Flight delays

[ellie]

Looks like those who are hoping to fly out to Orlando in the next few days are going to have a long wait. It must be so disappointing for those who have saved up for their special holiday, only to spend it at the airport.

Mind you, some people already in Orlando will be getting a few extra days! But that, too, can throw up problems, like not being able to get back to work.:(

As they say, every cloud has a silver lining, or should that be a dusty lining.

Glad they are taking every precaution, though, as safety is paramount.

[Links]

We have UK guests leaving on Tuesday and UK guests going in on Tuesday - not sure how this will work now

[Steve]

Hopefully the wind direction may have changed or the eruption ceased by then. The thing is the eruption could continue for months, they have been known to go on for 18 months. This would mean depending on the wind direction, we may have to do this again at sometime in the future. :( Of course for those travelling and the airlines they have to make up for the cancelled flights and move all the delayed passengers to where they should be.

[lizpaterson47]

Glasgow Airport has re opened and guess where the first flight headed Iceland !!!!!!!!!!!!! talk about flying into the eye of a storm.

[JAF]

Not looking good for travel over the next few days. We have one son stuck in New York and I can't get hold of him at the moment to see if he has any idea when he will be home.

[Steve]

I have heard stories of the earliest some folks have been told for a flight is next Saturday!

[kiomuk]

I think I'll be revising my count down!

[JAF]

Robert should have flown out of New York Saturday 17th and the earliest he could re book for is Sunday 25th so he is not a happy bunny

[Mary and Colin]

Our guests in our villa should have gone yesterday, after leaving they came back as the next flight they have been given is the 26th April. Lucky for them it is us out next so the villa is free. They said friends have been given 30th. So this is really going to take a long time to get back to normal.
I hope it sorts out sooner for all the unfortunate people caught up in this.

Mary

[Debbie]

Hi
We currently have availability in our villa from the 1st May if we can be of any help, hopefully it will be resolved by then though!!!!
Debbie:(

[ellie]

We have guests due to fly out on Friday, but I am feeling more doubtful as to whether they will be able to leave - and if they do, will they be stranded coming back? Such a disappointment for them.

[kiomuk]

We have guests due to fly out on Friday, but I am feeling more doubtful as to whether they will be able to leave - and if they do, will they be stranded coming back? Such a disappointment for them.

Ellie

As of this evening, looks positive for your guests. Hopeful for me too but a bit close to the wire for my liking! BA say operating from 1pm Wednesday as are Flybe so that should allow me to fly from Jersey at 5.30 (BA) and my sons from the Isle of Man at 5.40 (FlyBe) unless.... things deteriorate again during the day. Thursday to MCO a distinct possibility now ???

I'll add a post if I make it to Gatwick tomorrow!

[Mary and Colin]

Keith we will be thinking of you and keeping our fingers, toes and everything crossed for you. I know you were hoping to have a bit of a holiday with your boys this trip, hope it still happens.
Good luck
Mary

[Steve]

Good Luck Keith, hope it all goes well for you. :)

Hope your guests get out on Friday Too ellie!! <:fingersarex

[Paul and Jacqui]

We are due to fly out on Thursday. I have had our cases half packed for a couple of days now, just hoping that we will get our flight ok.
Jacqui

[jonjayne]

We are due out to Florida on Saturday - we also have our cases half packed as well - hoping and praying we will be able to go!!

[arkvilla]

Hope you all get away and have a wonderful holiday in your lovely homes - fingers crossed for all of you

Sandra

[ellie]

Good luck to everyone hoping to fly out in the next few days.

My guests have just phoned to say they are very hopeful for Friday, so that is good news too. <:cheer

[lizpaterson47]

Our BA flights are going tomorrow morning, I had to rush home from work and begin packing etc ,I did not bother at the weekend as I did not think the flights would go ahead.

Should be there tomorrow afternoon if all goes to schedule <:clap<:clap<:clap

[pbensur]

I hope you all get there and have a great time!

[ellie]

Fingers crossed for everyone! <:cheer

[Mary and Colin]

Just had an email from Virgin to say our flight is sceduled as planned so check in as normal, so that is good.
I know we don't go until the 9th but at least things seem to be settling a little. The message said all flights from the 23rd April so seems from today.

Mary

[Janny]

We have also heard that our Virgin flight is on schedule for the 6th -we fly into Washington and stay for a week then fly down to MCO on the 13th

[Steve]

Well it is nice to see things getting back to some sort of normality. Lets hope it stays that way and we must spare a thought for those that are still stranded throughout the globe. It was on the news that some stranded BA passengers have been given dates for repatriation in the early part of May but earlier flights are being advertised for sale at hugely inflated prices!!

[JAF]

Robert should have flown home from New York last Saturday and I managed to get through to BA Sunday morning and re booked his seat to fly home but the earliest seat they could give him was for tomorrow (an 8 day delay). Think it just as well we managed to get through to BA when we did.

Looks like it should all be okay when we fly out on the 5th May.

[lizpaterson47]

well BA got us here 10 minutes early too and we cleared MCO very quickly were outside and being picked up within 20minutes fastest ever

[ellie]

Great news, Liz!

[JAF]

well BA got us here 10 minutes early too and we cleared MCO very quickly were outside and being picked up within 20minutes fastest ever

Hope I have the same service on the 5th May.

[Mary and Colin]

I hope you do to Liz, sounds like a really good flight in.
Have a lovely time while you are there.

Mary

[Paul and Jacqui]

We got home on Sunday at 3.30pm on the Virgin flight that should have landed at 8.30am. It was 5 hours late taking off from Orlando airport and then had to divert around the volcanic ash which added on 2 more hours to the flight time. When the captain said that you could look out of the window and see the volcano erupting I must admit that I just hoped that he would get out of the area as soon as possible!!
Jacqui

[pbensur]

Sounds like quite an ordeal! Glad to hear you got home safely!

[Mary and Colin]

Well guys what can i say!!!!!
Hello from sunny Florida at last.
Our flight was supposed to be at 11.25 yesterday, so got up at six to get to the airport to check in bags. Told the flight was delayed until 2.40 and here is some meal vouchers to get a meal while we wait. This was okay we thought at least they are still flying. So 5 hours later we go to the departure gate to sit and wait for another hour while the pilots redo the flight plan due to the ash cloud. By now my nerves are getting the better of me but i was a good girl and stayed calmish (if that is a word) finally we board the plane and get ready to take of at 4.50 i think it was, We were one of the lucky ones and fly a different route but still only taken the 9 hours predicted. Some were having two hours extra in the air. (i could not have managed that i would have come home and cancelled) Anyway we got here and finally got through imagration at 11.00 last night so it was a hell of a long day, got a cracking headache and fell into bed just after midnight.
Friends leaving tomorrow have been told they will also have a delay but not how long yet.
So we are here and it is sunny, hope anybody flying soon don't have to much trouble.

Mary

[Steve]

We got home on Sunday at 3.30pm on the Virgin flight that should have landed at 8.30am. It was 5 hours late taking off from Orlando airport and then had to divert around the volcanic ash which added on 2 more hours to the flight time. When the captain said that you could look out of the window and see the volcano erupting I must admit that I just hoped that he would get out of the area as soon as possible!!
Jacqui


Glad you got home safely Paul & Jacqui, It looks like we will be having some disruption for some time with this ash cloud.

[Steve]

Well guys what can i say!!!!!
Hello from sunny Florida at last.
Our flight was supposed to be at 11.25 yesterday, so got up at six to get to the airport to check in bags. Told the flight was delayed until 2.40 and here is some meal vouchers to get a meal while we wait. This was okay we thought at least they are still flying. So 5 hours later we go to the departure gate to sit and wait for another hour while the pilots redo the flight plan due to the ash cloud. By now my nerves are getting the better of me but i was a good girl and stayed calmish (if that is a word) finally we board the plane and get ready to take of at 4.50 i think it was, We were one of the lucky ones and fly a different route but still only taken the 9 hours predicted. Some were having two hours extra in the air. (i could not have managed that i would have come home and cancelled) Anyway we got here and finally got through imagration at 11.00 last night so it was a hell of a long day, got a cracking headache and fell into bed just after midnight.
Friends leaving tomorrow have been told they will also have a delay but not how long yet.
So we are here and it is sunny, hope anybody flying soon don't have to much trouble.

Mary

Hi Mary,

Nice to see you got there ok, finally! :) Have a great time.

[ellie]

We got home on Sunday at 3.30pm on the Virgin flight that should have landed at 8.30am. It was 5 hours late taking off from Orlando airport and then had to divert around the volcanic ash which added on 2 more hours to the flight time. When the captain said that you could look out of the window and see the volcano erupting I must admit that I just hoped that he would get out of the area as soon as possible!!
Jacqui

Goodness me! I think I would have been sitting there with my lifejacket on! Did you actually see the volcano? <:wow

[ellie]

Glad to hear you have arrived safely, despite that blooming volcano, Mary. You were very brave as I know you are a nervous flier. At least you are there safe and sound, and that is the main thing.

Hope you have a great time!

[pbensur]

I am a HORRIBLY nervous flier so as I can certainly relate, I am very happy to hear that you made it and are enjoying sunny Florida, Mary!

I wanted to ask Jaqui if she saw the volcano too!! I didn't ask because I was imagining me being completely hysterical in a similar situation, but I am very curious, did you see it??!!:)

[Paul and Jacqui]

Fortunately we were sitting on the left side of the plane and the views of the volcano were on the right side. I just didn't feel that I wanted to get up and look out although other passengers were looking and saying they could see the volcano and lots of cloud above it. I spent the next 1/2 hour listening out for the engines to sound different and checking where my life jacket was!!! Hubby was fast asleep through all this drama!!
Jacqui

[ellie]

Typical man, eh, Jacqui! :<wink

My son was on a flight from London to Washington when birds flew into an engine on approach, shutting down one of the two engines! He had his i-pod on and missed the announcement that there was a problem - only noticed something was amiss when he looked out of the window and saw fire engines screeching down the runway beside the plane! He said he did wonder why everyone was cheering when the plane touched down safely.....<:Doh!

[Mary and Colin]

Thanks everyone for your good wishes. We are all settled down now and enjoying the sunshine.(the plane trip is fading :))
Few bits needing doing in the villa but then that's no suprise.
Will try and stay in touch with you all, but hope you understand if it is just quick visits on here.

Mary

[ellie]

Mary, can you make sure you leave some sunshine for us, please? :<wink