I got another BHX - MNL flight for Monday

[Englishman2010]

After my flight from Birmingham to Manila was cancelled this morning, KLM have booked me on to another flight on Monday (subject to the restrictions being lifted). So instead of getting there tomorrow morning, I should arrive in Manila on Tuesday morning.

It means my trip will be cut short by 3 days and I have to abandon my plans to go to Tacloban, as my flight was booked for Monday. All being well I should still be able to get to Boracay next Thursday.

Fingers crossed that the skies will be open for business on Monday.

There's still a faint chance that KLM can get me a flight on Sunday, but they won't commit until they know if restrictions are lifted tomorrow, and I'd rather play it safe and take the offer of a seat on Monday.

[mistermatty]

After my flight from Birmingham to Manila was cancelled this morning, KLM have booked me on to another flight on Monday (subject to the restrictions being lifted). So instead of getting there tomorrow morning, I should arrive in Manila on Tuesday morning.

It means my trip will be cut short by 3 days and I have to abandon my plans to go to Tacloban, as my flight was booked for Monday. All being well I should still be able to get to Boracay next Thursday.

Fingers crossed that the skies will be open for business on Monday.

There's still a faint chance that KLM can get me a flight on Sunday, but they won't commit until they know if restrictions are lifted tomorrow, and I'd rather play it safe and take the offer of a seat on Monday.

Good luck mate , i am booked on KLM in 13 days timejust hope its all back to normal as i am travelling to my wedding in Tacolban !!

[Doc Alan]

Good luck mate , i am booked on KLM in 13 days timejust hope its all back to normal as i am travelling to my wedding in Tacolban !!

Good luck to both of you !
My flight with KLM is on May 4, fingers crossed!

[Englishman2010]

Alan & Matty, I hope you both have better luck than I've had, and good luck with your wedding Matty

[RickyR]

Great news. I'm in the opposite situation, I'm due to fly back to work in Egypt a week on Sunday and i'm desperately hoping I get delayed another week lol and Marvie will fly back too!

[KeithD]

When are they going to wake up to the fact this ground all policy does not work!!!

[mistermatty]

Alan & Matty, I hope you both have better luck than I've had, and good luck with your wedding Matty

Cheers i hope you get there soon mate , i am also begnning to get stressed as to if things will be back to normal by the 29 !!! Heres hoping or i will have a very sad princess waiting for me

[Englishman2010]

It's not looking promising for Monday now. I'm getting a bit peed off with it now. To top it all it was my g/f's birthday today, as you can imagine she is very upset that I'm not there with her.

[mistermatty]

It's not looking promising for Monday now. I'm getting a bit peed off with it now. To top it all it was my g/f's birthday today, as you can imagine she is very upset that I'm not there with her.

I feel for you i really do

[vbkelly]

Good luck to both of you !
My flight with KLM is on May 4, fingers crossed!

mine May 6 haha

[KeithD]

KLM have just done a test flight in the cloud.... Shouldn't that have happened 3 days ago? .... they are THICK .... results of flight in soon... probably OK would be no surprise....

[RickyR]

The results of the last aircraft affected by ash:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...-volcanic.html

[Englishman2010]

There are some pics of the KLM test flight on Twitter, but no news yet

http://twitter.com/AshAlerts

However, Dutch airspace is currently closed until 11.00 AM local time on Sunday, 3 hours longer than UK airspace.

It's not looking promising for my flight from BHX - AMS - MNL on Monday. If it gets cancelled tomorrow, I'll try to push it back to Tuesday or Wednesday, beyond that I will have to cancel as I will miss my flight to Boracay on Thursday and it doesnt really leave me enough time. I can't really extend my stay as I have work commitments at the beginning of May.

I'm not sure when I'm going to get another opportunity to get out there, late July is looking like the earliest I can do it. Thoroughly pd off now, the last time I saw my g/f was Jan 10th. The last 14 weeks since I saw her have been very tough, I really dont want to wait another 3 months.

[KeithD]

This can't go on, the airline industry will be crippled in a few days, insurance costs will run into £100's Millions.... money will force the hand soon.... As I've said ... stupid policy anyway.

[KeithD]

Winds changed by the way, we're not getting any new ash, just need the old stuff to blow away.

[Englishman2010]

They've just extended the flight ban till at least 1.00 PM on Sunday.

[RickyR]

If you think that NATS is over-reacting check out http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/375/fsd_may93_p1-9.pdf

Pilots and engineers are pretty concerned about the implications. Some of the damage may not be immediately apparent, but long term exposure could cause premature wear and damage to parts.

[Arthur Little]

.... they are THICK ....

Yeah ... but according to tonight's 10 o'clock News, the CLOUD is getting even thicker!

[Arthur Little]

If you think that NATS is over-reacting check out http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/375/fsd_may93_p1-9.pdf

Pilots and engineers are pretty concerned about the implications. Some of the damage may not be immediately apparent, but long term exposure could cause premature wear and damage to parts.

Never mind the wear and tear on the aircraft parts ... even more alarmingly, there's talk of exposure to the 'fallout' causing serious damage to human body parts - notably the lungs!!

[Doc Alan]

... even more alarmingly, there's talk of exposure to the 'fallout' causing serious damage to human body parts - notably the lungs!!

Yes there is, but let's just wait and see before getting unduly alarmed

[KeithD]

The cloud is at set levels of the atmosphere, a couple of thousand feet thick, so planes can fly through it especially as the density is so low.

As this is likely to go on till Thursday in the UK, a blanket ban is pretty dumb, especially for flights to US & Africa.

[somebody]

Well whispers from Heathrow staff seems to be they thinking much later in the week before they see anything like planes flying on a large scale if things go to plan... If not well many very worried about layoffs permant or tempoary.

All well and good KLM (who my wife flew with and is out in Phill at the moment) saying they want to fly but im sure they remeber the flight of a KLM Plane in 89 where the plane had multiple engine failures. Would they get insurance cover (or be able to hold the bonds) and would any passagners life insurance company pay out!!!

I feel really bad for you Englishman2010 I hope things clear up for you soon

[somebody]

The cloud is at set levels of the atmosphere, a couple of thousand feet thick, so planes can fly through it especially as the density is so low.

As this is likely to go on till Thursday in the UK, a blanket ban is pretty dumb, especially for flights to US & Africa.

From what i understand its only in patches where its at dangrous levels but unless the planes is equipped to see which 99.9% of airliners aren't im led to belive they would not know if they had hit the only patch for miles aound..

Me thinks if its feasible to fit these devices in a airliner then the companies providing the equipment would be ones to buy shares in

[RickyR]

The chances of something happening are low, but the consequences are high. Most of the commercial pilots I know through the flying club feel that NATS decision is justified.

[somebody]

The chances of something happening are low, but the consequences are high. Most of the commercial pilots I know through the flying club feel that NATS decision is justified.

Exactly i would think that airports like Heathrow which is in a highly densely populated area of the world would never be allowed to have Airliners flying over millions of people possibly acting as a giant V2 rocket