40,000 stuck in SINGAPORE

[Watchman]

40,000 stuck in S'pore

Apr 20, 2010

Waiting game continues; varying degrees of help provided by airlines
By Karamjit Kaur & Lim Wei Chean

Emotions run high for stranded passengers, many of whom still do not know when they will be able to reach their destinations. Portuguese citizen Orlanda Laranjo (above), 58, sobs as her flight home is cancelled. -- ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN


FRUSTRATION and anxiety are building up for travellers hit by the flying ban across much of Europe, now into its sixth day.

Flight cancellations have affected about 40,000 travellers at Changi Airport, and without an end in sight, those stranded are edgy - and desperate.

Enough was enough for Ms Maria Adalgisa, a 57-year-old bank officer stuck in Singapore with five friends since early Friday morning.

The group left at 2am today on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight to Johannesburg, the start of a 21-hour journey that will take them to Senegal's capital Dakar, Casablanca in Morocco, and finally home to Lisbon in Portugal.

The cost: 2,500 euros (S$4,600) each. Expensive but worth it, she said, adding: 'We are sick and tired of waiting. We just want to go home. In the end, our flight home costs even more than our three-week cruise trip from Mauritius to Singapore.'

Despite some partial opening of airspace, major airports in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt remain firmly shut, disrupting holiday and business plans for travellers, many of whom have been stuck here since Thursday.

 

[Leongsam]

Enough was enough for Ms Maria Adalgisa, a 57-year-old bank officer stuck in Singapore with five friends since early Friday morning.

The cost: 2,500 euros (S$4,600) each. Expensive but worth it, she said, adding: 'We are sick and tired of waiting. We just want to go home.".

I know Singapore is an awful place but I didn't realise it was THAT bad!!!???

 

[scoobyhoo]

How come? Why they don't visit IR, Sentosa, Universal Studio, Zoo...?

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Those going back all need to fly to african airports or perhaps turkish ones assuming that the bans are not on turkey.


Those living in like spain or portugal obviously fly to the african ports. Those living near eastern europe fly to western asia.

 

[Leongsam]

A study of contrasts!!! .....:p Singapore vs NZ. You be the judge!

*********

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10639757

Being stranded a happy experience


<!-- -->

Lynda Lutwyche (right) and another standed traveller Louise Eaves are being put up by a generous Aucklander. Photo / Natalie Slade

<script type="text/javascript"> var bigImgSrc = 'http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/LyndaLutwyche_460x230.jpg'; $(".enlargeOverlay").css({opacity: 0.9}); function ExpandArticleImage() { // if the big image hasn't been loaded yet load it and give this function as the callback if ( !$("img.articleImageBig").attr('src')) { $("img.articleImageBig").load(function(){ExpandArticleImage();}); $("img.articleImageBig").attr('src',bigImgSrc); } else { $("#articleImageSmall").hide(); $("#articleImageBig .eventBind").attr("href", "javascript: return false;"); $("#articleImageBig").animate( { width:"460px" }, { queue:false, duration:500 } ); $("#articleImageBig .articleImageBig").animate( { width:"460px", height:"230px" }, 500, null, function() { $("#articleImageBig .enlargeOverlayBig").show(); $("#articleImageBig .eventBind").attr("href", "javascript: ContractArticleImage();"); }); } } function ContractArticleImage() { $("#articleImageBig .eventBind").attr("href", "javascript: return false;"); $("#articleImageBig .enlargeOverlayBig").hide(); $("#articleImageBig .articleImageBig").animate( { width:"220px", height:"147px" }, { queue:false, duration:500 } ); $("#articleImageBig").animate( { width:"220px" }, 500, null, function(){ $("#articleImageBig .eventBind").attr("href", "javascript: ContractArticleImage();"); $("#articleImageSmall").show(); $("#articleImageBig").hide(); }); } </script> Lynda Lutwyche thinks she must have a guardian angel watching over her. "And if he is there I hope he doesn't go on holiday to Europe," she says. Mrs Lutwyche, from Lancashire, is one of 51 stranded overseas visitors who have been put up by Aucklanders as they wait for the volcanic ash cloud to clear so they can fly home.

She spent two weeks holidaying in New Zealand with her brother, who she met when he flew from Santiago, Chile. But when he left on Sunday, Mrs Lutwyche found her flights cancelled as European airspace closed down. "I was at the airport and had no idea what I was going to do."

Mrs Lutwyche, who has five children at home being cared for by husband John, spoke to the helpdesk, which put her in touch with Renee Lang who contacted Tourism Auckland offering a room for those stuck.

"The hospitality has been fantastic," said Mrs Lutwyche. "I had a terrible moment at the airport but since then it's seemed easy. Things like this just don't happen and I'm so thankful."

Mrs Lutwyche, a university lecturer, still does not know when she will be able to fly out of New Zealand.<script type="text/javascript" defer="true">var adDiv = document.getElementById('adSpace0');if (adDiv) { document.getElementById('adSpace0').innerHTML = document.getElementById('INVadSpace0').innerHTML;document.getElementById('INVadSpace0').innerHTML = ''; }</script> There is the possibility of a flight on Thursday morning but that would only take her to Brunei with no guarantee of a flight on to England.

She said she would rather stay here than risk getting stranded somewhere else. And, despite the chaos at the end of her holiday, she said she would come back one day.

"I love New Zealand and I'll be back - but I'll wait until the skies are clear."

Tourism Auckland has had more than 200 offers from people willing to give up a room in their home for stranded travellers.


Visitors needing accommodation should call 0800 AUCKLAND (0800 2825-5263).

 

[makapaaa]

Kena stuck with Indian FTrash?! Buay tahan ah!​

 

[singveld]

A study of contrasts!!! .....:p Singapore vs NZ. You be the judge!

ah yo, pigeon hole so small, not even enough space for their dogs, want to bring in a stranger?

ask the angmoh to sleep in the living room or kitchen?

 

[Received_by_Kings]

40,000 stuck in S'pore

Apr 20, 2010

Waiting game continues; varying degrees of help provided by airlines
By Karamjit Kaur & Lim Wei Chean

Emotions run high for stranded passengers, many of whom still do not know when they will be able to reach their destinations. Portuguese citizen Orlanda Laranjo (above), 58, sobs as her flight home is cancelled. -- ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN


FRUSTRATION and anxiety are building up for travellers hit by the flying ban across much of Europe, now into its sixth day.

Flight cancellations have affected about 40,000 travellers at Changi Airport, and without an end in sight, those stranded are edgy - and desperate.

Enough was enough for Ms Maria Adalgisa, a 57-year-old bank officer stuck in Singapore with five friends since early Friday morning.

The group left at 2am today on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight to Johannesburg, the start of a 21-hour journey that will take them to Senegal's capital Dakar, Casablanca in Morocco, and finally home to Lisbon in Portugal.

The cost: 2,500 euros (S$4,600) each. Expensive but worth it, she said, adding: 'We are sick and tired of waiting. We just want to go home. In the end, our flight home costs even more than our three-week cruise trip from Mauritius to Singapore.'

Despite some partial opening of airspace, major airports in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt remain firmly shut, disrupting holiday and business plans for travellers, many of whom have been stuck here since Thursday.

Wow hahaha these white diseases are so ass hurt they are in Singapore. Crying and all that. It's as if they are really in a barren Third World country with cannibals and wild animals. Can't believe these retardation victims.

Go shopping and then try go your luck in the casinos!

 

[Received_by_Kings]

ah yo, pigeon hole so small, not even enough space for their dogs, want to bring in a stranger?

ask the angmoh to sleep in the living room or kitchen?

Same as those private flat copies you call condominiums.

Oh the toilet would do.

 

[Received_by_Kings]

How come? Why they don't visit IR, Sentosa, Universal Studio, Zoo...?

They are retarded xenophobes that's why.

Singapore must always be on guard against welcoming these xenophobic one-dimensional brain disease victims.

 

[Nomad]

well,this goes to show how important our Changi Airport is.
but all flights to Europe are affected,so nothing to be alarm.

 

[General Veers]

'Better than sleeping in the streets'


'Better than sleeping in the streets'

Stranded SIA passengers end up sharing hotel rooms after being told to give up rooms to other guests

By Lediati Tan
April 20, 2010

Passengers stranded here because of the closure of European airspace have resorted to sharing hotel rooms after being told by their hotels they had to give up their rooms because of previous bookings.

Frenchman Pelurson Gilles, 51, was among a group of over 200 passengers who were put up at the Marina Mandarin hotel by Singapore Airlines (SIA) after their flights were grounded. He spent two nights sleeping in Changi Airport before he was transferred to Marina Mandarin on Saturday.

He and nine other French nationals shared four hotel rooms among themselves, but later had to downsize to two, after the hotel asked them to vacate some of their rooms because of previous bookings by other hotel guests.

Instead of finding it an inconvenience, Mr Gilles was grateful to have a roof over his head. Other stranded passengers applauded SIA's customer service in the face of the flight disruptions. SIA spokesman Nicholas Ionides said that more than 1,000 SIA passengers have been accommodated in more than 20 hotels islandwide.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

ah yo, pigeon hole so small, not even enough space for their dogs, want to bring in a stranger?

ask the angmoh to sleep in the living room or kitchen?

you think the ang moh would stay with a non ang moh?

 

[lianbeng]

Kena stuck with Indian FTrash?! Buay tahan ah!​

kek leng kia sibeh chow buay tahan liao.
kar kin tng choo kar kin tng choo...

 

[zuoom]

small wonder when i had guest over (couple of days back), had a hard time looking for a place for him to stay.