Hi there,
I entered this forum early yesterday when my sister and family found themselves stranded in Venice, at the end of a cruise. Royal Caribbean (RC) transferred them to a hotel out of the city. Since then, I have been online and in touch with my sister constantly, in an attempt to help them return home asap. We are getting nowhere.
The holiday was a fly/cruise, with Jet2 being responsible just for the flight and RC, just for the cruise. They now find themselves with conflicting advice as to who is paying for the accommodation and meals. Apparently, it should be covered by Axa's standard traveller policy, but they don't work Sunday's for me to enquire. I have looked at the policy outline, online, but it isn't detailed enough.
Has anyone any experience or advice about this? RC advised to sit it out and wait.
The train stations are heaving, as are the channel ports. Another family were due to collect a hire car, but it hadn't been returned from a prior hire.My brother in laws boss arranged for a hire car for them, but that didn't materialise either. We thought of sending a minibus, but there is the problem of crossing the Channel. It is all somewhat frustrating, and I'm safe at home! it must be dreadful for so many of them.

Dibley wrote:

RC advised to sit it out and wait

That's about all anyone can do for the time being.

Darren

My brother in law, his wife and two children are stranded in New York they had been on holiday in Florida- got as far as New York and they have been their since Thursday (they where due home early Thurs morning) - they are booked on a flight to Manchester departing New York Monday evening but that is now looking unlikely- they have pre booked the hotel room till Thursday meanwhile they are well and truly stuck -I am trying to give them updates as much as I can and have had to arrange the cattery to keep hold of the cat until further notice.!!

I wouldnt mind being stuck in NY

Judging by the BBC live volcano ash page it looks as if there is going to be some very high power meetings going on and I feel there may be a revision of the flight ban, my flight on the 21st April from Leeds by Jet2 has just been cancelled but as thats still some days off I am still hoping for it to go ahead unless of course the planes are all in the wrong place.

Fingers crossed Ed

Our holiday to Majorca. flying tomorrow at 7am was cancelled by Easyjet at 12 noon. I found out by constantly checking their website.

I booked a package for 4 of us through Broadway Travel - they say it will be 7 - 14 days before they will know if I will get a refund. Flights will be refunded obviously. No-one has been in touch with me, I have had to check all the time.

The volume of cancellations must be huge.

Ali

Yes that was my first first thought about them being in New York - but the only thing they want is to be home I think the novelty of being in NY has now gone (plus a lot of money) and they are wishing to put their feet on English soil.

BA is staging a test flight at LHR later.
Air France are flying test flights too. and I think Air Berlin have.

14:53 quote on thebbc live page is intresting too.

At the end of the day, air delays would not have been made as such unless there was a need for it.
Better to be safe than sorry.

as i type there are 4 aircraft flying round in German airspace and one in polish airspace and one just taken off in british airspace, this morning KLm transfered 8 aircraft from Düsseldorf to Shiphol by different routs, as yet i have not seen any aircraft in French airspace

Many thanks for the reply Dazbo.

My heart goes out to every single traveller who is effected by all this in any sort of way especially those with loved ones stranded abroad.

My sister, her hubby and 3 children are stuck in Florida. They should have left yesterday Tampa to Atlanta, Atlanta to Schipol and Schipol to Durham Teesside. We found out Friday that Delta Airlines had cancelled their flight from Atlanta to Schipol. Their villa owner had very kindly got the management company to post a note into their villa to advise them that she was happy for them to stay on in the villa free of charge in view of the situation (yes, isn't it nice when someone does the right thing)!

They rang Delta and explained that as they'd been offered accomodation, could they stay put until they could get a flight out, rather than fly to Atlanta and be stuck there. Delta were more than happy for them to stay put and have re-arranged their flights for this Thursday (22nd) albeit as things stand, I can see that not happening either.

Main problem is my bro-in-law's Travel Insurance expired today, as they were obviously due home. Now he's stuck out there and needs Travel Insurance. Typically no weekend contact number so have emailed and explained problem and requestion an extenstion, I'm going to ring them up tomorrow and hope they will assist. My sis and the kids are on an annual policy and will at least have up to 45 days cover as I understand it.

Bro-in-law said the road where all the car hire places are at Orlando International was absolute CHAOS yesterday...it's cost them almost $500 to hire their mini van for another week. Thankfully at the moment they're okay for money but it makes you wonder, how many times do you turn up for the airport on the way home with just a few Euro's in your pocket! Never again!

Just praying for a change in direction for this cloud....it's Icelands volcano, they can keep the ash too

Does anyone know if when the UK airspace opens the people who were due back a few days ago will get the flights back home first?
I just had an email from my daughter who is stranded in Singapore and after tonight the hotel they are in is fully booked and so are most hotels near the airport and in the city.
They are going to the Consulate today and the airlines office as the phone lines are jammed.
If they cant find a hotel they will have to go back to the airport.
The children are getting distressed and want to come home as they overheard someone mention it could be days before they can get back.
My son has suggested they try and get a fight to Rome or Barcelona and he will drive down and pick them up,but I think this is a bit extreme!

Jay Trip,

Refer to my post to HuddersfieldTourist on the Thomson Airways topic. Stranded passengers will be repatriated with priority. Some aircraft (a couple) are already positioned ready.

Darren

Wizard on the radarvirtuel site I have seen a plane fly in UK airspace and also northern french.

Thanks Darren,At least they are already in Singapore as the airline wanted them to stay at the hotel in Bali until the airspace was open.
I think if its going to take a week to return they may take my son up on his offer!

That is a very interesting point that tisonlymoi made about travel insurance running out. It is probably ok for those with annual policies but for those who only arrange cover for the duration of their holiday, if they are delayed, there could be problems.

My brother was supposed to fly home from Italy last Thursday. He has hired a car and is currently driving back to the UK

test flight BAW9156 is in progress as i type current position just west of Ireland after flying from LHR via the bristol/cardiff areas

fingers crossed