Winter Travellers

[bonnieheather]

I'm sure I'd be very miffed if I had booked to go away and this snow had stopped me, however, moaning about the airports and the airlines is really getting on my wick!!!! Would these people be happy if they decided to try to fly, skidded, crashed and died? Honestly, let's be realistic, Britain is not prepared for this weather, which is very annoying to say the least, but it's here!!!
There was a woman on the radio this morning who was stuck at the airport, and saying how it was like a 'war zone'!!!! Really?? It'll be warm and dry with food available, yes it will be cramped and not comfy, and I do feel sorry for people, but it's not the airlines/airports fault!!!!!

[helle]

LOL, I have to admit the moaning is getting on my wick as well. I happen to be Danish and I can honestly say that even in the well prepared Scandinavia things don't always run smoothly when it snows. I can remember plenty of times when our plans were ruined because of snow. With regards to airtravel, I guess it's the risk you take when you book for the winter period. Yes, I don't think anyone who bookd their travel was expecting this but in fact I don't think ANYONE was expecting this. It is well worth remembering when people talk about Scandinavia coping so well, is that we have had weather like this for decades and everyone has winter tyres on their cars.

[nj]

Yep, I can understand the frustration of paying so much money to go on holiday, but boy I would rather be stranded than the risk of the aeroplane crashing on take off or landing , the weather is here and we all just have to get on with it as best as we can, we all like to have a moan, but moaning will not detere )not sure if I have spelt that right!!) the act of god which is the weather!!!! Let's hope for a white xmas

[sageandonion]

I feel so very sorry for anyone stranded anywhere at the moment and that goodness I am sat at my computer warm and fed and I don't have to be anywhere to go to a funeral, visit aged lonely relatives or get married as some people are.

The only complaints I have heard from tens of thousands of families bedded down on a hard cold airport floor is the lack of communication. I don't think we know how bad it is unless we are there so let's be glad we are not.

Christmas spirit where is it on here? it is a dreadful predicament for many folks.

[janet]

My daughters boyfriend is due to fly to New York on Wednesday, but I doubt he will be going so it will be one happy daughter if he is grounded! You just have to put up with the weather and there is always someone worse of than you, the same daughters schoolfriends mother died last night, she had been unwell but a terrible shock for all concerned especially at this time off year.

[kates]

collegues kids where off to spend xmas with their dad for the first time in 10 years....and they arne't going anywhere!

[bonnieheather]

I do feel sorry for people, but it's not really the airport/airlines fault, they don't control the weather!

[sageandonion]

I have just watched footage on the tv and saw it for myself. Situation at Heathrow is horrific, these unfortunate people have just been left, thousands of them, little babies, disabled and frail elderlies. It is disgraceful. Of course airlines are not responsible for the weather, but they ARE legally responsible for the care of these individuals and are required to provide sustinance and accommodation and they are also admitting their failure.

Remember Stanstead and Gatwick are not having these problems.

[bonnieheather]

Perhaps people should have thought a little before going to the airport! I know not everyone can go back home - if they are here on holiday etc - but there must be a lot of people there that don't need to be! I was listening to a guy on the radio last night, and he said it is not legally the airlines responsibility to care for these people!!!!

[hs]

i do feel sorry for these people - lots of them can't just go home as even trains/roads are blocked so some will have been snowed in at the airport. The local hotels are booked up so they can't even go there. I think poor communication is part of the problem, people have set out without realising their flights have been cancelled, not everyone will have had access to internet and some of the "help lines" are not being answered. In this weather the airlines should try and contact each passenger, by phone to tell them their flight is cancelled and not to come to the airport - it is about good customer service under difficult circumstances. Yes they would have to call a lot of people but cabin crew and pilots who are not going to be flying due to cancelled flights could be used to do this.

Perhaps they could do a call for local people to offer some B&B for stranded people if they have a spare room.

[sageandonion]

Dec 21, 2010 9:30:29 GMT bonnieheather said:

Perhaps people should have thought a little before going to the airport! I know not everyone can go back home - if they are here on holiday etc - but there must be a lot of people there that don't need to be! I was listening to a guy on the radio last night, and he said it is not legally the airlines responsibility to care for these people!!!!

How hard are you! Well at least you are lucky and are not stuck there nor have any of your children or relatives stuck. I hope when you have a problem you are given some sympathy and don't have karma slap you in the face.

I shall just have to double wish those people who are in trauma and had their Christmas ruined the very best.

[sarahp]

Some too are passengers in transit who flew in here, maybe long haul so in flight by the time Heathrow was closed, but can't fly on to their intended destination. Which means too they may have no contacts in this country to help them out.

The airports are between a rock and a hard place in terms of being prepared for bad weather - if they spent the vast amount of money required to have under-runway heating or whatever and masses of snowploughs they would be accused of wasting money, especially if we then got a run of winters with no snow. In Scandinavia, as it has been mentioned, they always get snow so need to spend the money which in their case is cost effective.

[bonnieheather]

Dec 21, 2010 11:23:56 GMT said:

Dec 21, 2010 9:30:29 GMT bonnieheather said:

Perhaps people should have thought a little before going to the airport! I know not everyone can go back home - if they are here on holiday etc - but there must be a lot of people there that don't need to be! I was listening to a guy on the radio last night, and he said it is not legally the airlines responsibility to care for these people!!!!

How hard are you! Well at least you are lucky and are not stuck there nor have any of your children or relatives stuck. I hope when you have a problem you are given some sympathy and don't have karma slap you in the face.

I shall just have to double wish those people who are in trauma and had their Christmas ruined the very best.

Oh yes indeed, I do hope they have a lovely Christmas, it's a shame it isn't as they had planned, but it isn't as life threatening as has been made out! Yes, it's snowed, yes, more preparation should have taken place, but it wasn't, and here we are. It's uncomfortable and extremely inconvienient - but it's nature.
Of course I feel sorry for these people, but best to get wherever in one piece eventually than crashed at the bottom of the runway...

[ladybird]

well said bonnieheather. I have a lot more sympathy and worry more about the elderly, possibly on their own, the homeless and animals who arent being cared for in this terrible weather. That said it must be very disappointing to say the least not to be able to travel especially at this time of year, but surely better be safe than sorry? (remember the ash cloud in the summer??)
Perhaps we should focus on those less fortunate rather than watching endless footage of people asleep at our airports!

[eskvalleystud]

I just feel sorry for everyone atm, if the winters are going to be like this for the forseeable future the government really need to look into artic weather management bigtime!!!

hate driving through the town seeing older folk struggling to walk to the shops through the snow, there should be a place where the more fortunate able bodied people could go sign up to help the people who are struggling to get things like shopping etc as they obviously don't have anyone to help them

[sageandonion]

eskvalley, you can volunteer at your local doctor's surgery (well you can at mine) or get in touch with your Council. There are limited things we are allowed to do now though because of all the 'protection' regulations gone mad.

[bundle]

I agree with bonnieheather - they could have a party mood going on in the airports rather than all sitting around moaning. Might find it was the best Christmas ever - meeting loads of new friends. Where is Britains Dunkirk spirit?

[pipandwill]

WEll actually to all you moaning about this, I was one, I got stuck at a airport, my flight was cancelled.
Just think, I bet you would be pretty annoyed if you had waited that long for your flight to be cancelled.
So I suggest not to moan unless you have experienced it. Have you no.
Yes it is the airlines fault because the weather warnings had been a warning for what would happen, they decided to ignore it and where did it get them.