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Volcanic ash cloud

Pancake

By Pancake,
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Mewsta

Mewsta

Posted
Posted

I'm still scheduled on the friday morning flight out of HK.... So I'm hoping the gradual opening of EU airports means that LHR will open before then and I will be on my way....... If not, it's the next flight to spain with a couple of train rides!!!! At least I'll get to see some sights!!!

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trousers

trousers

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Looks like this is the first year that my dithering over where to go for our summer holiday will pay dividends.

 

I'm now switching attention to a UK based holiday.

 

That said, there should be some foreign holiday bargains to be had in August if the volcano doesn't carry on erupting as predicted...decisions decisions...

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Mewsta

Mewsta

Posted
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Like I said on the £600 holiday thread. Scientists are saying there will probably be sporadic eruptions for the best part of 6 months. This probably won't go away in a hurry.

 

This could well be true... I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands of people like me stuck in HK or somewhere similar!!!

 

I keep hearing Gordon Brown is getting people back from Spain and France etc, but what about those of us that are further out?!? Does he have any plans?!?!

 

I'm trying to get to Spain in the next few days and then overnight train to Paris and eurostar it back. There are still 1st class tickets left on most eurostar trains so seeing as work is paying, I will demand one of those!! :)

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dubai_phil

dubai_phil

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I can't understand why BA Virgin et al haven't already started to ferry people back to Spain. This is now getting beyond an annoyance and becoming a major problem for people and their money. While it is great for those on expenses, there will be a lot of maxed out credit cards from self emplyed or ordinary vacationers.

 

They have aircraft stuck in Long Haul destinations, it needs the fecking Government to get their fingers out of their backsides and stop worrying about how they look in a TV debate and do do something. Get the Long Haul planes into Spain, Italy or Greece and set up shuttle runs from there to get people back.

 

The ship that arrived in Spain took back 450 people, wow great publicity effort sod all effect on the 100,000+ stranded

 

This needs brains and creativity. Extra Trains etc, but oh no, the Ruling Elite don't give a flying (lol) feck as long as they get their expenses paid on time, and of course, for the idiot Brit politicians, the EU is "abroad" and all they worry about is how the EU regard them so that they can get the gravy train jobs when they retire

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Mewsta

Mewsta

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Nicely put Phil.... I just spoke to UniGlobe who deal with all of our travel for the business.... apparently any flights out of HK to any open European airports are full.... I believe these are only scheduled flights and like you said the extra planes sat there could be sent to Spain/Greece etc!!!

 

I shall email Hong Kong International Airport now!!! ;)

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mini_me

mini_me

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I have to say I am sick to death of seeing people on the news saying 'oh no I was stranded in France for 2 days' ..... Jesus H Christ .... you can walk home from there !

 

Also can't understand why the Long Haul flights can't fly into other euro based airports, I would be more than happy to find my own way from there !

 

If I get one more email saying 'I could think of worse places to be stranded'......... aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh !!!!!!

 

Ironically I was due to fly to Lisbon with BA on Thursday evening, if that flight isnt cancelled I wonder if BA will give me my money back based on the fact they can't get me home from HK until 11th May.

 

Sob, Sob, Sob... pass me the razor blade !

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Mewsta

Mewsta

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Yep I've had plenty of those emails too!!! Cheers peeps lol!!!

 

11th May!!! Jeeeeeez that's ages... I hope Cathay would be able to get me back before then!!!

 

As I say I've also got them trying to get me to any european country and I will get home via train or car etc.....

 

Mini_me, let me know if you fancy a beer whilst we are both in HK!!!

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dubai_phil

dubai_phil

Posted
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So, impact locally.

 

Local Supermarket - Tomatoes are now Ethiopia not Holland, Apples etc all from South Africa. Prices around 30% higher

 

And the bad news - 2 weeks delay

 

http://business.maktoob.com/20090000459902/Passengers_face_2_wk_delay_as_flights_resume/Article.htm?utm_campaign=Night-Newsletter&utm_medium=Main-News1&utm_source=Night-Newsletter&utm_content=

 

Again, the authorities in EU sit there with their PC hats on saying do nothing IN CASE it is not safe.

 

Instead of sitting there saying This is a Disaster for many people what CAN we do?

 

Surely lawyers can draft limited liability waivers for people to sign regarding any "risk"

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norwaysaint

norwaysaint

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Posted

 

Again, the authorities in EU sit there with their PC hats on saying do nothing IN CASE it is not safe.

 

Instead of sitting there saying This is a Disaster for many people what CAN we do?

 

Surely lawyers can draft limited liability waivers for people to sign regarding any "risk"

 

Yes, yes, this is to do with being politically correct. I can see the connection. It's to do with unfair discrimination.

 

Well done.

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Whitey Grandad

Whitey Grandad

Posted
Posted
Looks like this is the first year that my dithering over where to go for our summer holiday will pay dividends.

 

I'm now switching attention to a UK based holiday.

 

That said, there should be some foreign holiday bargains to be had in August if the volcano doesn't carry on erupting as predicted...decisions decisions...

I've got two cruises booked from Southampton and the ferry to France is booked for the July jaunt down to Spain with the caravan so at least we'll still get our foreign holidays. What really gets me going is all this talk about how brave and exciting it was to spend two days on a bus and train to get from the other side of Europe. For people of my generation that was the normal way to travel. My missus went to Sweden on a school trip by train and two ferry crossings and I've lost count of the number of times I've driven 6 or 7 hundred miles in a day to get back to the channel ports. The ones I feel sorry for are those with weddings booked in Antigua and suchlike. For the others, sit back and enjoy the countryside.

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squiggly_dan

squiggly_dan

Posted
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I have to say I am sick to death of seeing people on the news saying 'oh no I was stranded in France for 2 days' ..... Jesus H Christ .... you can walk home from there !

 

Also can't understand why the Long Haul flights can't fly into other euro based airports, I would be more than happy to find my own way from there !

 

If I get one more email saying 'I could think of worse places to be stranded'......... aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh !!!!!!

 

Ironically I was due to fly to Lisbon with BA on Thursday evening, if that flight isnt cancelled I wonder if BA will give me my money back based on the fact they can't get me home from HK until 11th May.

 

Sob, Sob, Sob... pass me the razor blade !

 

BA have confirmed that you are able to claim a refund for any "unflown" flights, so I would suggest doing so, and being proactive in finding an alternative rather than waiting for BA to sort it out!

 

There are still several options into European Airports - currently you can fly Hong Kong to Paris via Doha with Qatar Airways departing early tomorrow morning.

 

Kayak.co.uk is a good site for comparing options, although I appreciate the situation is changing all the time, with flights being cancelled etc.

 

Good Luck!

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toofarnorth

toofarnorth

Posted
Posted
Looks like this is the first year that my dithering over where to go for our summer holiday will pay dividends.

 

I'm now switching attention to a UK based holiday.

 

That said, there should be some foreign holiday bargains to be had in August if the volcano doesn't carry on erupting as predicted...decisions decisions...

 

I' m off to Germany, but i'm just going to Eurotunnel it now rather than fly. Only take a few extra hours.

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Dimond Geezer

Dimond Geezer

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Posted

Again, the authorities in EU sit there with their PC hats on saying do nothing IN CASE it is not safe.

 

Instead of sitting there saying This is a Disaster for many people what CAN we do?

 

Surely lawyers can draft limited liability waivers for people to sign regarding any "risk"

 

That's fine getting the passangers to sign away their liability should the plane they are flying in crash, but what about the guy who's head it lands on when it crashes. Whilst those that can't travel at the moment have my sympathy, they are not the only ones involved if one of these things fall from the sky.

As a footnote, if I were due to fly, I'd want to be bloody sure it was safe.

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OldNick

OldNick

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As an aside my vehicle that looks as though it is caked in mud , is not, we just happen to have a large amount of volcanic ash that has fallen on my vehicle.

 

 

On a more serious note the financial implications for all this could not come at a worse time for our economy. Add the thouhght of a hung parliament and the pound could suffer a lot, adding to the woes of anyone stranded.

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Viking Warrior

Viking Warrior

Posted
Posted

Whitleygrandad

 

I hope your cruise goes ahead. Im sure it will

 

but I have just seen that the Northlink Aberdeen to Lerwick boat via Kirkwall

is not going to stop at Kirkwall for a number of days due to volcanic ash.

On top of that the Government has commandeered the Scrabster to Stromess ferry for a few days to ferry people from Bergen back to Aberdeen

which means we are basically starnded. there is another ferry Catamaran but that is prone to breakdowns.

 

So according to northlink ferries have been directly and indirectly affected by

the volcanic ash.

 

Im hope the cloud passes as there is know way I will get to see our last couple of games.

 

Bloody icelandic volcanoes.

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Whitey Grandad

Whitey Grandad

Posted
Posted

If it's any consolation the controllers at NATS don't know what is going to happen either. One of my staff was in the control room today and nobody seems to know what will happen. Instructions change by the minute and the controllers are not informed.

 

As for the jet engine damage, someone who used to work at Rolls-Royce explained that the fan blades have small zig-zag channels about 1mm diameter for letting the air cool the blades. If this gets clogged up then the blades will overheat and the engine will be junk. If any engine has been flown through volcanic ash then R-R will have nothing to do with it.

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St Landrew

St Landrew

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Posted

It's my understanding that all UK airspace is still not OK for jets and turboprops..?

 

Then why did I see, at high altitude, just 15 minutes ago, a very rapid moving object, with one central white light and one blinking white light forward in the direction of travel..? I thought... hmm, ok, didn't know you could see satellites with blinking lights..?

Then the object changed direction, by about 30 degrees to starboard. Cute..!

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Ponty

Ponty

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It's my understanding that all UK airspace is still not OK for jets and turboprops..?

 

Then why did I see, at high altitude, just 15 minutes ago, a very rapid moving object, with one central white light and one blinking white light forward in the direction of travel..? I thought... hmm, ok, didn't know you could see satellites with blinking lights..?

Then the object changed direction, by about 30 degrees to starboard. Cute..!

Heathrow, for one, opened over an hour ago.

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St Landrew

St Landrew

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Posted
Heathrow, for one, opened over an hour ago.

 

Thanks Ponty and BTF. Just been to the BBC news website. Should have gone there first to check. All day, I have been working outside, and not a single jet or turboprop to be seen. Just a few low flying piston engined aircraft. I get on the bike to come home, drop into a mate's to say, Hi, and they open the airports without telling me. Pah..! ;)

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Whitey Grandad

Whitey Grandad

Posted
Posted
It's my understanding that all UK airspace is still not OK for jets and turboprops..?

 

Then why did I see, at high altitude, just 15 minutes ago, a very rapid moving object, with one central white light and one blinking white light forward in the direction of travel..? I thought... hmm, ok, didn't know you could see satellites with blinking lights..?

 

Then the object changed direction, by about 30 degrees to starboard. Cute..!

The ash is apparently below 20,000 ft so British airspace above that is open.

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Mewsta

Mewsta

Posted
Posted

Gradually all services are resuming.... BA flights have landed at Heathrow and I believe some are leaving too.... It's going to take a while to get back to normality and for those with cancelled flights it's going to be a tough time!

 

I hope with the fact that it opened Tuesday PM, my originally booked flight to leave friday morning won't be hindered in anyway? I will check in online before friday AM and turn up to the airport in the hope that it will all be OK!

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