who has got family stranded by the volcanic ash?

[MrsShu]

me ! easy jet have cancelled return flight

List of Lufthansa flights scheduled in this pdf file.

They seem to be concentrating on domestic German flights and long haul flights.

Trying to find out if DH's flight from Munich will be on tomorrow.

Thank you Rosa. Have heard he is now on train to Milan. Will pass on your message re possibility trains full. I think he is thinking train to Brussels and then eurostar.

My boss made it back today she got a private plane and they managed to land in Schiphol rather than have to carry on to the south of France and then drive up. She said it's HELL trying to get anywhere and she is so lucky to have got a seat on this plane. Unfortunately it really was a case of who you know, otherwise she wouldn't be flying til the weekend. Anyway she cried when she saw her baby and has given me the rest of the day off so she can spend the rest of today having much awaited snuggles

Wrinklyraisin, that's fab I have just been following this out of interest and was feeling so sorry for her, poor woman. How awful to have an enforced separation from your baby though at least she was lucky to know you were there for them.

You must be knackered!!

One of our pupils arrived at school just before lunch today. They had left Croatia at 3 o'clock Sunday and arrived home in Yorkshire at 6am this morning.

We have two members of staff stranded abroad (one teacher and one TA. They are being paid currently and hopefully that will continue.

There are schools in Devon LEA threatenong to dock pay - the unions are getting on to it I believe.

Dispicable that the schools can do this - apparently it is at the headteacher's discretion - it is not like the staff can do anything about it! i am sure by now that they'd actually rather be at home again.

I have been a proxy single mother since the 8th (was a business trip that turned into nearly 2 weeks away from home) so yes I am a little knackered! It's a gorgeous sunny day here and I should go out and enjoy my time off... instead I am going to bed for a nap!!!!!! I am soooooooo glad she is home, for her sake as much as my own LOL. And you should have seen my little charge's arms and legs go CRAZY when she woke from her nap and saw her momma there! It was lovely

I really hope other mums and dads get home to their children soon.

DH left Tokyo a couple of hours but with no destination. Can they do that?

I think they can Paula, my bosses flight was meant to head towards the south of France but they changed their minds (were flying visual whatsit rules rather than using the computer IYSWIM?) midflight and managed to land in Schiphol as everything looked ok.

I always thought they had to submit a flight plan before they took off.

Paula - yes they can as long as they know they can land somewhere. Routes are normally logged and then diversions are done last minute. My guess is that when they get to European airspace they will go as near as they can to the original destination and the runway can accept the type of plane that your dh is on. If he is on a 747 for example then they need a longer runway.

BA out of Tokyo....I assume its a 747

Dp is stuck in Barcelona. Have found someone on gumtree who is collecting friends from Barcelona and coming back to UK (probably tomorrow)

If there are enough people he will hire a 17 seater minibus and share costs......

Anybody interested?

Yay, Ruby. And three cheers for Silvia's bus.
(have I got her name right, cannot find the original post)

TJtheminx
The airlines may put pressure on to get the airspace open but I am sure that they will not fly unless they are convinced that it is completely safe. They could not afford to have a plane crash as a result, it would ruin them.

I don't understand how the Netherlands can have open airspace but the surrounding countries be closed. It seems a bit weird.

I'm sure BA, Air France etc will be going mad at KLM getting to steal a march on them so to speak!

Handbag - good news, they are all booked on a sleeper Madrid-Paris, and then Eurostar arriving London 12.30 lunchtime on Sunday

Belgium apparently had some clear airspace too earlier. I wondered the same thing....

My boss's plane was a private jet so I don't know what exactly the rules were with the flight, as the plane is not owned by an airline ie KLM. I just know they flew very low, and had to follow specific rules regarding visual something or others in EU airspace.

RubyRubyRuby - so glad 'Sylvia's coach' has got more on their way, and delighted to be able to help someone!

Be flexible about what time they might reach the UK - my mum & DD1 are still trudging on through France (left Rome last night at 8pm) - just heard that they might not get a ferry crossing until 10pm tonight (expected them to be here this afternoon) - but hey at least they are on their way, and we shall meet them at Dover when they get in.

My DP's in Vancouver. Still. No sign of how best to get him home. He's a bit cautious of starting a journey to somewhere in case he gets stranded somewhere where its worse. So staying put for now. Not quite sure what to do.......

Visual flight rules (VFR) meaning use your eyes and your brain as opposed to Instrument Flight rules (IFR) where the computer does it all.

Belgian airspace is open again Porto - see the Belgocontrol website.

Glad Ruby!!!!

No family members, but plenty of work colleagues (some in NY, some in Singapore, one is stranded from Dubai in London). My DM, however, has declared that she is never flying again because of the ash. As she flies once every 5 years, I'm sure the airline industry is devastated.

That was it scaryteacher, visual flight rules.