Iceland: Volcano disrupts flights in UK and other European countries

They aren't getting ANY money at all to get a place to stay until the flight as its a act of god just rescheduling her flights.

She should check her travel insurance policy.  Some of them do cover acts of god.

I just got back from being stuck in the middle of all this mess (and I only got out "early" - after 3 days of being stuck - because of some really lucky timing) and it is a lot more horrible than what people are thinking!  There are people who have been stuck at the airport since Thursday and aren't able to leave until mid-week next week...if they are lucky.

There are no hotels available, no rental cars, trains and buses out have waiting list of several days (when I left Munich on Friday, the earliest train/bus out was Sunday morning...3 hours later, the earliest train/bus out was Wednesday...so 3 full days where completely booked in 3 hours.  When I left London this morning, the earliest bus to Germany was Friday...not sure where the trains stood at that point)...the ferry across the channel is booked up...there are people "living" in the airport with nowhere to go and no money to even buy food while stranded there.  Most airlines are not returning luggage to anyone (it will be mailed to you "whenever they get around to it"), are not issuing refunds and the majority of them are not rebooking flights either (my flight to Manchester was rebooked 4 times before the airlines finally decided to stop rebooking and just tell you that the flight was cancelled indefinitely).  *Side note:  Airlines are not legally required to issue you a refund if they cancel your flight (indefinitely) unless they have overbooked the flight and forced you not to fly.  Your individual airline may choose to have a policy that they will issue a refund...but the majority of the airlines are just saying "no refunds full stop" or telling you to apply for a refund and await a decision.*

The whole situation is complete chaos.  You can be standing in line and listen to the airport employees all giving people different information.  There is no organization and no dessimination of information to the employees or passengers.  Most airlines have gone ahead and said they will not be flying out until Monday and most likely it will be the end of next week, if lucky.  Yet the airports are not "officially" closing indefinitely so keep getting postings that it's closed for the next 6-8 hours or something along those lines.  This is a complete nightmare!  I feel really priviledged that I got out as easy as I did (if you consider an 8 hour flight, 32 hours on buses, a boat ride, a car drive, 3 hours on trains, sleeping in the airport...72 hour trip altogether while 6-months pregnant and with a 6-year-old, no luggage, clean clothes (or jackets while stuck outside in 6C weather for hours on end), shower, real food, etc. to be "lucky").

 I feel really priviledged that I got out as easy as I did (if you consider an 8 hour flight, 32 hours on buses, a boat ride, a car drive, 3 hours on trains, sleeping in the airport...72 hour trip altogether while 6-months pregnant and with a 6-year-old, no luggage, clean clothes (or jackets while stuck outside in 6C weather for hours on end), shower, real food, etc. to be "lucky").

I'm so glad that you got out at all!  That sounds like a horrid, horrid experience.

*Side note:  Airlines are not legally required to issue you a refund if they cancel your flight (indefinitely) unless they have overbooked the flight and forced you not to fly.

I don't believe this is true in the EU.  I know about a dozen people that were to fly, on various airlines, and all of them have provisions for refunds -- most of the airlines quoting an EC regulation in doing so.

I don't believe this is true in the EU.  I know about a dozen people that were to fly, on various airlines, and all of them have provisions for refunds -- most of the airlines quoting an EC regulation in doing so.

Most of the airlines were handing out the official documentation which shows what they are legally regulated to do...which in the case of "extreme circumstances" (anything beyond the control of the airline, including strikes btw) is nothing.  The individual airline (for the sake of reputation and to try to keep loyalty) may have an internal policy that they will issue refunds or meal vouchers or whatever else (which my airline did for Thursday night only, then they just said "Sorry you're out of luck but it's not our fault so we don't have to do anything").

A quick search came up with this article, which briefly details what the airport handouts say.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7593543/Flights-cancelled-by-volcanic-ash-what-are-your-rights.html

I also consider myself pretty lucky that my travel insurance is going to reimburse me the full cost of me getting home (over £400) plus compensation of £20 for each 12-hour delay (up to £100 which I'll get in full).  I talked to several stranded people who had already been told by their insurance that they would not be covered.

Oh dear BRAS, glad you made it home, sounds like an awful experience.  I have a number of friends stranded but most are stranded with homes to stay in.

Most of the airlines were handing out the official documentation which shows what they are legally regulated to do...which in the case of "extreme circumstances" (anything beyond the control of the airline, including strikes btw) is nothing. 

I am not trying to be argumentative but even your article states that the airline has to offer a refund or rebook the travel.

According to the Tranding Standards Institute, passengers whose flights have been delayed or cancelled due to the volcanic dust blown over to the UK from Iceland have the some rights under the Regulation 261/2004 Air Passenger Rights.

They are entitled to a refund or re-routing if the flight is cancelled or delayed by more than five hours; if re-routing is offered from an alternative location, the airline must cover the cost of transfers.

Well the wording is a bit tricky in that particular article...

"In cases of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ like this, which are beyond the airlines’ control, consumers are not entitled to further compensation, the TSI said."

I found these articles that might explain it a bit clearer. 

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/flight-delays-and-cancellations-your-rights/how-much-you-can-claim/index.jsp

However, you don't have a right to compensation if the airline can show the cancellation was caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures have been taken’.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays#cancel

Airlines are exempt from paying out compensation if cancellations are due to ‘extraordinary circumstances'. Basically this covers unpreventable occurrences such as extreme weather conditions, security risks and worker strikes.

This might be why some of the airlines are saying you have to "apply" for a refund.  It gives them time to prove that the volcanic eruption is an "extraordinary circumstance" so they aren't required to compensate you at all.  Although I'm pretty sure it is already easily recognizable as an "act of God" (which is why most insurance companies are offering no help also).

I think you have taken the "consumers are not entited to further compensation" quote out of context.  Further compensation in that article refers to additional bits -- like compensation for the delay itself.  

The first bit of the article confirms that regulations state that a refund or transfer is required.  The article then goes to talk about the extras (i.e. further compensation), which are not guaranteed.

Anyway, my point was to say that your categorically "the airlines don't have to offer refunds" isn't totally correct -- at least in Europe.  You can choose to think otherwise but if others are in similar situation, they should investigate for themselves and not just assume they aren't entitled to anything.  

ETA:  I got is straight from the European horse's mouth:

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/131&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

"This is a situation which is causing immense difficulties for passengers travelling throughout Europe. It can be considered a very exceptional circumstance. Nevertheless, it is important to remind passengers and airlines that EU passenger rights do apply in this situation":

the right to receive information from airlines (e.g. on your rights, on the situation as it evolves, cancellations and length of delays)

the right to care (refreshments, meals, accommodation as appropriate)

the right to chose between reimbursement of fares or be re-routed to final destination

In an exceptional circumstance such as this, passengers are not however entitled to additional financial compensation that would be the case where delays or cancellations are the fault of the airline.

I found the handout (I thought I had thrown it away as personally I wasn't worried about getting a refund since I had already used 8,700 miles of my flights and I knew I would be compensated for my alternate travel plans and the delay itself by my travel insurance) and this is what they are handing out at the airports (a printout of the Regulation (EC) 261/2004):

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32004R0261:EN:HTML

They have number 14 and 15 highlighted.

(14) As under the Montreal Convention, obligations on operating air carriers should be limited or excluded in cases where an event has been caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such circumstances may, in particular, occur in cases of political instability, meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes that affect the operation of an operating air carrier.

(15) Extraordinary circumstances should be deemed to exist where the impact of an air traffic management decision in relation to a particular aircraft on a particular day gives rise to a long delay, an overnight delay, or the cancellation of one or more flights by that aircraft, even though all reasonable measures had been taken by the air carrier concerned to avoid the delays or cancellations.

I'm not really sure how this will turn out in the end but I know a lot of airlines are doing nothing right now and the possibility of getting a refund (several months from now after a long fight) is not going to brighten the spirits of the thousands of people stuck at airports with no accommodations and no way to get home for several days (if they're lucky).

I am more inclined to believe the EC, who actually set the regulations and have directly confirmed terms as it relates to the volcano, than an airline leaflet.

And in the meantime, I will just be glad that the airline we have dealt with has been hassle free.

Tomayto, Tomahto

My daughter and I are stuck in the US.  We were here so she could visit her father for Easter hols and were supposed to fly out Friday, American Airlines.  They rescheduled us for this Thursday but I honestly don't have a lot of hope for that right now either.  Obviously she should be back in school and I should be back in work on Monday and that just isn't going to happen.  I thought about calling AA and asking (begging) them to reroute our trip to Spain or Portugal and then we could find our way back home from there, but I think I'm just dreaming really, there's not really much chance of that happening!  I have just heard on the news that this could theoretically last weeks, or months.  What are people going to do if that happens?  We have to make it home somehow! 

We are lucky to be staying with family and not stuck in a hotel or the airport, because I have no money left!  I can't imagine how awful it must be for travellers stuck at the airports, especially with children!  I just hope a great big wind comes up soon and blows all this somewhere else!!

I am stuck in Venice with my dad. He came over last week and we were travelling. Should have left Friday morning. We are at a hotel, but Shrubbery's picture of chaos is spot on. It is a horror. We finally got train tix to Paris for Wednesday and eurostar home on Thursday, but that is 5 more nights of hotel than planned, plus meals. I have flights on three airlines and none are doing anything for customers. I just feel deeply lucky that I can manage this and not have to force my dad to sleep at the airport. Hexwas pickpocketed in Rome and of course has no credit cards of his own right now. This could have been a really grim situation. I can't imagine having someone ill or traveling with small children or being totally out of money.  We've banded together with a bunch of Brits and are making the best of a bad situation.  That part, at least, has restored my faith in human nature.

My flight from LAX to LHR on Sunday night just got cancelled.  I called to reschedule, and they were going to put me on a Wednesday flight to New York, connecting to LHR.  I didn't like that option because if things go bad, I could be stuck in New York, where I would have to pay for a hotel, etc. Right now, I can stay with friends in LA, so I asked for the next available direct flight, and that is for next Saturday, which I took.  They said if the skies clear, I can try and reschedule through NY or Dallas or what ever gets me there earlier.

I feel very fortunate that I have some options that other travellers don't.

I asked hubby yesterday about our booked trip in 3 weeks time. Wondering about the backlog of passengers and how they will get home and stuff. (he is a Aiport Duty Officer) he said that passengers booked on flights will get priority and then the airlines will start slotting the stranded passengers on flights as and when and how they can.

He gave an example...if a flight goes tech and passengers are waiting on the flight to get repaired or whatever the problem is and another flight to the same destination comes in and then proceeds to go out..the passengers that are waiting do not have precedent to be placed on the flight that is going because they are not booked on that flight. They are booked on the plane that is grounded and they aren't going to go until that one is fixed..IF there are spaces they could ask to be booked onto the flight that IS going but usually with the case of Flybe...they will charge you for the flight change!!