Just had a telephone conversation with my son in London who has his flight booked for April 27. He is wondering whether the volcanic ash would still be bad enough to prevent flights out of Europe by then. He has to report for duty in his new job in Malaysia.
A number of his friends who are pilots or air stewards are still stranded in various parts of UK and Europe. Though on full pay, they are on call, ever ready to work on short notice. Those on tours are also stranded.
My daughter could not believe her good luck when she flew into UK (before the volcanic eruptions) and returned by Eurostar! Under normal circumstances, it is cheaper to buy return tickets either by air or by Eurostar.
Those businesses involved in importing and exporting perishables like fruits and vegetables are badly affected. There is a headline: Qantas: Cancellations cost $1.4 million a day, and I am sure every airline flying in and out of Europe is also affected, with those flying within Europe much worse off.
Nobody knows for sure how long this problem will carry on. One way to travel out is to travel by road or rail to Spain, for example, and take a flight from there. But by then, the sky could be clear enough to fly from the original departure point and you lose money on both ends!
No comments:
Post a Comment