Status ~flying from Lisbon Wed. Apr. 21st

[Martita B.]

Need information as to flights/flying out of Lisbon on Wed. April 21st.

Anyone have an update?

Thanks!

Martita B.

[TLCOhio]

Need information as to flights/flying out of Lisbon on Wed. April 21st.

Anyone have an update?

Thanks!

Martita B.

 

Hi, Martita B.! As of the just-posted info in the Wall Street Journal electronic version, they are saying this about Spain: "Reopened all its airports at 1330 GMT Sunday (10:30 a.m. EDT)." England is still in trouble with added cloud/ash problems on the way. Southern Europe, including Lisbon seems to be inmuch better shape. For France, the WSJ notes: "Limited flights from the Paris airports to several international destinations resumed Tuesday. Most French airports are now open to limited traffic." The New York Times in its just updated report for Lisbon has this report: "Operating normally, though flights to and from affected countries are canceled." It looks like you should be able to get out of Lisbon tomorrow. Assume you're heading back to Texas.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[Martita B.]

Terry

Fortunately I'm in Texas ~~I am inquiring as to friends aboard the Legend TA Crossing ~~hopefully they'll be able to fly out of Lisbon soon!

Many thanks for the information:p

Martita B.

[John Bull]

Need information as to flights/flying out of Lisbon on Wed. April 21st.

Anyone have an update?

Thanks!

Martita B.

 

My info is much the same as Terry's. Lisbon is probably the best-placed airport in Europe. The airport is open, a huge number of flights have been cancelled but this is due to the problem at destination airports in northern Europe, and Lisbon's trans-Atlantic routes appear to be operating.

And I understand that those with reservations for a given flight will have priority over those who've been delayed.

Fingers crossed for you, but currently it looks like you're OK

JB

[TLCOhio]

My info is much the same as Terry's. Lisbon is probably the best-placed airport in Europe. The airport is open, a huge number of flights have been cancelled but this is due to the problem at destination airports in northern Europe, and Lisbon's trans-Atlantic routes appear to be operating.

And I understand that those with reservations for a given flight will have priority over those who've been delayed.

Fingers crossed for you, but currently it looks like you're OK

JB

 

THANKS, John Bull, for the confirmation and added info! Below are some background items I pull together on this fast-changing weather situation and what folks need to consider on their insurance coverage. I understand many of the travel policies in the UK are more tightly written and limited than those here in the US.

 

INSURANCE/VOLCANO? Things are better in Europe from the Iceland volcano, but there is still lots of uncertainty and slowness in getting many airports re-opened. I did note getting our travel insurance last week and that I have learned that all policies in the all countries do not work and cover the same things. After digging much deeper through Travelex and back to Nationwide Insurance that actually does this detailed policy and its benefit coverage. Their claims people were very specific that a policy bought on Friday would be covering us in late June and July as it would be a "weather problem" that might caused any airline cancellations, if, if and if. It's not the volcano itself as the cause of the currently scrubbed air schedules. It's the weather! Their weather coverage offers no exclusions. Different companies have different policies and benefit details. This matches up to what Travelex had sent to our travel agent on questions they had. The policy details are important and I feel more comfortable after digging through the fine-print and this checking at the source. Nationwide is A+ rated by Best, is based here in Columbus, Ohio, along with the Ohio Insurance Dept. that regulates and monitors them. Nothing is perfect and 100% guaranteed, but I have a better understanding of these details on what would be covered, how I could "rattle their chains, etc., if needed.

 

From an article in today's New York Times, they have this headline: "Insurers See Millions in Claims by Travelers". The article highlights noted: "The travel insurance industry is generally paying claims to travelers stranded in Europe and elsewhere by the drifting Icelandic volcanic ash, treating it mostly as a weather-related event in their policies. About 30 percent of American travelers buy a range of insurance policies that cover cruises, flights and the delays or cancellations that are caused by inclement weather and sometimes natural disasters like earthquakes or extraordinary storms." Several insurance experts are quoted in this story. One noted: "some are treating this as weather, and some as an act of God."

 

On the airport re-openings and volcano ash impacts, the latest NY Times story is headlined: "As Europe Reopens Skies, a New Cloud Looms". This story has these details: "European authorities began easing six days of severe flight restrictions on Tuesday, but a new ash cloud, reported to be spreading south from the erupting volcano in Iceland, threatened to thwart part of the effort to end the Continent’s worst aviation crisis. The reopening of airspace under a plan agreed Monday by European ministers was cautious and unpredictable. The piecemeal nature of the response has drawn criticism from the airline industry, while passengers have been marooned from Beijing to New York, and many of Europe’s busiest flight paths have been eerily still. The chaos has now lasted twice as long as the three-day closing of American airspace after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Britain seemed to be hardest hit by the continued perils of volcanic ash."

 

Here are the links to these full stories with more details:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/world/europe/21cloud.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/world/europe/21europe.html?hp

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/world/europe/20trip.html?ref=europe

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[6rugrats]

Need information as to flights/flying out of Lisbon on Wed. April 21st.

Anyone have an update?

Thanks!

Martita B.

The best update is for your friends to keep checking their flights with their airline.

[luv2sail7]

The best update is for your friends to keep checking their flights with their airline.

That's good advice however the phone lines are jammed with the airlines overseas and you could be on hold or even get disconnected before you get thru. Not a bad idea of having someone check from over here (on this side of the pond) with the airline on the status. Hope your friends make it home soon!