Winter 2010 Snow Chaos (Place to discuss/vent)
Dec 20, 2010 | 3:42 am
#316
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Diamond Elite, BA Nothing
Posts: 8,904
Thanks for everyone's input about priority of booked passengers. Our flight left on-time last night, we kept our assigned seats and were one of the first landings into Heathrow this morning. The airport is a ghost-town and even the minicab driver was surprised anything arrived.
Good luck to everyone else trying to travel over this Xmas period.
Good luck to everyone else trying to travel over this Xmas period.
Dec 20, 2010 | 3:51 am
#317
Ambassador: Oneworld Alliance
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold (GGL), Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,325
Dec 20, 2010 | 3:53 am
#318
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, EK Gold, LH Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 289
Last edited by Purdey; Dec 20, 2010 at 4:23 am
Dec 20, 2010 | 3:54 am
#319
Ambassador: Oneworld Alliance
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold (GGL), Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,325
My flight this morning was cancelled; got the BA e-mail about the same time as the flight showed as being cancelled on Arrivals/Departured on the iPad. Managed to re-book with no drama via company TA.
Dec 20, 2010 | 3:55 am
#320
Moderator: The British Airways Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,182
Paris Eurostar queue was cold but probably not as cold as the one at St Pancras (that station is really cold for some reason). I saw a massive queue when I arrived from Paris after 9pm yesterday. The queue was kept in place with blue 'police' tapes trying to keep people in some kind of order, and it was really cold there. I really felt for those people queuing at St Pancras. I'd really much preferred the 10 hours spent at T5 F lounge compared to the 4-hour queue in the cold though, so now I have more appreciation of T5 F lounge (or T5 generally - at least it's warmer).
At Eurostar check-in in Paris, there was absolutely nowhere to sit in the queue or anywhere close by. Eurostar started giving out tea and coffee free of charge for those in the queue because people were frozen. The worst bit were the cold feet! I also think someone collapsed because I saw ambulance crew walk past, and the men in military uniforms came round to ask the staff if everything was OK, I assume in terms of public order. The pregnant, infirm etc weren't looked after very well though, and the queues were not in good order due to lack of enforcement.
My advice to everyone is to buy Business Premier to avoid the queue if you suspect a disruption in winter! However, it appears that Eurostar service is now even more disrupted and also availability reportedly nil till Christmas so it may be a bit academic.
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:06 am
#321
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,409
I made it to JFK tonight finally and now can't sleep.
What a miracle -I was booked on the BA183 weeks ago and that flight was one of three BA services that operated yesterday: it's better to be lucky than rich!
T5 wasn't too bad from what I saw -no massive hordes and plenty of BA staff roaming around being helpful. People were clearly exhausted: someone fainted whilst queueing for boarding but the gate staff were right on it and the guy was allowed to board the aircraft. He told the gate staff he didn't want to lose his seat.
Excellent service from a nice crew yesterday. Crew numbers are obviously all over the place because I did a double take seeing two crew with the silver ties meaning we had two CSDs on board!
The OH isn't happy with me for making this (business) trip given the forecasts, but I'm due to fly back tonight on BA 182 so fingers crossed.
What a miracle -I was booked on the BA183 weeks ago and that flight was one of three BA services that operated yesterday: it's better to be lucky than rich!
T5 wasn't too bad from what I saw -no massive hordes and plenty of BA staff roaming around being helpful. People were clearly exhausted: someone fainted whilst queueing for boarding but the gate staff were right on it and the guy was allowed to board the aircraft. He told the gate staff he didn't want to lose his seat.
Excellent service from a nice crew yesterday. Crew numbers are obviously all over the place because I did a double take seeing two crew with the silver ties meaning we had two CSDs on board!
The OH isn't happy with me for making this (business) trip given the forecasts, but I'm due to fly back tonight on BA 182 so fingers crossed.
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:11 am
#322
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: County Tyrone
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,497
I made it to JFK tonight finally and now can't sleep.
What a miracle -I was booked on the BA183 weeks ago and that flight was one of three BA services that operated yesterday: it's better to be lucky than rich!
T5 wasn't too bad from what I saw -no massive hordes and plenty of BA staff roaming around being helpful. People were clearly exhausted: someone fainted whilst queueing for boarding but the gate staff were right on it and the guy was allowed to board the aircraft. He told the gate staff he didn't want to lose his seat.
Excellent service from a nice crew yesterday. Crew numbers are obviously all over the place because I did a double take seeing two crew with the silver ties meaning we had two CSDs on board!
The OH isn't happy with me for making this (business) trip given the forecasts, but I'm due to fly back tonight on BA 182 so fingers crossed.
What a miracle -I was booked on the BA183 weeks ago and that flight was one of three BA services that operated yesterday: it's better to be lucky than rich!
T5 wasn't too bad from what I saw -no massive hordes and plenty of BA staff roaming around being helpful. People were clearly exhausted: someone fainted whilst queueing for boarding but the gate staff were right on it and the guy was allowed to board the aircraft. He told the gate staff he didn't want to lose his seat.
Excellent service from a nice crew yesterday. Crew numbers are obviously all over the place because I did a double take seeing two crew with the silver ties meaning we had two CSDs on board!
The OH isn't happy with me for making this (business) trip given the forecasts, but I'm due to fly back tonight on BA 182 so fingers crossed.
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:11 am
#323
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Wales (Home base), Germany (Work base) & around the world!
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, Priority Club Gold
Posts: 352
I have to rant! I wish organisations stopped calling the situation "severe weather". "Severe weather", to me, is blizzard, minus 15 degrees or below, and can't see where I'm going and the snow banked up higher than my thighs (with high heels on)!
Why don't they just say "due to snow and ice", instead of "severe weather"? (Rhetoric, of course, not an actual question. I suppose they don't want to appear more incompetent than they actually do by calling it more benign, but correct, name.)
Why don't they just say "due to snow and ice", instead of "severe weather"? (Rhetoric, of course, not an actual question. I suppose they don't want to appear more incompetent than they actually do by calling it more benign, but correct, name.)
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:21 am
#324
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Wales (Home base), Germany (Work base) & around the world!
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, Priority Club Gold
Posts: 352
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:30 am
#325
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Wales (Home base), Germany (Work base) & around the world!
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, Priority Club Gold
Posts: 352
Well, quick sit-rep for planned flights tomorrow:
Looked st options for ANY BA/LH/Swiss flight out of Germany or Closest bit of Switzerland but virtually all cancelled today and those that aren't are full
No joy on getting through to BA Gold line or Eurostar
Company travel ageent doing their damnedest to find something but so far no joy. Not hopeful for tomorrow's flights looking at a deteriorating forecast and the current blizzard here in Black Forest
On the upside, 2 of the four winter tyres have arrived with Arctic Vixen in Wales, so a vague chance she could fight her way by road to have Christmas with me here.
Otherwise the Car Rental firms are reluctant (or refuse) to let me do a one-way to UK or a long booking due to scarcity of cars.
Am now planning the contingencies of "webcam link ups" in case I and the vixen+cubs do not spend Xmas together.
Hey ho...
Looked st options for ANY BA/LH/Swiss flight out of Germany or Closest bit of Switzerland but virtually all cancelled today and those that aren't are full
No joy on getting through to BA Gold line or Eurostar
Company travel ageent doing their damnedest to find something but so far no joy. Not hopeful for tomorrow's flights looking at a deteriorating forecast and the current blizzard here in Black Forest
On the upside, 2 of the four winter tyres have arrived with Arctic Vixen in Wales, so a vague chance she could fight her way by road to have Christmas with me here.
Otherwise the Car Rental firms are reluctant (or refuse) to let me do a one-way to UK or a long booking due to scarcity of cars.
Am now planning the contingencies of "webcam link ups" in case I and the vixen+cubs do not spend Xmas together.
Hey ho...
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:32 am
#326
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Diamond Elite, BA Nothing
Posts: 8,904
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:33 am
#328
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,337
oops, sorry I just noticed you need the other way around. Have you tried calling the EC number in Germany? I have gotten through twice today.
Dec 20, 2010 | 4:56 am
#329
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, EK Gold, GF Silver, IC Royal Ambass, Marriott Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 910
Plenty of seats today, tomorrow and 22nd on Air Berlin from DUS to STN.
Dec 20, 2010 | 5:01 am
#330
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Wales (Home base), Germany (Work base) & around the world!
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, Priority Club Gold
Posts: 352
