I am safely back, but many people still are not. I was hearing a horrendous story about stranded passengers at Bangkok airport. My friend just got out of there yesterday. Via Vienna. The amazing thing is that it was only yesterday that Reykjavik airport has been closed for the first time since the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull brought Europe’s aviation industry to a standstill.
UK airlines are seeking volunteers to give up seats so the thousands of people still stranded after the volcanic ash disruption can get home. British Airways has asked customers who are booked on long-haul flights up to 2 May to make way for those who were stranded and Virgin Atlantic says many such volunteers have contacted the airline. But many airlines’ long-haul passengers still face weeks of delays, with re-booked returns stretching into May. This is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WHY aren’t the airlines putting on extra flights to get everybody back? They can’t just squeeze people here and there on to already fully booked flights and you can’t have people strolling on to planes before those that have been stuck somewhere for days and days. It is totally unacceptable and highly inefficient and what is going to happen when the next, much larger volcano erupts? Apparently Europe might be shut for three months then – last time it erupted Europe suffered the coldest summer ever and it is thought that the volcano might have been previously responsible for the potato famine and indirectly the French Revolution. “We are becoming quite adept at exporting our catastrophes” was a recent quote I read about Iceland.
Earlier BA rejected suggestions it was prioritising new passengers over those stranded abroad. But of course they are. All the airlines are doing that. That’s why there aren’t any flights available for days. Tens of thousands of people are still stuck overseas.
According to a BBC report there are still this many British citizens stranded abroad:-
Egypt: 10,000
Florida: 9,000
India: 8,000
South Africa: 5,000
California: 4,000
Thailand: 2,500
Malaysia: 2,000
Other significant regions: Caribbean (especially Antigua, Barbados, Cuba); Dubai; Maldives
And what about all the people who have got stuck on their journey home?
April 24th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Airlines, once they are operating a full schedule, do not have aircraft sitting around doing nothing. It is not economic – so they do not have spare aircraft to operate extra flights.
April 25th, 2010 at 11:35 am
A friend of mine who got stranded in New York city was rebooked on a flight leaving JFK on the 1st May. she decided to phone Virgin every day in the middle of the night American time and suddenly got 3 flights home last thursday. The plane was not full. I think the airlines could do more to avoid flying partially full aeroplanes home.
April 25th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
good for her for hassling Lx
April 25th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
So pleased you are back safely. I saw the scene at Bangkok airport too on the news. It is just dreadful. I agree, more should be done to get these people and the other stranded UK citizens home. It is not good enough.
April 25th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Thanks Rosie. Sorry your trip got delayed Lx
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