To cancel plans to travel to Europe next week in case oil issues mean I can't get home

[Czerwonitz]

The trip is fully refundable

It didn’t occur to me to cancel my holiday on Friday due to fuel! Ah well if I get stuck, I get stuck!

In 2005 I wouldn't worry

We've seen repeatedly that modern people panic and make fear of problems a self fulfilling issue

At least there will be sunshine

Have we not learned that lesson!

Seriously why?

where do people store their stockpiled fuel though?

Blooming heck. I hope YABU. I am planning on flying to Malaysia next week so I truly hope flights won't be delayed because of a shortage of oil. There is quite a bit of processing needed to make oil into aviation full so I'd guess it will take several weeks or at least a couple of months for any serious oil shortages to translate into fuel shortages.

So my view is that while I suppose in the worst case scenario there might be aviation fuel shortages, this is probably a time to go and get back before any potential shortages hit. In any case delayed flights may be the least of our problems if we have serious fuels shortages.

Of course someone will come along now and explain how wrong I am about the supply chain for aviation fuel but I really hope not!

In their sheds and garages and then we see an increase in fires because people forget it’s there or arsonists find it.

Kerosene for planes would be stockpiled by companies on the whole rather than people

I don't know how "just in time" the usual supply chain is

Well, we should all be standing against this then, starting by not cancelling things unnecessarily.

Hmmmm I mean ok possibly you first tho

Where are you – in the UK? Because I’m pretty sure that means you’re already in Europe?

Not really. I got stuck in Italy a few years ago and the only way to get back was train to Geneva, which was the closest airport with flights available. And that was only a strike, not ongoing multiple cancellations. Because you only spend a few hours in the air, you forget how far from home you are when you go to the continent, and the logistical schlep involved if even one type of transport goes down. If more than one more is unpredictable, you're even more out on a limb. And if you are stuck, it's not like you'll be lounging by the pool in a five star hotel - you'll be in some quasi-brothel getting bit by bed bugs and spending on your credit card for a ropey reheated hot meal, while your boss loses his shit at you back home.

most helpful comment!

i thought you meant people were going to panic & stockpile

fire engine won’t be able to make it without fuel!

I am in the UK which is not mainland Europe (are you making a Bremain point? I am Scottish you don't need to bother)

I would have no problem flying to Europe now, or transiting through the Middle East. It's all relative. For example, this time last week, nobody was worried about meningitis in Kent - things change and we all make our own decisions based on how much risk we will tolerate.

Businesses panic too wait are you ai?

Absolutely and I'm old enough to remember the ash cloud! Clear skies over London but less fun if you were stuck in gran canaria

? unsure why you have accused me of being AI.

If businesses panic & stockpile surely we have more things to worry about like medication & food shortages.

Honestly I hadn’t thought about this as a possibility, but as others have said, surely this means that it is better to go abroad now rather than later?

I worked at a law firm at the time and the entire partnership got stuck on their partners retreat. Happy days to be honest.

The ALSA coach will get you up to Santander, fuel and strikes permitting. Then a ferry back to Blighty. The trains will be running anyway. It's the air traffic controllers that can shut down the skies IMO, and they have, particularly French ATC.

I'd go. Bring credit card.

And have good insurance!