LGW Freezing Fog
 

Lots of knock on delays today at Gatwick due to freezing fog.

Some of the late evening flights are cancelled as a result (including mine, naturally).

Sitting almost at the end of the runway here, it's been pretty grey, cold and miserable all day. Can't see it lifting, in fact only likely to get worse as it gets darker.

Ouch. Looks bad from the BAA website - typical delays of 2-3hours. Fingers crossed for LHR.

At the moment:

Doesn't surprise me, though I'm not at work today. The heavy frost hasn't lifted at all and it looks like it's been snowing. Fog is rolling in fast here, just 15 minutes drive from LGW.

Hope you all get away without too much delay. :)

Travelling Domestic?

Shrink your carbon footprint and save the world, go by train. :p

I got a text at 1215 to say the 1545 GLA was cancelled, and managed to swap to 1486 from LHR, although ended up in 18B Ugh!

LHR is running normally for a Friday, i.e. 45 - 60 minute delays on most flights.

Looking down from Canary Wharf, it doesn't seem good news at LCY tonight. Visibility is rapidly reducing. I am just keeping my fingers crossed for LHR at the crack of dawn tomorrow.

HIGH DELAYS INFO EGKK EDDM EHAM

Valid from 21 Dec 2007 to 21 Dec 2007 (released 21 Dec 2007 at 15:31:04)

FMD INFORMATION MESSAGE
=======================
.
SUBJECT: HIGH DELAY IN EGKK EDDM EHAM
.
OPERATORS AND ATC UNITS ARE ADVISED THAT
THERE ARE HIGH DELAYS FOR ALL TRAFFIC DEST EGKK EDDM EHAM
.
DELAYS ARE CAUSED BY LOW VISIBILITY
.
DELAYS ARE UPTO 270 MINUTES
.
ANY IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE PASSED ON IMMEDIATELY.
IN THE MEANTIME OPERATORS ARE STRONGLY REQUESTED NOT TO TELEPHONE
FMD HELPDESK ABOUT DELAYS WHICH ARE TYPICAL/AVERAGE.

EGKK= Gatwick
EDDM= Munich
EHAM= Amsterdam

What a kerfuffle!

Booked on the 4pm flight from AMS to LGW.
Checked in at 2pm
Through security - less than a 5 min queue; one for bags and one for shoes (how stupid!)
Saw on the ba website that the flight was cancelled. Went to the checked in desk, who simple said - "yes, its just come up on our system as well" but no announcement was made. Told to go to ticketing - just beside the immigration area!

Queue of 40 people in front of us for the BA desk. After standing there for one minute, thankfully I had the sense to phone BAEC Gold number, who re-booked us straight on the 19:35 flight to AMS. ^ Left the queue and headed for IRIS - no queue. Best decision I made of the day. Effectively, we jumped the queue and locked into seats on the one flight left to AMS today (2 flights cancelled).

Could not work out which lane to choose at immigration since we had not left the country but stuck to the Blue EU one.

Took the escalators back to check-in. Nice lady in F, tried to get us seats but the system stalled. They had changed the configuration to all Y on the 19:35 flight and she could not book us in for another 15 mins. Just as well both of us have an access of TPs.

Down to Costa coffee to recover.

Back up again after 15 mins as instructed - nice lady in F still struggled to get us seats because we were designated Club pax so had to phone for manual over-ride. The other half checked in the his WIFI ipod and told her that the 19:35pm flight was leaving after 22:00 which was news to her.

The BA website is far more up to date that the system BA staff have. I really do feel sorry for them. Still this was a start of the holiday for us so we were in jovial mood.

Fingers crossed that the flight does take off. All the various afternoon flights are now boarding so I am hopeful that apart from the delays as all the planes try to take off at the same time, the plane will actually depart. The F lounge which was packed when we first arrive when all BA departures stopped during this afternoon, the is now busy but relatively calm.

Meanwhile, I am keeping logged on to the BA website on the laptop. BA's internet service in the F lounge appears to have stopped but is now working again!.

LCY closed now- see below.

Amy word from LHR???

Ba.com shows no delays for LHR

London City and southampton closed for the rest of the evening now.

XCD FCM CLOSURE EGLC (London City)

Valid from 21 Dec 2007 to 21 Dec 2007 (released 21 Dec 2007 at 17:02:00)

TACT/CASA MESSAGE : XCD - CLOSURE
---------------------------------
REF : CLOSURE OF EGLC AERODROME
DUE TO : WEATHER FREEZING FOG
FCM : FCM MUST CONTAIN THE REGULATION ID
REG ID : REG ID EGLCA21A
VALID : WIE UNTIL: 2359 UTC
TFC : DEST EGLC

XCD FCM CLOSURE EGHI (Southampton)

Valid from 21 Dec 2007 to 21 Dec 2007 (released 21 Dec 2007 at 17:03:25)

TACT/CASA MESSAGE : XCD - CLOSURE
---------------------------------
REF : CLOSURE OF EGHI AERODROME
DUE TO : WEATHER FREEZING FOG
FCM : FCM MUST CONTAIN THE REGULATION ID
REG ID : REG ID EGHIA21L
VALID : WIE UNTIL: 2300 UTC

Fog has come down on London town BIG TIME. A real pea soup, you can't see more than about 100 meters. :eek:

Sorry to those who are travelling but tonight is not a good evening to be flying. :(