Help me! Save me!

[Chrismor]

BG: I work in travel. Marketing for a travel agency, usually.

On account of this whole Iceland blowing up thing, flights across half of Europe are fxxked up for the next day or 2.

I work in a 4 man company. I rarely deal with clients direct, as the reservations staff would know better.

HOWEVER, our sales manager is in Syria. Our managing director is in Italy. Both are stranded due to the volcanic ash clouds being unsafe to airplanes.

We are operating at half staff, and things are being cancelled all over the place. I am trying to juggle advertising, clients, and trying to find a way to get the managing director home.

Save me... Please?

C.

[Aisling]

I would call a temp agency and get some extra hands until the managers get home. The temps could at least answer phones and explain delays to clients while you handle the more managerial tasks.

[TOLady]

All I can offer is a *hug* and say that it can't last that long...

I've been listening to the news all day and everyone's completely farked in Europe flightwise. Don't the CS realize... what the hell am I thinking, CS don't think, therefore, they are...

<<<<hug>>>>

[Chrismor]

*willingly accepts hugs*

It keeps getting better.

All flights up to 13.00 local tomorrow are cancelled.

Lisbon: 16 stranded to Saturday.
Krakow: 9 people stranded again. Next available flight might not be until Sunday.
Prague: 2 people possibly stranded again.

Outbounds: 4 business clients unable to travel.
Managing director: Still in Italy. Has no hotel (was kicked out of his hotel at the end of the reserved stay due to severe overbooking) Booked on a flight tomorrow - cancelled!

Sales manager: In the middle east. Current status unknown.

At least I am laughing about it at the moment. Tomorrow in the office will be fun.

C.

[AccountingDrone]

*willingly accepts hugs*

It keeps getting better.

All flights up to 13.00 local tomorrow are cancelled.

Lisbon: 16 stranded to Saturday.
Krakow: 9 people stranded again. Next available flight might not be until Sunday.
Prague: 2 people possibly stranded again.

Outbounds: 4 business clients unable to travel.
Managing director: Still in Italy. Has no hotel (was kicked out of his hotel at the end of the reserved stay due to severe overbooking) Booked on a flight tomorrow - cancelled!

Sales manager: In the middle east. Current status unknown.

At least I am laughing about it at the moment. Tomorrow in the office will be fun.

C.

OK, you are in Ireland, going by the location in the header. This is Europe. As I remember, Europe has not gutted out their passenger rail unlike American has. Unsure about the SM in the Middle East, but I know you can take a train from the bottom of Italy all the way to France, and IIRC isn't there a train that goes through the tunnel to England? Then across to the western coast, and a ferry to Ireland? Hell, back in the 70s I drove from the toe of Italy to Paris [and did a car train in the alps because it was new to me and interesting] and I know I was running near train tracks most of the drive.

If I can't fly, and I need to be somewhere I drive, or look for a train/bus. May take 2 or 3 times as long as a plane, but you get there instead of sitting on ones arse whining about it ...

[Seshat]

At LEAST the one who has no hotel can start travelling by train, or ferry. Give him a berth in a sleeper car. Mobile hotel!

[Der Cute]

You're in Ireland! Take advantage of the free time and have a Guinness or 3 at work. With feet on the desk sans shoes and everything!

(j/k)

Call in some favors from friends, have them help you answer phones/ do admin work for a day or 3 and you'll feed them pizza or such.
Tell your bosses to start walking, the trains/ferrys/horse carriages are full right now. Hope things clear up by Monday at the latest - and remind customers that "this is an Act of God, we REALLY don't have control over this"

Cutenoob

[Chrismor]

Update: The Krakow and Prague people are stranded due to the lack of flights, until Wednesday or Thursday. We are trying to look at a bus to somewhere else.

Managing director: Found a hotel. Is now en route to France to get a ferry - tomorrow night. ETA: Sometime Sunday.

Sales Manager: In Middle East. Is being looked after, will be home at some point.

Staffing: We hauled our general manager out of maternity leave to help out today. Now 3 of us working. Go Team!!

AccountingDrone: I like the thinking. Our main concern is the time it takes. We are looking at that kind of solution though.

Cutenoob: Sorry to break it to you, but I don't like Guinness. And I have the weekend adverts to do. Fun!

C.

ETA: Oh, and you are right about the ferries. This whole thing has been great news for companies on the Irish Sea.

[Chrismor]

Managing director: Found a hotel. Is now en route to France to get a ferry - tomorrow night. ETA: Sometime Sunday.

It is not going well for him. He spent 45 minutes queueing in the train station to be told that he could not get the train. The French train services are on strike for the next 3 days.

C.

[AccountingDrone]

It is not going well for him. He spent 45 minutes queueing in the train station to be told that he could not get the train. The French train services are on strike for the next 3 days.

C.

Unfortunately my cousin and his wife are no longer stationed in Naples, or I would see if she could give him a lift to Paris ... is renting him a car an option?

Why am I flashing on Planes, Trains and Automobiles [and several of the Road To movies]

[TheSHAD0W]

In a few days the eruption should stop and flights should return to normal.

Well... It could be a week.

A month at the outside.

But eventually the planes will fly!

[TheSHAD0W]

Whoops! I was wrong.

Could be a year.

[Chrismor]

I hate being an optimest.

I was calling people who were due to fly this morning, saying to be in the airport on time, as it was going ahead.

21:30 last night I was still in the office, calling the same people to tell them it was cancelled with no known date to reschedule.

Managing director got a flight yesterday... To Spain. Hehas an apartment there, so accommodation is no longer a problem. Last time I checked... No flight available until Tuesday.

C.

[crazylegs]

and IIRC isn't there a train that goes through the tunnel to England?

There is, but it's full to capacity. Current advice is if you don't already have a ticket don't try to buy one - the trains full!