Ash cloud delays and closed airports and cancelled flights

[anniethenurse]

The two topics have been merged


A volcano on Iceland stops flights and airports in many Western and Northern European coutries tonight.
http://edition.cnn.com/
http://wdpost.com/2010/04/15/iceland-vo ... n-flights/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100415/ts_nm/us_europe_air
Noone knows when this chaos will be over - we hope for the best.
annie

 

[newfydog]

Re: closed airports and cancelled flights

I'm flying to Paris tomorrow---I hope.

I missed 9/11 by one day. It had some advantages to those of us who made it. Walked into the Paradors in Santo Domingo and Santiago and got rooms with no reservation.

 

[goonerpilgrim]

Re: closed airports and cancelled flights

I'm a week away from my departure and wondering if flights to Western Europe will resume by then... :?

¡Buen Camino! :arrow:

 

[JEBZ]

Ash Cloud Delays

hi everyone,

I am getting really worried about this ashcloud thing. As my flight is supposed to be on tuesday afternoon from sydney to paris to start the camino on 24th April from SJPP what is the likelihood of it actually passing by then? What are other people doing about this?

jane

 

[anniethenurse]

Re: closed airports and cancelled flights

noone really knows when the aircrafts can fly or when the airports are to open again.
The following reference is from the latest magasin of Scientific American:

``
Does this glacier volcano make a difference in what is in the air?
When I first saw the eruption plume, it was a very white, steam-rich plume. Now, this morning, it's very dark with a lot of ash.

It's really the ash that causes the problem. It can get into the airplane engines and melt down. It can basically cause the engine to seize. Even if the airplane does not lose engines, it still causes very expensive damage.

So can other aircraft, such as helicopters or prop-planes that don't have jet engines, fly through these conditions?
No, because the ash—the ash is pulverized rock—it can scratch up the windshield, too. It just does body damage. I wouldn't want to fly in a helicopter through the ash.

How long is the ash from this eruption going to keep planes on the ground?
It really just depends on the weather patterns and how long the eruption is going to last—and if there are going to continue to be explosive components to the eruption.

I think people could eventually get to where they're going. Planes can be diverted. It wouldn't be fun for travelers who go three hours away and have their flights diverted 10 hours. I'm glad I'm not snagged in that area now.

How long is the eruption likely to last?
It's so difficult to tell. The last eruption is very similar to this one. It erupted from the central crater from December 1821 and went to January 1823. I'm not sure the magnitude of the eruption was the same all along. But it's really, really tough to predict.

The local scientists are working on that now. They've collected samples of the ash to analyze to get a sense of whether the chemistry is similar to the last eruption. But that takes time. I think it's too soon to say too much about what's really happening there. ``



The only we know airports are closed tomorrow, too. But KLM and Lufthansa have done test flights without damage are maybe opening some routes in Europe.

annie

 

[walkingnomads]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Hi Jane,
We are in Brisbane and due to fly out on Friday to London, but not planning to get to Spain until the following Friday to walk VDLP from Seville.
We are all in the same boat so to speak, and will just have to wait and see.
Of course it will affect hotel bookings etc, but there isn't a lot we can do at this stage..
We have friends in London with flights cancelled and waiting to get back to Brisbane, friends here whose flight was cancelled for Hong Kong and Paris yesterday, and and a friend in Melbourne on way home to the UK, with flights to London cancelled.
The news as I write doesn't seem very hopeful yet, but perhaps we are the lucky ones who are waiting at home.

 

[muppet]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Hi Jane,

I'm going to travel down from Belgium on the 20th or 21st and lit ooks like I'll even have trouble on the trains as the high speed ones have been booked up by plane travellers who cant fly.....in other words I'll be on the slow ones which could take a day or two to get down .. Good luck with your trip and I hope the skies clear soon for you!

 

[JEBZ]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Yeh I know what you mean. We are lucky that we are at home right now, those poor people at the airports. I suppose I am just disappointed that we most likely will have to catch a bus somewhere on the camino for like 100k or so to catch up to schedule. Just in case we have booked a flight for next week just to be safe. But even then we may not even go at all as they say it could last for a month, even six months! what a shame. I just hate being in limbo. so does everyone else obviously.

 

[Louise-Spagnuolo]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Hi Everyone:
I was suppose to fly this past Friday from New York routing throuhg London to Biaarritz.
After getting over the tears and settling down I was able to rework my plans.

I was able reroute through Madrid, take a small flight to Pamplona and then get picked up by Express Bouticot at the Pamplona airport to get to SJPP. So check out the southern Europe airports and see if you can reroute through there.

THe airlines are not charging the cancellation fees and giving full refunds. I found Express Bouticot and the hostel very helpful and willing to accomodate changes given the situaion.

What I did have to do was go back through the forum to see the travel information on how to go the other routes that I had not planned on.

I have thought of all the pilgrims who might have been traveling from northern Europe and wondering if you have been able to work alternative plans. THinking of you and hoping you get there. On the other hand, my plan does not take off until later today so please keep me in mind too.

All the best,
Louise a.k.a ctlou
check out my trip blog at http://ctlou.tumblr.com

 

[Louise-Spagnuolo]

Re: closed airports and cancelled flights

There is more info on the Volcanic Ash thread.

But, check out rerouting through southern Europe airports.
I was able to reroute from going through London to going through Madrid.

Because I will be getting a full refund from my oriignal ariline I was able to go ahead and purchase a new ticket with a new airline.

Hope it works out. I am praying for all the pilgrims trying to figure out a new way to get to their journey.

Also, I have noticed on the forum the experienced people along the way have said not to plan too much and let the Camino bring you what it will. I am very neourotic and tend to want eveything planned out. I very much liked the idea of starting on a Sunday and walking 'even' weeks. Now, I am starting on a Tuesday and am very much thrown off. I am looking at this as my first step (no pun intended) of going with the flow and seeing what unfolds.

Will keep everyone in my prayers that we all get there.

Louise a.k.a. ctlou
follow my journey blog at http://ctlou.tumblr.com

 

[proon4]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Hi
I'm suppose to be flying from Dublin to Biarritz on the 26th April to start walking the camino from SJPDP on the 27th. I cant see it happening as even if flights were resumed soon , the backlog of flights will curtail most flights. As I have walked the camino 2 times last year,I have no real complaints. But I would be lying if i said I wasn't disappointed. I havent given up hope ,but ce sera sera etc etc. The plus side for anyone able to get to SJPDP will be that the Alburges wont be as busy on the camino as predicted.Well not for the next 2 weeks or so. After that God knowa what will happen. . Anyway good luck to everyone who hope to do the trip and remember the camino has been there for at least a thousand years,and will be there for another thousand. So if you can't make it this time, theres always another time..
Pat
Ireland

 

[JEBZ]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Thanks Louise,

I will definately tell my Dad to look into that one. as he is convinced we are not going to get there till next week. Good luck to you

 

[stoffel]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Hi all,

just wanted to give a thumbs up here. A few airports - at least in Germany - will open
in the next hours. Lufthansa made some test flights yesterday.
It´ll be the northern airports in germany who will open again soon.

 

[alexwalker]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Just found this:


France: Airports in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse are now open until 10.00 Monday (at least). Paris and other airports are closed until Tuesday, at least.

Ireland: Airspace is closed until 12.00 Monday. Ryanair has cancelled all flights to and from Northern Europe until Wednesday afternoon.

Italy: Northern airspace closed until 6 GMT Monday at least.

:!: Spain: Madrid is open, but all European flights are cancelled, except to and from Portugal,southern Italy, Greece and Turkey. All airports in Northern Spain have been opened, including Barcelona,but Iberia has cancelled all European flights.

Britain: British Airways has cancelled all flights Sunday and Monday. Airspace is closed until 12.00 Monday at least.

Germany: Major airports, including Berlin Tegel, Berlin Schoenefeld and Frankfurt was reopened at least until 20.00 local time (18 GMT) Sunday.


(Updated Sunday 17.55)
Source: NRK (Norw. equivalent of BBC)

Update: A new prognosis (19.30 Sunday) says that ash will increase over Europe on Tuesday, but Spain and Portugal will not be much inflicted.


With all best wishes for all peregrinos to reach their camino safely,

 

[peregrina2000]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Lisbon and Madrid both seem unaffected by the ash, so far at least, so maybe there are re-booking alternatives through those airports. In fact, i've just helped someone who is walking the Vdlp to find flights on SATA airlines (they fly to Portugal from Boston and also have flights from Oakland). The roundtrip was about $1100, I think, and like other posters have said, the airlines are refunding your full fare so at least there are no penalties if you can find an alternative.

So it might be worth checking around to find some of the smaller airlines and rebook on some more creative itineraries. Morocco might also be a good destination to check, especially for people walking the Vdlp.

I'm sure there's a lot more pre-camino anxiety out there now, and I'm hoping for the best for those who are affected by this.

BTW, I have been taking this whole thing pretty much in stride (we have a French visitor who's stuck in the midwest with us for at least the next week; I have a colleague stuck in London for who knows how long; I'm hoping to leave for the Vdlp in about 11 days), but one thing that just really made me furious was to read that Rush Limbaugh has suggested that the volcano is God's way of punishing the US for adopting health care reform. Kind of hard to figure out what this guy's vision of God is, but I know that's off topic, sorry. Laurie

 

[benandsam]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Thanks guys for the good posts its a worry, its hard to imagine, when i was told about it initially i thought it was a april fools joke.
Im walking on may 4th pat ,im flying dublin /biarritz on may 3rd fingers crossed

 

[JoJoCamino]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

I only had ten days for walking this April - with no planes I have had to postpone my walk until October. Obviously wasn't meant to be!

 

[Rose Louise]

Re: closed airports and cancelled flights

Qantas Flights from Australia to Europe are on hold until Tuesday afternoon. A company spokesperson commented "we're still not optimistic of being able to resume them from Tuesday onwards". As we say in Australia "bugger".

Cheers Rose Louise

 

[peregrina2000]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

We're trying to help some friends get home on both sides of the Atlantic, so we're checking stuff pretty closely. Here's a recent report that suggests room for hope:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD9F5L4HG0

Our friend stranded in London is just going to go to the airport and hope for the best!

Crazy times ahead for many people, I'm sure.

 

[alexwalker]

Re: Ash Cloud Delays

Well actually, if you want to go to US from Europe, Queen Mary II is leaving on the 22nd of April from England to US, I have noticed. A short week Atlantic sea voyage.

There is more ash to come soon. I just read that in the first three days of this eruption, the amount of ash was equivalent to 13 million lorries worth of cargo. That would mean a row of lorries loaded with ash, bumper to bumper, 2.2 times around the world... This is a big one, and it's just started, it seems... Ordinary climate worries sink back, I think...

 

[jeploss]

Re: closed airports and cancelled flights

I cannot thank Anniethenurse enough for her detailed post, especially the history of the Icelandic volcano erupting for THREE years in the 1820s. This led me to get on the phone with Delta Airlines and change my flight from Portland, Oregon - Amersterdam - Madrid to Portland - Minniapolis - Atlanta - Madrid. Thus, I am completely avoiding the northern European airspace. Why go there when I don't need to? I feel very fortunate to have made this change. Now I can relax. Thank you Annie!

 

[benandsam]

santiago must be chaotic with people waiting to get home, the hotels there arent complaining i imagine
Im 2 weeks away from my camino , i am going to cancel the whole thing if i cant fly to biarritz, i hear french train staff are on strike also, they are using the ash to make french government listen to them

 

[alexwalker]

All airports in Spain are now open. It doesn't mean that it is of much help for those going to England/Northern Europe, but the news report that intercontinental flights now use Spain as a European entry/exit point. Hope this helps some of you.

Spanish authorities are now preparing to receive 100.000 more people than normal because of this.

 

[ivar]

I talked to two women from Finland the other day that had booked Ryanair via London to go back home after walking.... everything was canceled...they are now on the bus... to Finland.

Barcelona airport was closed for a few hours the other day, but now open. Madrid has ben open all these days... Madrid seems like a good place to enter... or maybe Porto or Lisbon.

Greetings from Santiago,
Ivar

 

[Peter Robins]

at least in the UK, the situation seems to be easing, with airports probably reopening tomorrow
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8630455.stm

 

[anniethenurse]

Latest news just to keep you updated
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010 ... aphic.html
and where is the ash cloud heading
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/p ... lcano.html
how is a vulcano constructed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7533964.stm

Here in Stockholm, Sweden the sky has been quite clear and blue, no ashes falling down yet (not that you can see).

Many pilgrims to/from the camino (and many others) are still waiting for their flights due to cancellations everywhere in Europe.
Thank you Jane for your kind words!

Buen camino to all the pilgrims!
annie

LATEST NEWS Thursday this week most airports will be open according to the latest prognosis.

 

[dungeness4]

I was supposed to fly today from Seattle to Paris and then on to Biarritz. The flight to Paris actually went and I could have been on it, but the Paris-Biarritz leg, which goes out of Orly, was canceled and because of the train strike, I didn't go . I most surly would have been trapped in Paris.

Thank you for the SATA tip, I will explore that, as I am finding that the airfares have risen by several hundred dollars since I bought my ticket.

I am feeling rather deflated tonight, it's like doing all the rehearsals and then having the concert cancelled at the last minute! I am not giving up though.

Good luck everyone who is caught up in this mess.

Buen camino, Dorothy

 

[MaryJo Jerro]

As like so many effected by flight cancellations, I too feel let down. I want to be walking right now! Keep the Faith! We will all get there. In the mean time,....we'll walk where we live and may have to move around travel dates but WE WILL all get there!

I look forward to lifting a glass of wine with each of you after a long day on the road.

Hang in There!

MaryJo - California - USA

 

[JohnT]

So the skies are open again, but it will take a few days to get things back to normal. Great news

Hopefully the volcano will calm down a bit as well, but the change of wind direction over Europe may bring mixed fortunes as concentrations of ash build up to the west of the Altlantic.

Just over 2 weeks before I leave so I'm hoping things don't change back again.

 

[hannajo]

I certainly empathise with all those feeling deflated just now. The long dress rehearsals and then cancelled concert certainly struck a chord. I feel like the ash cloud has settled on me and burst my bubble. For me I have two weeks to go ...I am in UK but my dear friend and walking companion who was due to fly out on Tuesday 20th is stuck in Australia with a cancelled flight and not only that tripped at the airport and damaged his funny bone (Ha Ha NOT funny). Surgery was today! He cant travel now for at least 6 weeks. Am sure he would appreciate your kind thoughts....he has waited so long for his Camino.

So I'm wondering what do I do now? Continue on as planned on my own and risk more ash cloud fallouts or postpone till a more agreeable time, probably Sept/Oct. Only problem is I have booked out seven weeks from work to do this ...IF I can change my work schedule I will postpone till Sept/Oct.....so there you are I have answered my own question.

Maybe I wont need a sleeping bag then......less weight seems like a great idea.

I looked out of the window this morning and saw an eagle flying high in the sky. The appearance of an eagle through my life and an OT scripture from Isaiah has been my God sign that all will be well, we are not alone. It is a comfort to know we can encourage one another.

Jo

 

[Kitsambler]

So, has the backlog of delayed travelers pretty much cleared up by this point? What have you observed about how has this event impacted the traffic on the Camino? If you were planning to walk later in the summer, have you changed your plans at all?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - new reports are still showing there is some way to go to get people back to the UK. I'm now back but newes from Santiago is that there is much less anxiety amongst pilgrims. "Fortunately" this happened at a quiet time on the routes - although numbers are still double that of this time last year. I'm "sure" all will be well later in the year.