Letter: Extended stay was no adventure
Tuesday 11th May 2010, 6:34AM BST.
Letter: In reply to MD Watkins’s letter (Shropshire Star, April 29), he/she thinks there should have been a sense of adventure.
Many of the stranded would strongly disagree. Having personally been stranded ill in China for five days and constantly trying to get any flight home possible, most of our time was spent at the airport and then going to a hotel to sleep. Some did not even have the luxury of a hotel as they had no money left.
Yes I agree that everyone wanted to be safe, but once flights were leaving there were many, including ourselves, who were told by our airline we would not be able to fly home until May 7.
Our original flight was April 19.
This is not an extended holiday, is it?
No employer would expect to give extended leave. This leave is taken as a person’s annual leave or unpaid leave.
I can assure you it is most stressful wondering when you are going to get home and at what cost.
Our flights alone cost £3,200 to get home.
This was without other expenses of hotels, meals, taxis, etc which we also had to fund.
As for compensation for stress, please can you give me the name of an insurer that pays out for this and I will use them next time.
Many insurers are not paying out for any costs incurred in flight delays or extra expense incurred, let alone stress.
J Pingree
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I think what has become majorly apparent as a result of the whole Ash Cloud episode is the considerable differences between the way travellers were treated by the different airlines, holiday companies and insurers.
Two people I know were stuck in Florida, one travelled with Thomas Cook, the other with Virgin. Thomas Cook went into major overdrive to ensure everything was done, everyone was cared for and didn’t have to dip their hands in their pockets for hotel or living expenses … Virgin the exact opposite, everything was a uphill saga (and still is now they are back in the UK I am told …) – both are since having nightmares with their travel insurance companies trying to lodge claims.
I suppose some will say you pays your money and takes your chance but hopefully thanks to the internet and blogging sites the rest of us will quickly learn which tour operators / airlines / insurers actually make the grade when it matters !!!!!
Incidently the one thing that really surprised me was being told that Disney World, that last bastion and big flashing neon symbol of the money grabbing capitalist idol, immediately extended the admission passes of people involved to keep the kids entertained and try and help out
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Well some will moan about anything you couldnt get home due to safety fears thats the end of it . I must admit i lost sympathy when sky interviewed one woman who said she had run her credit card up by £850 and didnt have a clue how she could pay it back as she was on incapacity benefit??, and yes if on benefits no Holidays.
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