In Dusseldorf need info.

[mojo114]

Stuck in Germany, no information.

[mojo114]

I am still in the hotel in Dusseldorf. We are waiting for the airport to open, then we’ll proceed to try and book out of Europe home to CT. Our original flt. was direct from Dusseldorf to Newark.
Tried unsuccessfully to contact Lufthansa by phone.
Will keep advised of this increasing stressful situation.
Off to Cologne today, by train, to keep our minds off this mess, and pray at the cathedral.

[mojo114]

Update, we finally got through to Lufthansa and have the same flight we were on last Saturday for this coming Saturday.
I prayed at the Cathedral today for safety and speed. We received speed in getting through to Lufthansa, hope for safety and getting the heck home.

[Palladin]

Good luck! Prayers always help!

May your Guardian Angels see you safely home.

[longjack]

I'm sure the week will go by quickly.

Duesseldorf isn't too far from Holland or Belgium, so you could have some interesting day trips.

Please let me know if there's anyway I may be of help.

[PelosiisaLOSER1]

Herea a thought..................
How are the fares to the CRUISE SHIPS NOW?????????????????????
One MIGHT wanna try THAT ROUTE if it doesn’t BREAK THE BANK!!!!!!!

[longjack]

Lufthansa and Air Berlin are putting a lot of pressure on The Air Safety Board. Those airlines, along with Dutch KLM that I know of, have been doing test flights and are claiming they could be flying.

They're accusing the Air Safety Board of closing air space without adequate testing.

Some airports opened yesterday for a few hours, but it is still a mess out there. Even Angela Merkel had to land in Lisbon, fly to Rome, then take a bus from Italy to Berlin.

I think by Saturday the whole mess will be straightened out and back to normal. The next couple of days will probably be hit or miss, so planning for a sure thing on Saturday will be better than the roller coaster ride for the next few days.

I also think you should be able to be reimbursed for the delay. I even think Lufthansa is going to demand compensation because they feel the skies were closed without adequate testing.

[mojo114]

Checked the cruise ship route. Need to get to England. QE2 leaves end of April which is great, getting to England right now difficult at best. Understand rate on QE2 $1500 (third hand info.).

[longjack]

How are the fares to the CRUISE SHIPS

I don't think there is regular passenger ship service anymore.

You may be able to get a ride on a cargo ship. Some people do that, for example, if they want to take their own motorcycle.

It's really not an viable option, though.

You'd have to book in advance, and the trip itself is 10 days long.

If you had to get back the only option is to fly from Southern Europe. The short notice tickets are very expensive and getting there is expensive as well.

Frankfurt to Rome with the train is probably close to $400 one-way, 2nd class, and about a 16 hour ride, I'd say.

[libertarian27]

I read on another thread this morning that some people are securing passage on merchant ships.

Here’s the latest from the lufthansa site
http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/de/nonav/local?nodeid=1874371&l=en

Disruption due to volcanic activity in Iceland

Last update: April 19th, 10:30 UTC (12:30 german local time)

No Lufthansa flights worldwide until Tuesday, April 20th, 00:00 UTC (02:00 german local time). Rebooking possibility extended until 31 December.

Please read the latest updates on the flight status here on this page.

Like all other airlines, Lufthansa must comply with directives issued by ministries and air traffic control. Most European airports are closed. In Germany, all airports have shut down. All arrivals at and departures from these airports have been cancelled until further notice.

Since a reliable forecast regarding the airspace restrictions is still not possible, Lufthansa is forced to cancel all flights scheduled for Tuesday, April 19th 2010, until 0000 UTC (02:00 German local time).
Passengers are requested not to travel to the airports.
Should the airspace be opended sustainably, we will do everything to start flight operations as quickly as we can.

Passengers can keep up-to-date with the status of their flights via:

Arrival & Departure

For code share flights operated by a partner airline, please check with your operating carrier. These flights have the following flight numbers: LH1400 - LH1729, LH1910 - LH2629 or LH5050 - LH9999. If you are not sure if your flight is operated by a partner airline, please refer to your booking confirmation.

Passengers travelling within Germany can switch to a journey by rail with Deutsche Bahn, if their flights have to be cancelled. For that purpose, they must exchange their electronic ticket (etix) for a travel voucher at a Lufthansa check-in machine at the airport. Alternatively passenger can buy a Deutschen Bahn AG rail ticket. In this case the flight ticket price can later be refunded*.

Passengers whose flights have been cancelled will be rebooked in the same booking class free of charge on other flights (which must be flown by 31 December) subject to availability. Alternatively, if they wish to cancel their ticket, they will receive a refund. The change in booking must take place no later than three weeks after the original flight.
Further information is available from the Lufthansa Service Center or out of Germany toll free under 0800 8 50 60 70. Due to the exceptional circumstances, customers may face longer than normal waiting times.

At present it is not possible to predict how the air traffic situation in Europe will progress. Lufthansa is keeping a close eye on developments and is in constant contact with the relevant ministries, aviation authorities, meteorological services and airports.

* non-flown tickets will be fully refunded. Partly flown tickets will be refunded pro-rata

[mojo114]

Appreciate you sending info. All we get on T.V. is BBC and CNN International which equals no news worth getting. In Dusseldorf there are many U.S. citizens, that attended last weeks trade show, all in the same mess we are of course.
Most are trying to figure out ingenious ways to leave, however, we have heard none that plausible. Either cost prohibitive or just crazy, at least at this point that is our thought.

[libertarian27]

Keep asking us for info you are looking for and can’t access over there.
That’s what FReepers are here for! :)

[mojo114]

This mess seems surreal.
I just picture all the information sources, especially Fox, that is probably covering this situation from a U.S. perspective. BBC, CNN International are covering the situation from a European perspective. Not one American citizen interviewed on either station since the situation started.
No specific info for now, just generally frustrated in the coverage. Supposedly the European ministers met today to discuss, The only outcome I heard was they discussed compensations to European citizens. What about the core issue, like getting the plane flying so we can all go home.

[libertarian27]

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/klm-run-more-test-flights

KLM Royal Dutch airlines has carried out a number of test flights using passenger planes to assess the impact of volcanic ash on aircraft. The engines had been fitted with filters that will be analysed and checked for ash particles.

Early this morning, KLM flew from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport to Germany’s Dusseldorf airport and returned with seven Boeing 737 that had been stranded there. A KLM spokesperson said all eight planes had returned safely. More test flights are planned for later today.

KLM president Peter Hartman stressed that they are just test flights and “this does not mean that normal air traffic has been resumed”.

Sunday’s tests were authorised by the Dutch air transport authority (IVW) in consultation with European authorities, after a test flight over Dutch airspace on Saturday revealed no problems had been encountered.

KLM hopes to get permission to resume flights as soon as possible if the results from today’s tests reveal no problems.

[libertarian27]

Info from Dussledorf airport site:
(Warning ticker-top of page)
+++ No airline operations at Duesseldorf Airport - at least until 2 a.m. on Tuesday, 20 April +++ Airport hotline +49 211 421 0 +++

Flights for April 19th
Departures:
AB 7450 New York-JF Kennedy 13:30 18:00
AB 7008 Fort Myers 13:40 18:00
Arrivals:
4U 237P Stuttgart 13:15 13:46 landed
(All other flights cancelled)

Yesterday 5 planes landed and 6 planes departed, most were the KLA planes from the posted article above

[libertarian27]

Oops - meant KLM flights

[alarm rider]

I read this morning that the British are sending Royal Navy ships to France, and maybe Spain to get it’s subjects back to Ol’ Blighty.

[longjack]

Spiegel.de is reporting German Industry is losing a Billion € a day, and that airline stock is getting

The airlines test data show the asche is so thoroughly mixed in the atmosphere that there is no danger.

IATA is basically saying the EU minisiters are diddling, and are makng a miserable effort in managing the crisis. Just today, after 5 days, did they meet. There are accusations that the EU is using computer modeling to make decisions and are not taking into account the data the airlines test flights are providing.

Lufthansa's boss blasted the German Air Board for insinuating that the airlines were thinking of profit more than safety.

It does look like the airlines will get some financial support from the EU.

German Air Control counters they are drowning in a sea of data, that they are using the Airline test flight data, and that they have to follow International guidelines.

I was surprised to read in another Spiegel article that 40% of commerce is handle by air.

This just in

Lufthansa und Air Berlin holen Tausende Deutsche zurück

As I was writing the post Spiegel posted that Lufthansa and Air Berlin are flying out to get their passengers stranded worldwide.

They got 50 permits to dwstinations in Asia, Africa and North and South America.

They are going to fly VFR under the ash until they clear the closed air space.

[longjack]

Here's the English side of Spiegel.de

It is not as up to date as the German side, but it will give you some idea of what is happening politically.

Lufthansa is fighting like hell.

Also.

I just posted the headline (in German) that Lufthansa and Air Berlin have 50 permits to fly out to get their passengers stranded worldwide.

They are flying VFR under the ash until they get to cleared airspace.

I wonder if you guys can catch a ride out with a plane going to the US?

[mojo114]

Thanks for the info. Two out of our group have flight out on Lufthansa leaving at 2 tomorrow, Dusseldorf.
I did see a contrail this afternoon about 5 and that gave all a glimmer of hope.
I am suppose to fly out this coming Saturday- hoping.

[mojo114]

On standby tomorrow direct flight from Dusseldorf to Newark. If we don’t make that do have reservations for direct to Newark on Saturday. So I will say goodbye now and thank you so very much for your kindness.