Some European flights reopen. . .for the moment

by Sean McLachlan on

A limited number of flights took off this morning in Europe after an emergency meeting of EU transport ministers eased the flight ban on those parts of Europe with a lesser amount of ash. Several major airports, such as those in Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt, have seen limited departures. The millions of people waiting for a flight now have some hope of reaching their destination, or at least getting home after being stuck on layovers.

The volcano, however, seems to have other ideas. After a period of reduced activity, a new eruption has belched out a giant cloud of ash that’s heading for the United Kingdom, casting doubt on whether the reopening of a few airports there will last.

The economic impact is widespread, especially for the airlines, whose losses have already passed $1 billion. The tourism industry is also sustaining losses, but this is offset to some degree by people stuck overseas an having to continue to spend money. Luckily this didn’t happen during peak tourist season. Businesses that rely on air freight, such as importers of tropical fruit and flowers, are getting hit hard.

In the meantime, people are scrambling to find alternate modes of transport. My wife, who took many of the photos in our Ethiopia travel series, is still in Oxford trying to figure out how to get back to Madrid. There are no train tickets available until next week and the only transportation her travel agency could offer was a €500 ($672) bus ticket from Paris to Madrid. That’s more than three times the usual price. They also didn’t give any suggestion of how she could get to Paris. British Airways has her scheduled for a flight this afternoon, but since they just announced they’ve canceled all short-haul flights for today I doubt I’ll see her tonight.

Oh, and for some reason BA started following my Twitter feed.

Multiply this tale of frustration by a million, and you get some idea what it’s like to be in Europe right now.

Lonely Planet volcano relief – free European iPhone city guides!

by Scott Carmichael on

Stranded in Europe due to volcanic ash? How about getting to know your host city a little better with the help of a Lonely Planet city guide? The guides normally cost $9.99, but Lonely Planet has graciously turned them into free apps until Thursday.

The lineup of apps covers most major European cities, and a list of the cities included (with App store links) can be found on the Lonely Planet blog.

Of course, nothing is stopping you from downloading the apps if you are not stranded, but be nice to Lonely Planet and snag one of their paid apps as well – they are good people, and the quality of these free guides is quite impressive.

This isn’t even the only bit of goodwill from Lonely Planet – they have also opened up a discussion forum where stranded travelers can find some assistance. To find a bed, car for share or anything else – head on over to the Volcano Refugee Network.

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Pedal-powered hotel in Denmark gives guests a reason to go green

by Melanie Nayer on

One luxury hotel has found a way to help you sleep well, lose weight and reduce your carbon footprint. The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, installed two pedaling bikes to generators and are encouraging guests to pedal for green living.

The bikes are free to use for all guests. Every person who generates 100 watt hours from pedaling will not only feel good about contributing to the hotel’s electricity supply, but also feel good about burning calories. No worries, though – the hotel will give you a complimentary meal worth approximately $36 to make up for the lost calories.

You’re not required to bike (although we do recommend doing your part to help the environment). You can stay in one of the 366 rooms at this hotel in Copenhagen and still enjoy all its energy through renewable and sustainable sources, such as solar panels and a groundwater-based cooling and heating system.

The hotel is no stranger to green concepts – it was the host of last year’s climate change conference and today is providing travelers with education and inspiration to live a greener (and healthier) life through its Green Key certification program that includes:

  • The first groundwater-based cooling and heating system in Denmark, expected to reduce the energy used in the hotel for heating and cooling by almost 90%
  • Low energy lighting and hand dryers
  • The largest solar panel park in Northern Europe to be integrated into a building, covering all the hotel’s sunny facades

The hotel says the electric bikes will be installed at Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers on April 19 and will run for a year. If successful, the new electric bicycle initiative will be offered to all Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK.

Five travel gift ideas for Mother’s Day

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You need options – fast. Mother’s Day is less than month away, and moms want to travel. They want to get out on the road, be treated like royalty and experience all the luxuries for which they don’t have time day to day. With a whole world at your disposal, how do you choose? Well, I poked around and thought you might be interested in the following deals for Mother’s Day. Here are five ideas that will at least get you started.

1. Residence Inn by Marriott
At all 588 hotels, Residence Inn will be dishing out 50 red roses for moms – that’s 29,400 red roses you don’t need to remember to buy! Also, all guests – kids and dads included – will get free hot breakfast every day, free internet access and plenty of space in the guestrooms.

2. La Posada De Santa Fe Resort & Spa
Art, culture, fine dining and pampering are the norm in Santa Fe, and La Posada does it right. With its Mother’s Day Celebration package, good from May 1, 2010 to July 5, 2010, the resort kicks in a $200 spa credit (good at the RockResorts spa), a pair of specialty turquoise margaritas at the Staab Lounge and a bottle of champagne with chocolate-diped strawberries.3. ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa
Is there a stylish mom you need to take care of next month? ONE Bal Harbour has the answer. Ship her off with her friends for a girls-only getaway, where she can truly get away from the demands of motherhood for a little while. The resort’s “Sun, Stay and Shop” package includes two cocktails at the hotel bar, breakfast every day and a VIP shopping experience that’s got a car service, personal consultation and a special discount at Saks Fifth Avenue’s 5th Avenue Club.

4. Concorde Hotels & Resorts
Get mom off to the City of Lights this Mother’s Day for three night at the century- old, landmark Hotel Lutetia. With the “Centennial Offer,” this Parisian hotel includes a double room, buffet breakfast daily and a 100 euro gift voucher (for a celebration dinner, maybe?).

5. Abercrombie & Kent
Okay, this is top of the line. If you’re a fan of our Daily Pampering column, consider this to be up your alley. Check out an A&K “Journeys for Women” trip, which give moms and daughters the chance to bond while experiencing a foreign culture.

Airlines to EU: “Let us fly!”

by Sean McLachlan on

Airlines are begging the European Union to reconsider the flight ban after four days of no flying have left millions stranded or stuck at home and has cost the airlines hundreds of millions of dollars.

At the urging of the airlines, EU transport ministers are holding a conference on the possibility of lifting the flight ban in areas with lesser concentrations of ash. They’re also discussing using Spain as a hub to fly European passengers back from international destinations and then busing them into their affected countries. Some airports in northern Spain closed over the weekend but have now reopened. The conference is being held via video since most ministers are grounded.

Several airlines have conducted test flights, although most have stayed below the level of the highest concentration of volcanic ash. A British Airways test flight from Heathrow to Cardiff yesterday, however, went up to 10,000 feet, then up 5,000 feet in stages every five minutes until it reached an altitude of 40,000 feet. The flight flew over a portion of the Atlantic and BA says it experienced no difficulties. The plane’s engines are now being examined for damage from the ash, which contains minerals and silica that have jammed jet engines in the past.

Some of the worst affected countries are starting their own measures. The United Kingdom will use three Royal Navy ships to ferry some of its 150,000 stranded citizens back home. Trains, buses, and ferries are seeing record ticket sales.

On a more personal note, my wife, who’s a contributor to the Ethiopia travel series, is still stranded in England. She was taking a flight from our home in Madrid to Toronto via Heathrow and got stuck there. If she had flown two hours earlier she would have made it to Canada; two hours later and she would have never left Spain! We’re racking up hundreds of dollars in hotel bills with no guarantee we’ll be reimbursed, and her travel agency isn’t answering emails. She hopes to get on a train, but with a threatened rail strike here in Madrid, things seem to be only getting worse. And I can tell you it’s no fun explaining to your four-year-old that you don’t know when mom’s coming home.