The Big Volcanic Ash from Iceland Thread

[Darren Wheeler]

It's on the VS website now.

For all flights scheduled to depart UK before 13:00 on Monday, they are now cancelled.

Next update is due at 17:00BST

[Bazz]

Jet Stream Forecast is looking like Friday earlies before we get clean air.

[mitchja]

Also plan to get a refund if I can't travel to BOS on Friday. Although I'm still packing just in case. I don't want to be caught out the other way either!!

Hotel not paid for (yet) and I've got until Thursday 4pm to cancel (which I guess is EST so that's 9pm GMT by which time a decision for Friday flights should be known, if the situation continues)

My BMI flight is a reward flight so I should also get the miles/tax refunded too.

I've also noticed that over the last 24 hours, my out-bound VS flight on Friday has gone from being nearly full in W and Y, to now having several empty seats in all cabins.

My brother in laws flight Instructor once told him "It's better to be stuck down here, wishing you were up there, than to be stuck up there wishing you were down here". How true that is !
When its safe we will fly again.

Anyone think this is going away soon?

This is current activity.

How busy are bookings on the Tran-Siberian express?

[Nottingham Nick]

I've also noticed that over the last 24 hours, my out-bound VS flight on Friday has gone from being nearly full in W and Y, to now having several empty seats in all cabins.

All VS flights to east coast US on Thursday are showing straight zeroes on EF.

Nick

Not accepting bookings hence straight zeroes.
But with empty seats...

This is a compressed sequence of yesterdays activity.

It is taken from a small airstrip NW of the volcano, Ketla is just out of view to the right. I was there last year and can remember that view (without ash!)
Some really beautiful waterfalls just down the road from there - or there were! - they were from the run-off of the glacier that now hosts the volcano.

Well, shall I pack for the VS23 tomorrow or not ?| .

Some friends were supposed to fly to Miami today, BA rebooked them on Thursday with the words 'we expect flights to be operating before then'. Interesting.

Meanwhile, others think the Met Office is exaggerating it's maps extent.

And Norwegian airspace appears to be reopening, Germany is considering relaxing restrictions and some Spanish airports closed yesterday are reopening now.

[mitchja]

Slightly different story for the VS11 on Friday:

J8 D8 R6 Z2 W4 S3 K0 Y6 B6 L6 M6 Q6 X0 N0 O0

24 hours ago there where no Z, S, B, L, M or Q fares.

[Darren Wheeler]

Just my random musings, but by this time tomorrow there has to be a substantial government response or a relaxing of restrictions.

You cannot have a situation where thousands of people are stranded away from home with no immediate sign on how they are going to get home a government which all it keeps saying "safety comes first...." and "we are monitoring the situation".

Think of all those potential voted......!

In such uncertainty, I find myself looking at potential plans b, c ,d etc..... I seriously could never see myself as considering a cruise, but hell, I've just been looking at them. Need a holiday, I know, but didn't realise just how much I need one!

[Neil]

BA are sending a B747 for a test flight from LHR this afternoon. It will fly to Shannon then straight to the BA main maintenance base at Cardiff to be inspected.

[mitchja]

VS FB update just out:

All flights in and out of the UK until end of Monday 19th April are cancelled. An update will be made after 17:00H on Monday 19th April.

VS FB update just out:

All flights in and out of the UK until end of Monday 19th April are cancelled. An update will be made after 17:00H on Monday 19th April.

Arrived about the same time as an email cancelling my VS023 tomorrow. I'm really pissed, I reckon there'll be flights by Tuesday, definitely Wednesday. Drat!

VS FB update just out:

All flights in and out of the UK until end of Monday 19th April are cancelled. An update will be made after 17:00H on Monday 19th April.

Arrived about the same time as an email cancelling my VS023 tomorrow. I'm really pissed, I reckon there'll be flights by Tuesday, definitely Wednesday. Drat!

What makes you say that? If the press reports/met reports are anything to go by, it's gonna be days...

Out walking dogs and just watched an LHR (I guess) 747 fly overhead, heading north west from Berkshire.

Nothing is ever easy. My daughter has had her re-scheduled flight cancelled for tommorrow. She booked through Last Minute but the original cancellation email with the contact number to re-schedule was from VS so she phoned them to rebook. She can't take anymore time off so when tomorrows flight was cancelled she rang Last Minute (95 minutes wait) to ask for a refund. They said that as VS had re-scheduled the flight it was no longer their responsibility and she would need to speak to Virgin. She then phoned VS (80 minute wait) who sai that as the original booking was through Last Minute they could not help. Now she is back waiting for Last Minute customer service to answer the phone again!
Why are Companies so nice when you book and so unhelpful when things don't go to plan.

VS FB update just out:
What makes you say that? If the press reports/met reports are anything to go by, it's gonna be days...

For example, European airspace open tomorrow ...

VS FB update just out:

All flights in and out of the UK until end of Monday 19th April are cancelled. An update will be made after 17:00H on Monday 19th April.

Arrived about the same time as an email cancelling my VS023 tomorrow. I'm really pissed, I reckon there'll be flights by Tuesday, definitely Wednesday. Drat!

After just catching up on all the news and the results of test flights etc. I'm sort of coming to the same conclusion. I reckon they'll announce tomorrow or Tuesday that the cloud is less dangerous than originally thought and that flights will resume shortly afterwards maybe in limited form.

A lot of posturing and stuff going on behind the scenes from airlines etc. and the possibility of governments shelling out more billions to support them will change the view of those in charge, economics will rule the day in the end.

Trouble is after everything we've been told to date do you want to get on a plane and risk it? Wee Willie does, apparently he's on board BAs test flight this evening, I bet I can guess what a few Cabin Crew feel about that ):

Miopyk 8D

Just watching a press conference on BBC News, Lord West is talking about the possibility of the Navy getting involved and shipping people by boat if they get flown back to Europe :0

I have a friend who works in a travel agent and they are wondering whether NATS know when the airspace will open but won't release the actual date to save people bombarding the airlines, not sure myself though.

Out walking dogs and just watched an lge 747 fly overhead, heading north west from berkshire.i

Was sitting at home when I heard an old familiar noise overhead so I grabbed my camera...

KLM and Emirates are making noises about the scientific basis that these decisions have been based on - Sky are reporting that KLM are sending up three frieght flights tonight.

Gonna be a lot of pressure on the decision makers in the next couple of days. Interesting how people who were very quiet for the first couple of days are now challenging, even though the rules have not changed....a clear battle between safety and economics.

nibbs

Some spectacular views of the eruption, particularly the night-time lightning.

clear battle between safety and economics

Nothing unusual about that, but note, no one knows what concentration of volcanic ash does damage, so it is perfectly possible that the concentration over Heathrow is within safe limits ...