The Ash Cloud Chaos Continues – Tips for travellers

The crisis resulted from the volcano eruption in Iceland seems to be far from over as the UK airports remained shut down and the flight ban extended for the sixth day. The situation is grim as millions of Britons are stranded at the airports around the world. Criticism by the airlines is growing and the Government authorities are now in friction with the operators which, in view of the mounting losses running into hundreds of millions of pounds collectively, are insisting that the ban be lifted. However, the crisis management authorities, forecasters and scientists are considering the volcanic cloud as a clear and present danger to the passengers and are in no mood to take a chance – a stance which many airlines challenged and questioned.

Test Flights to confirm the safety of the flights

Tests flights are on to confirm if the European skies are safe for flights to be resumed however the recent forecast pushed the flight restrictions and opening of the UK airports to Friday at the earliest. The airlines claim to have carried out their own test flights and some of them have been quoted as saying that no obvious damage to the aircrafts was noticed. The Government authorities are still to conduct more tests before the flights ban could be lifted. The catastrophe, a rare act of nature has posed a threat to the aviation industry all over the world with the UK aviation at the epicentre of the threat.

Government Acts

In a latest development which took place at UK’s emergency committee COBRA meeting, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that three Royal Navy ships will be sent to the channel to repatriate the stranded Britons back home. Chaos has been reported from different international airports all across the world with airlines, authorities and travellers praying for a quick end to their plight sooner than later.

Travel Operators – one of the worst affected businesses

After airlines, travel agencies are second in line of fire that is emanating from the volcano with loss of business running into millions of dollars. The travel agents all across the Europe have been inundated with calls from the wary travellers who were booked to fly during these dates. Most of the queries that travellers need answers to relate to any compensation for the loss of time and business. A representative of one of the leading travel operators in the UK, Southall Travel, commented that travel agents have been facing a rough patch ever since the news about the ash cloud broke out. As the flight ban is consistently being extended, more and more travellers are worried as to what their options are. If you are due to fly in or out of the UK in next few days then the following advice from southalltravel.co.uk may help you in understanding the situation and knowing your options better.

What do I do if my flight has been cancelled?

If you have booked directly with the airline, you need to call the airline. Most airlines are rescheduling flights by a couple of days or refunding the ticketing amount. However, the rescheduling is purely subject to the availability of the seats.

On the other hand, if you have booked an inclusive package tour with a travel company, you can expect greater flexibility. You simply need to call the agent who booked your ticket. In fact, travellers who booked with the travel agents are being seen as being better off than those who booked different elements of their travel independently.

What happens to my other travel arrangements like Hotel, transfers and car rentals?

If you have booked with the travel agent, get in touch with them and they will take care of the arrangements. If these elements have been booked by you independently, you need to call your insurance company to see if these elements are covered.

Will I incur any extra cost if my flight is rescheduled?

Airlines have been rescheduling flights to a later date at no extra cost. If you wish to fly on a different date than what the airline is rescheduling your travel for, then certain airlines may apply a fare difference if the seats in the same class of service are not available. Certain airlines as a part of their goodwill policy are offering cancellation of reservation for no charge should you wish to cancel your booking. You must contact the airline or your travel agent to check for more information as the above information varies from airline to airline.

Where do I get the updated information from?

For the latest information or update on flights, call the airline, travel agent or the airport that you are due to travel from. Affected travellers must check Foreign and Commonwealth office advice on their website. The flight cancellation update could be viewed at www.baa.co.uk.

Is there any helpline number?

An emergency helpline (020 7008 0000) has been set up to deal with enquiries about the safety and wellbeing of those stranded offshore.

Would I be able to fly immediately as soon as the air space reopens?

Authorities are anticipating a knock on effect of thousands of cancelled flights and a huge backlog of travellers is inevitable. Outbound as well as inbound travellers have been advised to be prepared for delays before they could depart or be repatriated.

I have been inconvenienced / incurred loss. Am I eligible for compensation?

As per ABTA, you would not receive compensation as the inconvenience of loss has resulted from a natural calamity or an act of god. The Force Majeure clause exonerates a party to a contract from any liability in case an extraordinary event which is beyond its control takes place.

Do I get free accommodation for my extra stay?

You are not likely to get free accommodation. However, you may get in touch with your travel agent to reschedule your hotel accommodation. As far as the tariff for your extra stay is concerned, you need to get in touch with your insurance company.

Volcanic Ash Cloud Throws UK Air Traffic Out of Gear

The two volcanic eruptions in Iceland within a month’s span have wreaked havoc upon air traffic in the UK. These eruptions have come after 200 years of silence and it is the second one, which is mainly responsible for the situation. The explosion of the volcano has resulted in the formation of a massive cloud bank of molten ash, which is drifting towards the UK. This cloud is loaded with enough sand, glass, and rock particles to jam up an aircraft engine. Taking no chances, the Met Office issued timely warnings to the Air Traffic Control Office.

Flights to and from the UK severely disrupted

No flights were allowed to or from the UK until Thursday 6:00 p.m. As per latest reports, all flights in and out of the UK have been grounded until 1pm Friday. Authorities have been quoted as saying that the disruption to the flights may last for another day. This spells trouble for thousands of passengers scheduled to travel on and around these dates. All across the UK, passengers were in for a rude surprise on Thursday morning when airport authorities told them that flights have been cancelled indefinitely. As of now, only extreme emergency flights like those of the Royal Air Force are being permitted to ply.

No Compensation for loss resulting from forces of nature

Thousands of families, who had taken flights to India or other long haul destinations for Easter vacations and were scheduled to return this weekend, would have to remain stranded abroad with their return to the UK being delayed. Besides inconvenience, passengers may have to suffer monetary woes as ABTA has ruled out any compensation since the issue is linked to a natural disaster.

Advice - Know what you can do

The situation is chaotic as most of the airlines have cancelled the flights operating to different parts of the world. However, passengers who have booked their tickets with travel companies are better off than others. There are a number of benefits of booking with travel agents if such a calamity shows its ugly head. The travellers are sure to either have their travel rescheduled to fly on a later date or get a complete refund of the cost of tickets subject to conditions of the airline they are booked with. For example, Southall Travel, subject to availability of seats, rebooked multitude of passengers in line with the airlines’ rebooking policy in addition to offering a full refund to many travellers who opted for it. Travel agents have been contacting the affected passengers however, if you have not heard from your agent, act now and call up your agent to discuss your options.

Passengers who booked their travel independently should contact the airline to find out the details. It is advisable to also contact the insurance companies to see if different elements of their travel that they booked independently are covered or not.

The threat posed by the cloud formation is a very real one. The enormity of the situation can be gauged by recalling the 1982 incident when a British Airways flight flew into such a cloud bank resulting in the failure of all four engines. It was a miracle that the plane could land safely.