 Poster: A snowHead
|
Not sure this is the appropriate forum but I'm sure a mod will move it if necessary.
Never experienced this before but we are booked to fly from Gatwick to Grenoble on Monday for a week in L2A. Really looking forward to it but am starting to wonder what happens if the forecast snow for the SE does arrive and the airport closes. What usually happens? Does the holiday get cancelled? Do we spend Christmas in the Gatwick Holiday Inn? Do we just get bumped to a later flight?
Anyone with more experience of this have any comments?
TIA - I have an anxious 14 year old at home and she's starting to bother me.
Sharon
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Depends if you're with a tour operator or not. If yes, it's their problem and you should ask them. If not, it's yours and you should consult your insurance policy. That's a bit simplistic but along the right lines, so hope it helps. Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
snowlamb, first off the snow has to happen. Even as we draw into the weekend the forecast is bouncing all over the place. Snow in the UK is very hard to call. Earlier this morning I would have said Gatwick was looking unlikely to be operating on Saturday. Right now the snow is looking less certain. It'll keep shifting right up to the day itself. How the operators react will I suspect depend on how severe any problems are. And that will be hard to know until the day itself. I would imagine they will be exploring contingencies at this stage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Hurtle wrote: |
| That's a bit simplistic but along the right lines, so hope it helps. Good luck. |
Yes we're with a TO have emailed them but they are being conspicuously quiet...clearly no one can tell me now for sure what the weather will be like on Monday I'm just wondering what usually happens in this event. Mainly so that I can give my troubled daughter some things to consider.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
snowlamb, the tour operator will probably get you there somehow. The tour operator I went to Tignes with last week was threatening to bus us all the way if Gatwick was closed (which it wasn't, in the end.) 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hurtle wrote: |
| snowlamb, the tour operator will probably get you there somehow. The tour operator I went to Tignes with last week was threatening to bus us all the way if Gatwick was closed (which it wasn't, in the end.) |
not sure there's an emoticon to fully explain my horror at the thought of a bus all the way to L2A.......
but better than Christmas here I guess.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowlamb, I hate to worry you, but Gatwick has the worst snow record of any airport in the UK, and a history of problems dealing with anything white on the runway, as I reported here: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=60163
You'll probably be OK, but I and almost all of my friends now refuse to fly to anywhere from Gatwick, at any time of the year. They're the Ryanair of the airport world 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
snowlamb, Some thoughts, Most likely you will get there. Most likely it will take longer than you expect. Most likely you won't get timely answers to questions (probably because the people you will ask won't know either). A good book and an MP3 player seem to work for me 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just heard from the TO who are weather watching too. Apparently Gatwick have announced that they are prepared with some brand new snow clearing equipment. We will watch and wait.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
| ousekjarr wrote: |
| http://www.evaint.com/article/51/11555/Investment-and-preparedness-at-Gatwick-Airport-.aspx - they've clearly taken steps to address the problems in the past, and have invested in new kit - however, all of this was done before this year's episode which closed the airport for two days, so I'm not convinced they made any difference... |
Oh well.....not much we can do. At least I won't be working.
Any other SHs in Gatwick on Monday?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| snowlamb wrote: |
| Any other SHs in Gatwick on Monday? |
Looking at the weather forecast, I might be  . But I like to think that the airport's snazzy new snow clearing equipment will have seen me on my way 24 hours earlier.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Michelle wrote: |
Bust of luck in getting out, snowlamb. I can assure you from personal experience, that hanging around an airport for days is not a pleasant experience  |
We only live about an hour/hour 30 away (well on clear non snowy roads) if the worst does happen and the airport does close are we better to go home and wait or is it better to be on site just in case they get something out?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
If you are at home, you won't be able to get any news from the airport or airline management... no, wait, that's if you stay at the airport 
At home you will have ready Internet access, TV news, radio stations, etc, all of which will allow you to hear immediately when the airport opens. However, in the unlikely event that your flight is still on and in the first 20 to leave, you won't get to the airport in time, so the best advice is to find somewhere quiet and comfortable (no, wait, that's home again...), and sit it out. It's a very unpleasant experience, and I hope you don't have to go through it, but at least your daughter is old enough to understand why you're stuck in an airport.
If the forecast looks bad, I'd be tempted to sign up for lounge access at Gatwick on one of their daily passes, so at least you're in a quieter area with food and drinks supplied. Whether they also get twitchy about people staying for 10 hours I don't know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Quote: |
If the forecast looks bad, I'd be tempted to sign up for lounge access at Gatwick on one of their daily passes, so at least you're in a quieter area with food and drinks supplied.
|
That sounds like an excellent idea. Good luck, snowlamb. And everybody else - there'll be a lot of people anxiously watching the weather. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
It has started snowing here again 12 miles from gatwick but only a very light covering so far. More snow is forecast at the weekend.
Hopefully they will be better prepared at Gatwick this time and your flight will go as scheduled.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
It happened to me last January when flights were cancelled due to snow etc. We were at Birmingham with the TO, and we were put up in a nice 4 star hotel, to fly the next day. The lost day was claimed back from the insurance - all of £50. A bit annoying as we lost a day's skiing, but one of those things.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
the forecast seems to have changed and now shows no snow over the weekend so hopefully you will be in luck and your flight will leave on time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Geneva Airport closed until 09h00 local due snow. Hmmmm. There's only about 3cm in my garden so I hope they have more down there.
And Easyjet flight checker showing most Geneva departure from this morning at 06h30 as "scheduled". Very helpful. Not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyone flying from Gatwick on Saturday?
looks like lots of snow to the west of London all through tommorow according to the BBC precipation model ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
the forecast seems to have changed and now shows no snow over the weekend so hopefully you will be in luck and your flight will leave on time.
|
Where did you hear that snowymum? The met office site still has a warning out for snow saturday and sunday? The forecast position of the lows for midday sunday will change the wind to an Easterly everywhere north of the Wash so that might be a problem, particularly further north, but by monday its changed again and we should all be under an area of slack low pressure, hopefully that means no significant weather!
The site I use to see what's likely to happen over the next 3 hours or so is http://www.meteox.com/h.aspx?r=&jaar=-3&soort=loop1uur which is all of the rainfall radars put together (time is in CET)
I'm flying from Manchester on monday (I hope), it would be a shame to battle the elements of the 300 mile drive there only for them to close the airport on me <gnash>
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
It's started - I was flying out to Munich en route to Mayrhofen this evening, but the evening Lufthansa flight out of LCY was cancelled nearly 7 hours ahead of take-off.
Much to-ing and fro-ing later me and skibuddy will try again from Heathrow tomorrow morning via Brussels and hope against hope we make that - otherwise the long weekend is gone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
andyrew - this morning the snowflakes disappeared on the met office website for crawley. They are now back I'm afraid. Has been chaotic on the roads round here (10 miles or so from gatwick) after a blizzard at lunchtime and more snow forecast on sat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Not good news from Sleazyjet:
"The Metrological Office have predicted that London Gatwick Airport will have snow fall of 5-10cm between 03:00 and 06:00 tomorrow morning. It is then expected the snow fall will increase after 06:00 to a depth of between 10-20cm.
In light of this information and in consultation with Gatwick Airport we have cancelled all flights to and from the airport between 06:00-10:00, 18 December.
We will continue to review the situation at the airport and strongly advise that all passengers flying from Gatwick over the weekend check the status of their flight using our flight checker service before travelling to the airport."
They are surprisingly confident of that forecast given that their decision will write off many people's Christmas getaway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
^^^^^^^this is easyjet we are on about. They would cancel a flight I'm someone farted knowing them!!!^^^^^^
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friend of mine set off driving from the midlands in england yesterday at 4pm, just made it to schladming, austria, 26 hours, normally 16-18 hours, snowed the whole way down, major autobahn troubles in germany. He must have followed the weather front all the way south, snowing hard now in schladming  My family are due to fly from stansted to salzburg tomorrow, hoping little or snow in east anglia overnight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Quote: |
I'm someone farted
|
well good for you for admitting it, Ricklovesthepowder. thousands wouldn't.
it sounds grim all round. We have friends who left at lunchtime today to drive down to our place in Les Saisies. And family coming from the UK to the south coast over the weekend - I'm trying to persuade them that they shouldn't take the risk of driving with small kids if the roads are bad - it's hard for people to decide what to do, isn't it?
I hope all those *"+@:XStupi&@#*** who wished for snow all over the UK are happy now. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Getting deja vue. A year ago tomorrow some of us were stuck fast at Eurotunnel going nowhere - if you remember it was the Eurostar trains suffering from the wrong kind of snow stuck in the tunnel and stopping the eurotunnel trains going through... which would have been pointless because they couldn't unload them the other end - or something like that. Only lost 24 hours of the trip though. Thought I'd be Mr Smarty Pants and fly this year but already not holding out much hope for an unaffected Gatters departure early tuesday morning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I had not forgotten the eurostar problems last year. Lets hope they have made some improvements to their trains.
However if I were desperate to ski this weekend I would try eurostar first as would be able to get to the terminal by train without having to drive on roads in their current state. Round here the roads are like ice rinks and people are having nightmare journeys taking an hour to go a mile.
If Op can get to another snow free airport with out driving through snow/ice that would be a possibility.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Just spoke to some Easyjet stewardesses who'd spent much of the day stuck in Milan. All staff stood down tomorrow at least until 0930 at Gatwick and probably longer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
It was very similar this time last year. I was stuck in Geneva for 2 days. The plus of side of that was I'd had 3 days skiing already. This time I might have to settle for a few pints and / or attempting skiing on Streatham Common!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
whoops - just realised my post above was supposed to be on a different thread..the one about someone going to val thorens..please ignore it on this thread.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Due to be flying from Gatwick to Grenoble with BMI at midday on Sunday (tour operator = VIP/Snowline). Guess will just have to keep fingers crossed that we will get off at some point on Sunday!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter S, whats it looking like up there, Yad not opening tomorrow, quite suprised 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Rick, YM and the North Pennines are very sheltered from the north west by the southern uplandds and then the west highlands! We still have a base from two weeks ago and only need a little bit more but the showers just aren't reaching in land. Ideally it needs to go easterly and then blow some. Still time and some forecasts are predicting a bit but may be too late for Sunday.
Raise could be good on Sunday however so i might go there instead. looks like its Wales, Northern Ireland and the south coasts turn tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter S, heavy snow from liverpool - warrington - manchester this evening. Looks like it is a big wall of precipitation. I only went to Yad Moss once last year and it was an amzing day out with lots of pictures ( see last years thread for my pics!) hope you get a decent amout up there, do you go up most weekends etc as it would be good to meet you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
probably unlikely, particularly given the congestion on the roads down there the Saturday before Christmas.
