Snow, Fog, Closed Airports, Massive Air Travel Delays, What Can An Air Traveler Do?
22 December 2006 Problems for air travelers caused by a huge snowfall in Colorado and dense fog in London are all over the news. Many people being stranded with little food and no place to sleep. In Denver, with roads closed even if you decided to leave the airport, you can’t. Hotels are booked and difficult if nearly impossible to get to anyway.
What is the best advise under these conditions? The first thing to remember is that when the airport begins to open the regularly scheduled flights are already booked. Unfortunately the only option may be to scrap your travel plans. If Denver or London is not your home, line up a place to stay until the airlines can confirm you have a seat. Watch the weather. Just because one storm is over or the fog lifts doesn’t mean it can’t happen again.
People trying to get to Denver or Heathrow should make sure they have a seat before going to their departing airport. Avoiding having to wait at an airport should be the first priority. In your favor is information on line. Every major airport has updated flight departure and arrival information. However these sites including the FAA’s site will tell you to check with your airline. See the announcements below. Notice the direction and this is very important. You will not get out without a boarding pass once the planes start flying again.
At 7:00 AM December 22, the following information was displayed on the FAA’s site:
The status information provided on this site indicates general airport conditions; it is not flight-specific. Check with your airline to determine if your flight is affected.
Due to SNOW REMOVAL, the Denver International Airport (DEN) was closed as of Dec 20 at 02:45 PM MST. The date/time when the airport is expected to reopen is not known.
Delays by Destination:
* Due to SNOW, the APA airport was closed as of Dec 20 at 21:12 UTC. The date/time when the airport is expected to reopen is not known.
* Due to SNOW, the BKF airport was closed as of Dec 20 at 17:59 UTC. The date/time when the airport is expected to reopen is not known.
* Due to SNOW, the FNL airport was closed as of Dec 20 at 21:13 UTC. The date/time when the airport is expected to reopen is not known.
* Due to SNOW, the FTG airport was closed as of Dec 20 at 21:13 UTC. The date/time when the airport is expected to reopen is not known.
* Due to WEATHER/LOW CIGS/VIS, departure traffic destined to Chicago OHare International Airport, Chicago, IL (ORD) is currently experiencing delays averaging 58 minutes.
Notice air traffic control is telling to monitor your specific airline
Here is what is posted at the Denver Airport website this morning
AIRPORT
For safety reasons, all flight operations continue to be suspended. We anticipate the airport will reopen with limited operations, at noon, tomorrow, December 22. Although the storm has abated, there is still a substantial amount of snow to be removed. We will have two of our six runways ready at noon tomorrow, and snow crews will be working 24 hours a day until the airfield is fully operational including taxiways, ramp and gate areas.
AIRLINES
Passengers who have had their flights cancelled and have not been issued a new boarding pass, please call your airline or visit its Web site to rebook a flight.
SUMMARY
There is no magic wand in these situations. Nobody is going to take care of you, You have to take care of yourself and your family if they are traveling with you. It is highly likely the best advise is to cancel your travel plans if you were planning on visiting someone. If you are at one of these locations because of business or some other reason and are trying to get home, focus on getting the next available boarding pass. Go on line if possible and if not you will have to work you way through the airline’s phone system. Be sure to look at all options including driving to another airport once the roads can be navigated.
Good Luck. I feel very fortunate that I was traveling yesterday on routes were there were no delays. I am scheduled to travel Christmas Eve and I will be watching the status of airports and flights right up to the time I leave my home.
Be well and prosper,
Steve Pohlit
Business Development Consulting
Steve Pohlit has more than 20 years experience running very large and medium sized companies. Steve now consults personally with clients to design and implement processes that will deliver improved business performance for the long term. Most projects are self-funding within 90 days. The client then experiences a very high return on investment. Learn more about the process of Increasing Profits by 30% or More In 90 Days or Less by visiting http://www.stevepohlit.com or you can call 727-587-7871 and speak with Steve directly.
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