Icelandic volcano disrupts flights

[culloty82]

Was supposed to be in Birmingham today, left Tralee at six a.m., learnt about the disruption arriving at Cork airport at 9, flight finally cancelled at 9.30. Trying to get a refund from the Aer Lingus website, form won't send because it goes into Windows Mail, copied the form into my regular e-mail account, so hopefully that has reached them. Any of you with similar problems, and if the form does get through to them, will it be days or weeks before the refund goes through ?

[Real ale Madrid]

I'll let you know tomorrow - supposed to be doing the Amsterdam - Cork flight tomorrow evening. Not looking likely now.

Have to say that any time I've dealt with Aer Lingus over the phone they have been A1 - so you might give it a day or two to let the dust settle ( pardon the pun ) and give them a call. They'll defo help you out.

[Magicme]

My sister left Monaghan on a 2.20am bus this morning for a 6am(ish) flight to Edinburgh and when got to the airport they were just announcing that the flights were cancelled. She says Ryanair were brilliant and very effiecient (I know, I'm shocked too!) and got her on a flight tomorrow evening at no extra charge. She hopped on the bus back to Monaghan and has a bonus 2 days at home now! Thank you volcano!!

[Spudulika]

Went to the airport with a potential client this morning to drop him for the Dublin flight, was told that Ryanair grounded flights so the Dublin flight never left! He decided to take a flight to Paris, which went okay, and for 5 hours was trying to book a Eurostar seat to London and despite being told seats were available the system kept going down. He's now standing in Gare de Nord queue for a ticket. Absolute insanity, if I didn't know better Joe Duffy and Mick O'Leary are conspiring!

[Magicme]

My sisters flight is still grounded and she is now in the process of booking the last seat on Sundays flight as there were none available tomorrow!

[Spudulika]

Just back in from the hotel where friends are going to be stuck for some time. Flights cancelled tomorrow, nothing available (direct) until Thursday! Very worrying and was told this evening that the volcano isn't done yet!

[Spudulika]

One of our Directors, due to return to Dublin on Saturday, was stranded in the Med with no chance or hope of getting a flight up before next week (at the earliest). So I got himself and his partner space on a flight to Girona, and 3 others went with them, they landed there this morning and roping in 34 others hired a coach to Calais (4 hours away now) and then it's a ferry to England and by hook or crook home. It's a financial disaster for the Med region as while people have been stranded for a little while, there are almost no visitors coming in, and even in ash free areas people are cancelling trips due to the fear of what could happen.

[culloty82]

Shouldn't have doubted Aer Lingus, just got my statement today and the refund was paid in on the 23rd of April (I tried them again on that date, so might have been done straight away). Was strange they didn't e-mail to let me know, but good to know they deal with their customers quickly,would be interesting to compare with Ryanair's response.

[mypost]

All flights shouldn't be automatically cancelled due to the cloud. Mostly these days, the disruption doesn't last full days, so flights should be delayed until the cloud passes, like with any other flight delay. Cancelling them loses everyone thousands of Euros. Most of them can be delayed until later in the day, and save some money.