The Stranded by Volcano Meet up and Offers of Assistance Thread!
 

Inspired by TrojanHorse's thread, in which he's stuck at LHR until Wednesday, we're happy to compile a list of who is where so that we can get FTers meeting FTers through this event.

The stranded list:

AMS
KOng
Weezl + Mrs Weezl

ATH
jfkeze

BCN
redbeard911 family

CDG
SFOTerry
Metaframer
bk3day

DFW
janetdoe

DUB
giblet

DXB
kaota

FRA
Emeritus

IST
mpc1

ICN
TuxTraveller

LHR
TrojanHorse- left for Paris
lumedawg
phish1209
dazza189
chandi
thaliajen
pathfinder05
SeamusSA
kalkat
BDLORD

MAD
schadenfreude

MAN
g1ant

MUC
wimpypipsqueak
iflyua2
dvalatsas

MRS
comfortablynumb - on the way home

NBO
stimpy

NRT
paoloUK
schnapperin
WarrenUK

NYC
WHBM
BAforme
Keith_Taylor
James S

PEK
MatthewClement

PRG
DesertNomad

SAT
Gamecock

SZG
szg

VCE
boxo

VIE
jswong

WAS
DadMaCroat

YYC
antichef - left for LHR

ZRH
N830MH

Offers of assistance
AMS - flyingwheels
ATL - berlinflyer
BCN - njvandy
BOS - awpeters
BSL/MLH.SXB - Alsacienne, chrissxb
DTW - Bikeguy
DUB - okko
EDI - Jenbel, jghill
EVN - apoivre
GLA - rxfleming
HKG - Brian_1
LAX - owlflyer
LIS - palal
near LHR - pinkcat, redbeard911
MCO - LizzyDragon84
NYC - LGA, El_Chiflero, dhammer53, vacachico, tdp1830 (EWR)
ORD/MDW - tamboril, iluv2fly
SEA - muji
TPS - MsEverywhere
AKL - AKLDUBFlyer
near SFO - Boraxo, goalie


Meet up events:
Monday - London - organised by ajamieson
Tues - Thurs - Milan -Dovster
anyone for drinks in Paris - contact TrojanHorse

And then when its all over and years in the future, you can have the International Volcanic Strandees Club!

I'm in AMS. KLM keeps rebooking me and then I find out the airport is closed. Someone isn't updated their websites fast enough or communicating with the airports frequently enough.

Does anyone know what KLM rules are on compensation and reimbursement for incidentals? I went and bought a cell phone since, as anyone can imagine, it's not fiscally responsible to use a pay phone or hotel phone to try and make contact. Today I may need to start buying clothes and adding a few more euor onto the phone. Also, anyone having problems with airlines giving them the runaround about hotel stay. Luckily I got a hotel room for 2 nights so far, but KLM tries to tell us that they wont pay, then they do and then they tell me how lucky I am since non-Elite and economy people are on their own. And they wont confirm hotel till halfway through the day, BUT they know that the airports are closed.

Great thread idea ^ Currently "trapped" at LHR for different reasons ;)

good idea; and its interesting to see who/where people are stranded

anyway, as posted in the other LHR thread; I'm here till "at least" Tuesday morning so if anyone wants to have a drink or three.. PM me or leave me your cell and I'll give you a shout

Im just hotel hopping as I may as well get some promo points/benefits if I'm going to be stranded :D

off to London this afternoon since its the better of the weekend days per the forecast.

Are you finding many disgusted of Tunbridge Wells to interview? ;)

Another NRT stranded - at least until Monday

Stuck here in Manhattan it seems, came down from our office in upstate New York for a supposedly enjoyable weekend rendezvous with Mrs WHBM :) who was flying over on Friday but is back home in London, she never got the trip started of course. Originally due to return from JFK Sunday night but it looks like it's going to be a while yet.

I have fortunately remembered to have my swimming shorts with me, and am up early today to practice in the hotel pool. Departure from the beach at Cape Cod at sunrise. Anyone else up for it ?

More straightforwardly, who is around Manhattan ?

Miami for now
 

Suppossed to be on VS06 yesterday. The plane is here, positioned, with Crew, but its going to be a bloodbath for seats when they finally get a slot. Have confirmed seats on 8 other flights with 5 different airlines now from various cities in the US to UK and as part of my cunning plan, to Ireland. I have been able to waitlist on 4 flights on Monday and Tuesday as weel. Wondered if anyone had managed to get a seat or waitlist on anything for Sunday?

Thankfully I had moved on from that purpose, although a colleague is now doing precisely that ;)

Now back in the mothership in Victoria...a very nice day to be stranded in London, I would have thought.

Has anyone seen any ash yet?

Stranded in MUC trying to get home to SYD on SQ. Anyone else stuck in Munich? At least I have a hotel room until Monday but then things look bad.

stuck in madrid.

I'm stuck in WAS on my way back to LON. If anybody needs a hand in the area PM me as I used to live in both DC and in Baltimore and have several connections in both areas.

Was supposoed to meet friends for dinner tonight that were flying into London (and aren't now :) ). But, if there's an FTer who finds themsevles stranded here, I'll gladly join you for a pint or bite in town this eve or possibly tomorrow aft.

Might I suggest linking this wonderful thread to the BMi and BA boards, in casde there's any other UK locals who'd be keen on offering their fellowship to our stranded FTers here....

It has been cross posted to BA and VS, and should be appearing on the Travelbuzz directory thread as well.

I am stucked in SZG. I had to cancel HEL and HAM. :(

I am in Calgary (YYC), not technically "stuck" yet as my flight is scheduled to LHR on Monday, but not likely to work on present forecasts!

In AMS with Mrs. Weezl, getting nervous about Monday's trip back to the US. Have a hotel thru Monday AM then wondering if we will be able to stay, or IF we should stay.

Driving to another airport that might be able to fly out is an option, but what a gamble! Which airport will be operational and which will have seats for us?

The worst part is not the lost work hours or the expense of the extra days abroad, but WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BABYSITTER CAN'T STAY ANY LONGER?

Big mess.

Good Luck everyone, we're all in this together.

stuck in London!

stuck in new york. could have been DTW, so it could have been worse!

Stuck in MAN. Scheduled MAN-LHR-FRA-ORD on BA & AA midweek now.

Excellent! I have PM'd my mobile to those who've posted (up to this point, at least) that they're stuck in London...we'll likely meet this evening for a bite or a pint or both, or several, somewhere in central London.

I'm stuck in NBO. Keeping busy taking business trips to MBA and DAR, and will do more if I am here longer. At least I am in an inexpensive part of the world with great weather.

I'm not stranded unless Mr. Ash Cloud is still hanging around Thursday. Booked to fly VCE-CDG. If anyone is in the Veneto, please PM me.

From my thread in CBuzz..
The Redbeards are in BCN, scheduled to fly out tomorrow to LHR via MUC. That is looking shaky at best. We tried to get our rental car extended for a Calais or London return. Hertz wanted an extra £1000. The 30 hour ferry trips from Santander to Portsmouth are booked until Thursday.

My daughter's school is rumoured to be cancelled next week because so many students and teachers are out of the country for spring break.

The BCN website shows flights to AMS and BRU still as scheduled, with only LON and German airports confirmed cancelled. I'm tempted to head back to the US via Italy and stay at our house there for a week until this whole thing (pardon the pun) blows over.

I thought volcanoes are female?

Stuck in DXB, but hopefully not for much longer...

:D

In most languages, they're male, but the way this one's acting up .... :eek:

Stuck in Paris
 

I am stuck in Paris. I was supposed to fly out today on UA 943 at 11:20 am. UA cancelled it at 9:16 pm Friday night. It took forever to get through to UA. I am now booked on a Thursday flight. I have to speak at a big industry conference next week in Las Vegas, so actively looking for a way to get to another city to get back faster. I may have to go back through Asia, assuming I can get to an open airport first. French rail service is on strike, and high speed trains are sold out.

Not quite stuck yet, but due to fly home via IST-ORD this weekend. There's no way I can leave early and I don't really like the look of the spread of the ash cloud/closed airports shown on the map online at the NY Times.

By the end of the week I may well be on the "Stuck in IST list"

mpc1

London update:
For those stuck in London, we'll meet at Covent Garden tube station between 9:15 ane 9:30pm, then wander to a nearby watering hole from there.

Stuck in Frankfurt
 

I'm sitting in a cheap hotel in Frankfurt, since UA seems to offer nothing to its customers except a phone number that closes at 6 pm. I'm a 1K and can skype to the USA so I'm not in too bad shape

Lets see
1) I was re booked for Tuesday on the 11 am flight, But IIRC that's a 767 and I have seat 20 C I don't remember there being C seats on the 767

2) Fortunately I told Frau Dr Emeritus to call United and be ready to cancel her flight over. That went well.

3) a Lufthansa flight I had today did not get "canceled" until about an hour before departure. I assure you that however bad United service is LUFTHANSA is worse in every way

4) Actually, compared to most "Stuckees" I cant complain. I was a visiting professor here, know the area and language, and can go see some old friends. If anyone needs any help in frankfurt send a private note

Ok, quick briefing on EU comp:

If you are departing ex-Europe on any carrier, or flying on an EU carrier in either direction, your carrier is obliged by the EU compensation directive to pay for your accommodation and meals as a result of your flight cancellation. This is not affected by the cause of the cancellation (unlike cancellation compensation).

The relevant information can be found http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cg...004&nu_doc=261

Stuck @ home...
 

I'm stuck at RDU trying to get to LHR for a class that I'm (supposed to be) teaching on Wednesday->Friday and the next full week. Fortunately (for them) and unfortunately (for me) most of the students are local to the UK, so I'm going to be the only one missing. :(

At this point, AA is looking through rose colored glasses and telling me that there will be no problem leaving RDU @ 6pm Sunday and getting to LHR @ 7am on Monday.

I think they are over optimistic.

Any recommendations on getting to London by Tuesday by any route?

I looked into going via Rome and taking Eurail to London, but I can't get through to the ticket sales for the trains and all of the flights to Rome go via airports that I know are closed.

*SIGH*

I'd suggest posting in the AA forum - this thread is to allow stranded people an opportunity to meet up with each other and with locals, or even to seek assistance, not really as a 'I don't know what to do thread' I'm afraid. If you are unsure, posting on your airline's forum or on one of the regional forums is probably the best bet. But looking at the latest ash forecasts, you are right, AA is being amazingly optimistic - BA have already cancelled Monday's flights.

Jenbel
Co-moderator, Communitybuzz!

Was stuck in AMS when it hit (split ticketed on BA from AMS-LHR, then AA LHR-BOS, don't ask), made my way to BRU yesterday trying to get to the UK (should have stayed in AMS for many reasons ;), am on the eurostar to LON tomorrow afternoon (good god what a mess their website is), booked on the LHR-BOS flight Monday am (currently contemplating a boat back to the US as I am starting to think it will be quicker, seriously)

To Pay for but Not to Arrange
 

As per my other post on the VS Tthread, Virgin specifically are only offering to PAY for expenses for accommodation. They are NOT arranging and paying for them locally so if you are caught short money wise or cannot find local hotels, don't expect Virgin to come to your rescue. From what I see in the MIA terminal they are just leaving passengers to overnight there.

Restradned in LHR
 

I am in LHR (London City) at the moment. Was supposed to be in Europe for the weekend and back Monday.. Continuing on to SFO Tuesday (Hopefully). If I am here past Thursday them planning to go back east (may be train to Istanbul? and SQ back home to Melbourne).