can't imagine what I'll do if this happens to us next month!

Thats the schedulers nightmare! If it one route then planes can be added to take up the slack, this is route wide.
Sorry to say the high revenue routes will come first as you need your repeat passengers who pay premium, then down through the routes, with cancellations, larger planes from the fleet where they can being used, its not even a case where they can put you on alternate airlines as they have the same problems.

 

[Dimplenose]

Thanks for the updates Obi - I know I would be worrying if I was stuck anywhere - as I don't take a laptop or anything - so only have the TV & phone to rely on.

This is the problem I had back in December when my flight was cancelled in the snow - no access to the internet. I felt so isolated (worse because I was at terminal 5 Heathrow and was totally at the mercy of BA for info as no other airlines use it.) Queues of people waiting to get to the payphone for help. The best info I got was from an airport manager rather than BA staff.

All the business people and regular travellers knew how to get info as most had laptops or internet accessible phones - I suppose my only piece of good fortune is that I live 20 minutes from Heathrow and could just go home after 3 hours of total frustration.

I had no problem with the flight being cancelled - it wasn't anyone's fault - but the lack of communication was frustrating to the point of tears. I feel so sorry for everyone caught up in this situation.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

WOW!

http://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/

 

[disneyholic family]

someone posted on the dis unplugged board that they read on a board that there is a stranded family in orlando whose son's insulin is running out...
i hadn't even thought about the people with medical issues (and lack of medical insurance, since they've gone past their coverage)..
what a nightmare...

in addition to all the passengers affected, there is air cargo all over the place that has been affected...
perishables and urgently required equiplent....
we have urgent cargo required in germany that is stuck in california...it was suppposed to be in germany on friday....we don't know when it will get there now..

 

[aaronandterri]

my friends in new york, her and hubby went for a child free weekend (they have 3 kids) who are with various family members, and they cant get back now till next saturday!!, must be going mad, there ment to be back to work , kids back to school etc and its nuts, first time shes ever left them too in like 14 years........poor things.

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

Nobody should have to sleep on airport floors.EU law clearly states that passengers are the responsibilty of the airline until they are at their destination,regardless of how long that may be,passengers should be fed watered and accomodated.This is a quote from a travel expert on BBC News channel this morning.This law was introduced 5 years ago and all EU airlines "dispise" this law

A friend who is a pilot for Thompsons told me this morning that this could go on for up to two months! This is being based on historic eruptions from this volcano
I do hope he is wrong/

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Nobody should have to sleep on airport floors.EU law clearly states that passengers are the responsibilty of the airline until they are at their destination,regardless of how long that may be,passengers should be fed watered and accomodated.This is a quote from a travel expert on BBC News channel this morning.This law was introduced 5 years ago and all EU airlines "dispise" this law

A friend who is a pilot for Thompsons told me this morning that this could go on for up to two months! This is being based on historic eruptions from this volcano
I do hope he is wrong/

There is a opt out if it is an act of God however

"It is highly likely that in the case of delay airlines will try and avoid liability as there is within the regulations a get-out clause which allows the airline to avoid compensating passengers where the reason for the delay or cancellation is outside of the airline's control. For example adverse weather conditions, industrial action by airline staff or simply Air Traffic Control delays or overloads are all examples where compensation would not apply."

see here
http://www.auc.org.uk/default.aspx?catid=306&pagetype=90&pageid=11011

 

[scojos]

disneyjo has just posted on FB next avilable flight for 4 out of mco is in 11 days!!! thats scary

 

[wildwood]

my guest at my villa at the moment where supposed to be flying out of new york on firday then home to the uk to be told that bthey can not go home unti the 26th April so they have now got a flight back to Florida and our staying at the villa unti the 26th , they say it is a nightmare in New york people have been on stand by for three days trying to get back to the uk and they also said that hotel have been doubling there tarriffs to cash in on the problem .

 

[crabbie1]

my guest at my villa at the moment where supposed to be flying out of new york on firday then home to the uk to be told that bthey can not go home unti the 26th April so they have now got a flight back to Florida and our staying at the villa unti the 26th , they say it is a nightmare in New york people have been on stand by for three days trying to get back to the uk and they also said that hotel have been doubling there tarriffs to cash in on the problem .

O my god that is disgusting Making money out of peoples misfortune.They should be ashamed of themselves.People have lost enough money and had unnecessary stress without gold diggers exploiting. I am so angry about this

 

[disneyholic family]

my guest at my villa at the moment where supposed to be flying out of new york on firday then home to the uk to be told that bthey can not go home unti the 26th April so they have now got a flight back to Florida and our staying at the villa unti the 26th , they say it is a nightmare in New york people have been on stand by for three days trying to get back to the uk and they also said that hotel have been doubling there tarriffs to cash in on the problem .

yes, that is totally disgusting...they should be specially discounting the rooms for people..