Winter weather still causing travel delays in Germany

by Sean McLachlan on

Two weeks ago we reported how winter weather had caused travel delays in Europe. One of the worst-hit areas was Germany, with thick ice on the roads, canceled flights, an an overworked rail system.

Now it appears Germany’s bad winter isn’t over. Cold temperatures and thick ice on the roads has prompted Berlin’s fire brigade to declare a weather state of emergency. Yesterday about 180 people were injured because of falls or auto accidents. One crash involved a tour bus and 30 people were injured. Numerous flights have been delayed or canceled. Other parts of Germany are also affected, although the capital appears to be the hardest hit.

Current conditions in Berlin are cold and foggy, meaning that the ice won’t be going away anytime soon. If you’re travel to, from, or within Germany over the next few days, be sure to check ahead to see if your plane, bus, or train is running on time. If you’re driving, get chains and go slow.

[Clever photo of snowy Hamburg courtesy user Alexsven via Gadling’s flickr pool]

East coast flight delays continue, tensions rise

by Grant Martin on

Snowgasm™ 2010 continues in earnest today, as hundreds of flights across the eastern seaboard are canceled, rerouted and shuffled together, resulting in thousands of passengers stranded at airports and howling with rage.

It’s a lose-lose situation for the passengers and airlines, as underpowered air carriers try to manage a massive influx of rebooked fares and confusion reigns. Here at Gadling Labs we’ve been rebooking fellow travelers left and right, and the exasperation that we hear on the phone and among passengers is extraordinary. Just last night a colleague needed to be rebooked from Birmingham, AL to NYC and had to accept a flight three days later due to oversold and canceled flights.

Several community blogs including travelsmartblog have published tips and solace for stranded passengers, but as in all weather disasters, rebooking and organization take time. Our advice? Settle in, find a wall outlet, get some snacks and call the airline for rebooking: it’s going to be a long few days. Here are the numbers you need for rebooking.

American Airlines: 800-433-7300
Delta Airlines: 800-221-1212
Continental Airlines: 800-300-1547
Southwest: 800-I-FLY-SWA
United: 800-864-8331
Virgin America: 877-359-8474

[image via Wikipedia Commons]

Check your flights home — the weather is coming!

by Grant Martin on

With Christmas now behind us, many are starting to make the long journey home, maybe for a few more days of work in 2010 or for New Year’s Een preparations. Mother Nature, however, might have other plans.

Foul weather south of the Mason-Dison line has left swaths of fluffy white snow across patches of the south, California is still getting rained on and the works of a grand-scale noreaster are heading towards New Jersey and New York City — right in time for your flight to land on the 26th.

Prepare yourself, dear readers. If you need to standby on an early flight today, now might be a good time to make that $25 or $50 investment. And if you need to call your airline and rebook, we’ve dropped the customer service numbers below.

Safe travels from the staff at Gadling Labs

American Airlines: 800-433-7300
Delta Airlines: 800-221-1212
Continental Airlines: 800-300-1547
Southwest: 800-I-FLY-SWA
United: 800-864-8331
Virgin America: 877-359-8474

[image via Wikipedia Commons]

Bad weather continues to delay travel in Europe

by Sean McLachlan on


Snow and ice have been causing travel delays in Western and Northern Europe since last weekend, and another round of chilly weather is causing new trouble, the BBC reports.

Parts of Germany got inundated with freezing rain last night and today and some roads are covered in up to 2 centimeters (almost an inch) of ice. This has caused numerous accidents, although thankfully nobody has been killed. Icy and snowy conditions are also causing delays for rail service and automobile traffic in France and the UK.

At least there’s some good news. After a big backlog of flights, Heathrow is running at almost full capacity. Delays at the world’s busiest airport had created knock-on effects at many other airports.

If you’re traveling to, from, or within Europe, do yourself a favor and check to see if your flight or train is leaving on time. If you’re driving, please drive carefully.

[Image courtesy Alex Sven via Gadling’s flickr pool]

Europe flights still delayed as airports try to catch up

by Sean McLachlan on

Thousands of travelers in Europe still don’t know if they’ll be home for Christmas as airports struggle to deal with a huge backlog of flights. Unusually heavy snowfall in Northern Europe led to cancellations in several countries. London’s Heathrow airport was hardest hit. BBC reports that the UK Army offered to help, but Heathrow refused.

The world’s busiest airport is only running at 30 percent capacity until at least 6a.m. Thursday, and extension of 24 hours beyond the original announcement. Since Heathrow is a hub for so many airlines, this is affecting many other airports.

A friend of mine here in Madrid had two flights to the UK canceled before she finally got on a plane that took her home. She was one of the lucky ones. Five thousand people had to camp out at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, most of whom were headed to London.

So if you’re flying to, from, or within Europe, make sure to check your flight before heading to the airport.

[Photo courtesy Alexandre Moreau Photography via Gadling’s flickr pool]