Warning that air travel chaos will continue as eruption intensifies The Observer, Sunday 18 April 20

[babsbunny]

Warning that air travel chaos will continue as eruption intensifies

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/18/volcano-iceland-airports-passengers#start-of-comments

Passengers are being warned to expect more travel chaos amid fears that airlines will run up huge losses if the ash spewing out of an Icelandic volcano continues to spread across Europe's skies.

Scientists said there was unlikely to be a significant improvement in air quality soon, as concerns about the impact of the freak atmospheric conditions switched to the economy and food supplies.

After studying webcam images of the eruptions at the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Dr David Rothery of the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences at the Open University said it appeared that fine ash was being drawn into the high altitude and blown towards the UK.

[applegrove]

1. They said on the news that the last time it errupted it lasted for 2 years.

I have a cousin who was supposed to be on a plane to Europe on Monday. His whole trip is cancelled. He'd booked hotels and everything.

[kestrel91316]

2. That's the sort of thing that is covered by trip insurance, IIRC.

When I went to France in 2001, I had enough money invested in the whole proposition that I made damned sure to buy insurance. Of course, cancellations due to a volcano never entered my mind........

[pitohui]

3. as i said elsewhere acts of god wouldn't be covered under most insurance

i don't normally carry trip insurance, because i have read several contracts and they just seem to be w.out much value -- too much wiggle room for the company to get out of paying

i find it far more practical to book hotels etc that don't have cancellation penalties, they are not really a shortage of them around