2010: A Volcanic Ash Cloud Airspace Odyssey
Around the World, London to Florida
News hounds around the world have been reading about grounded flights throughout Northern Europe - caused by ash clouds from the volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland. My friend EJ managed to travel by air this week from England to Florida, but what an itinerary! It helped that he is one of those platinum-with-diamonds level frequent flyers, because many of the flights were on stand-by bookings. In a normal situation, one can fly from London to an east coast U.S. destination in eight hours. But on this trip home, he traveled around the globe:
London, England->Lisbon, Portugal;->Munich, Germany->Seoul, South Korea;->Atlanta, Georgia, USA;->Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA (home!).
Here are some selected cell phone text messages - you'll see he approached the situation in a calm and humorous way.
Nance: Where are you wandering this week?
EJ: In London. Two flights stateside canceled, hoping this morning's will go.
Nance: You'll be lucky to get out from what I'm reading.
Nance: Did you get out of England?
EJ: Have flown to Korea and then will get home some time today, which is tomorrow for you. What a mess, I will have gone around the world on this trip home. But...
EJ: ...it was the only way out, and I did have a craving for Korean food, so perhaps this makes sense. And it's faster than ocean travel in 1692 - perspective is everything.
Nance: How did you get out of London, just read most flights were canceled, did you fly from Scotland or Ireland?
EJ: Flew from London, to Lisbon, to Munich, to Seoul. In Atlanta, GA now.
Nance: I'm guessing home will look pretty good.
EJ: Any place with a shower and a real bed would look good about now. Must run, I was on stand-by for an earlier flight, and they are calling me to board.
(No report on the nap or shower, but his final flight landed on time in Florida. But this story reminded me why I was happy to end my road warrior days.)