[quote=“Icon”]The problem is that he needs to plan it very well, first of all , because of the costs, and second because of changing conditions, no one is sure that even if he gets to an airport atht may have flights going out and manages to find a sea and book it, that the airplane might actually depart as teh cloud keeps on expanding…
As we say in Spanish: do it like the monkey, not letting go of one branch until you have the other in your hand.[/quote]That’s not just Spanish Good point, say you do somehow get to Spain or Norway, it will take a couple of days, and the cloud has moved there too.
I vote for waiting it out. I wish this would have happened on my way back to Taiwan not on my way there. I’d love to get stuck there. I’d hate to get stuck here.
I’m researching what the client company wants me to do at this time, because if I try to get out via land and sea, they’re going to have to foot the bill.
Given the chaos on non-air transport at present, and the lack of a guarantee that there will be a plane out in a distant location (both because of the possibility of the cloud moving or spreading, and because of all the other people who’ve got a head start on you to do exactly the same thing), and since you already have a ticket out late this coming week, then unless you have an urgent need to get home earlier, it seems to me like the best thing to do would be take a deep breath, relax and try to enjoy the time you have there. If that means free time on your hands, use it for some sightseeing and relaxation.
Anyway, best of luck with this. I can imagine that the feeling of being stuck and the uncertainty could be quite stressful.
Very tough situ to be in Tomas and of course very worrying. I do hope the thing will die down by next week and people can get home. Hang in there bud!!
[quote=“Tomas”]Thanks to those of you who are kind and helpful.
I’m researching what the client company wants me to do at this time, because if I try to get out via land and sea, they’re going to have to foot the bill.[/quote]
Our thoughts are with you. Best of luck, hope you find an acceptable solution soon.
It’s a tough call here. Lots of uncertainty. Some of my colleagues are going to try to get out from Madrid to get back to the USA, but Madrid doesn’t look great–they’ve closed airports in northern Spain and in Mallorca now. I don’t think we’ll be able to get there until Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest.
Lisbon is a still open, but who knows for how much longer? It’s also really expensive to fly from there to Taiwan. I don’t know if I’ll get approval for it.
As for the options in the east, I can get onto a Emirates flight that isn’t too expensive out of Athens, but I imagine getting to Athens isn’t going to be speedy.
It’s a tough call here. Lots of uncertainty. Some of my colleagues are going to try to get out from Madrid to get back to the USA, but Madrid doesn’t look great–they’ve closed airports in northern Spain and in Mallorca now. I don’t think we’ll be able to get there until Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest.
Lisbon is a still open, but who knows for how much longer? It’s also really expensive to fly from there to Taiwan. I don’t know if I’ll get approval for it.
As for the options in the east, I can get onto a Emirates flight that isn’t too expensive out of Athens, but I imagine getting to Athens isn’t going to be speedy.
Any votes? Gut feels? Would you go west or east?[/quote]
If Northern Spain is closed, the logical choice would be Malaga. Lots of flights in there because it’s part of the Costa Del Sol region. Get a Malaga-Helsinki-Hong Kong flight on Finnair.
If there’s a chance that trying to go another way might actually leave you stuck again even farther from where you want to be, then you should always go in whatever direction is closer to home. IMO.
Tomas, I agree with madam Cat above. I’d suggest staying put and sticking with your original flight plan. The risk of incurring a costly alternative plan is you may end up wearing it if it fails. I mean what if you take some roundabout trip and end up cooling your heels somewhere else as that is shutdown when UK skies open? It will be very hard to convince a beady eyed accountant that your extra week in the Costa Del Sol was a result of a delayed flight when your original flight left as scheduled.
As for: [quote]Get a Malaga-Helsinki-Hong Kong flight on Finnair. [/quote]
Checked a map lately?
[quote]Air traffic halt across Finland continues on Saturday as the airspace closure has been extended until 3 pm Sunday due to ash cloud moving over Finland from volcanic eruption in Iceland.
According to Finnish Civil Aviation Administration, the ban on flights over Finland is likely to be extended until Wednesday evening as Finnish Meteorological Institute predicts that the ash over Finland would not clear up until then. The disruption to air traffic could thus prolong for days.[/quote]
More importantly, I suggest you try and take it easy, as there really isn’t much you can really do. Dashing about Europe looking for an open airport isn’t going to help.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Tomas, I agree with madam Cat above. I’d suggest staying put and sticking with your original flight plan. The risk of incurring a costly alternative plan is you may end up wearing it if it fails. I mean what if you take some roundabout trip and end up cooling your heels somewhere else as that is shutdown when UK skies open? It will be very hard to convince a beady eyed accountant that your extra week in the Costa Del Sol was a result of a delayed flight when your original flight left as scheduled.
As for: [quote]Get a Malaga-Helsinki-Hong Kong flight on Finnair. [/quote]
Checked a map lately?
[quote]Air traffic halt across Finland continues on Saturday as the airspace closure has been extended until 3 pm Sunday due to ash cloud moving over Finland from volcanic eruption in Iceland.
According to Finnish Civil Aviation Administration, the ban on flights over Finland is likely to be extended until Wednesday evening as Finnish Meteorological Institute predicts that the ash over Finland would not clear up until then. The disruption to air traffic could thus prolong for days.[/quote]
More importantly, I suggest you try and take it easy, as there really isn’t much you can really do. Dashing about Europe looking for an open airport isn’t going to help.
Good luck.
HG[/quote]
Did you check when I made the post and the arrival list at Helsinki’s airport? At that time, Malaga flights on Finnair were arriving.
It’s a tough call here. Lots of uncertainty. Some of my colleagues are going to try to get out from Madrid to get back to the USA, but Madrid doesn’t look great–they’ve closed airports in northern Spain and in Mallorca now. I don’t think we’ll be able to get there until Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest.
Lisbon is a still open, but who knows for how much longer? It’s also really expensive to fly from there to Taiwan. I don’t know if I’ll get approval for it.
As for the options in the east, I can get onto a Emirates flight that isn’t too expensive out of Athens, but I imagine getting to Athens isn’t going to be speedy.
Any votes? Gut feels? Would you go west or east?[/quote]
As said, you could wait it out if possible, or…
OK, it takes about 4 hours to buy a train ticket. If you make it to Athens or Turkey, I agree taking a Qatar flight -currently on sale-, Emirates or any Middle East airline make sgood economic sense. I think there is even a reasonably priced Brunei connection to TPE.
I’m with HGC. I can’t imagine anything more designed to add to your stress levels than trying to poke about all over Europe on the off-chance of finding a flight and a very GOOD chance of ending up kicking your heels in some godforsaken backwater waiting for a non-existent flight.
I’d just sit back and try to enjoy a few days enforced leisure.
They’ve just extended the flight ban into tomorrow morning in the UK.
I’ve had a friend from Brussels offer to put me up in his home. I’m now considering that option–from Brussels, I could shoot over to any open mainland airport fairly quickly, and I could also come back to the UK if needed via Eurostar.
The worst part might be the total inability to predict anything.
I would be worried about the inability to get back to your arranged flight if everyone is trying to travel the same train. Perhaps you should stay closer to your departing flight, unless you can get guaranteed, advanced tickets for the Eurostar?
I don’t think that the Eurostar will be that easy to book if everything stays in place as everybody will try to go that option with all inner European flights to UK off. There are stories of booked out trains, farries and even rental cars all over Europe already.
Dont wanna freak you out any more then you are but Katla is a far greater threat . And it seems that every time baby sister blows, Katla does too. So it could be in the works. That means it would be prudent to get your butt home ASAP by any means.
It looks like there’s no telling when the volcano will settle down.
[quote]The last time the volcano under Eyjafjallajokull glacier blew was 1821 and continued for two years. [/quote]
I wonder whether you should book a backup flight for a couple weeks from now, leaving from a distant location, just in case, along with the train tickets to get to it.
Good point, say you do somehow get to Spain or Norway, it will take a couple of days, and the cloud has moved there too.
