First+Volcano+Trip+Update+Page

Theatre tickets have been exchanged, for a 20% fee, for a date in June! LIfe is looking good!
= We are NOT traveling this April vacation. Our trip was **canceled** due to the Icelandic volcano eruption and the closure of UK airspace =

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Date and time of each update will be noted (that way you'll know if there is new info!)
If you want the page you have always seen, with all of the links, click here: England Prevails 2010 Home page

Now that we are a couple of days past the initial disappointment things are beginning to look a bit brighter. We know that we are staying home for this school vacation and that there are other things to do, people to visit with, and activities to participate in. It is not what any of us had planned but it is what we have to deal with. Knowing that it was a natural cause and not something that could have been avoided should make it easier to accept. There are millions of folks who have had their plans changed, and we are truly among the lucky ones. We did not get stuck anywhere away from home, we did not have to spend additional money due to being stuck, we did not have to sleep in an airport, and so on. You always have a choice in life in the way that you deal with things. We choose to accept the things that happen and to move on, looking for the positives in what we have. With that in mind here are the things we know and the ideas that we have.

__**We know:**__
 * Air space is still closed over the UK and much of mainland Europe.
 * There are tremendous business and travel ramifications to this situation.
 * Airlines and travel companies all over the world are trying to handle a problem that was not predicted, and that is still occurring.
 * No one planned for nor caused this event to occur.
 * Hypothesizing over what happens next will only cause undue stress to yourself.
 * Virgin Vacations has already said that they will refund all airfare costs. They have already said that they will secure the maximum refunds they can from all the vendors, though there may be cancellation fees.
 * Seeing as airspace is still closed and that the volcano may erupt for weeks or months, the travel industry is in a great state of flux. They are doing the best they can working with a complete set of unknowns. While they may plan for a June trip for us, we really need to wait and see what happens in the next week, or weeks, concerning travel in general.

__**Ideas we have and things we'll do:**__
 * Contact all of our travelers to see what option is best for them personally. (We already did this yesterday morning. We have heard from over half of you, and so far everyone wants to travel this summer, preferably in June.) If you have not replied please do so today if possible.
 * We will be in touch with Virgin Vacations on Monday. We do not expect to hear anything back from them on Monday.
 * We will find out about what the insurance covers for those who purchased it.
 * We will request a quote for the lowest cost for 10-day trips beginning on Monday 6-21 through anytime in July.
 * Virgin Vacations will quote the trip for the dates we request. They will give us a firm cost for the new trip before any of us make a firm decision on traveling on the new trip.
 * The cost of a 'new' trip will be dependent upon the same factors as for this trip. The season will have changed to 'high travel season' so it is likely there will be additional costs, but we do not know ANYTHING at this point about how much.
 * For those of you who choose not to travel, for any reason, we will find out what the refund would be for you.
 * ANYONE can choose to take the refund or travel on the new dates. If our group size changes significantly it will affect the cost per person.
 * EVERYTHING about cost will be known BEFORE anyone makes a firm decision about traveling or refund.
 * Once we have set plans we will exchange British pounds back to American dollars for anyone not traveling.
 * We will need new parental permission forms but everything else is still valid for traveling.
 * Birth certificates will be returned to everyone not traveling as soon as we know that for sure.

It has come to our attention that some of you are falling prey to 'the rumor mill.' Please base your concerns on the facts given here. We really don't know anything at this point in time except what was stated already, which we are leaving here.

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//3) VA will refund the cost of the flight, $696, but no amounts, if any, are known for refunds from all the others involved (hotels, restaurants, attractions, coaches, etc.) Of course your tip money can be returned AFTER we get it exchanged back into dollars. (Probably by May 1) VA has pledged to get back every dollar they can for everyone if we decide not to reschedule.//======

===It will be most helpful to remember that we are just 24 hours past our original travel time, that this is a weekend and the travel companies are not open until Monday, and that we (the people of the world) are in the midst of a 'travel crisis.' This is an unprecedented event in aviation history (other volcanoes have erupted but never in the middle of a major air route.) It will take time to sort this out. None of us were expecting to have any money returned to us from this trip prior to Thursday's events, so there is no reason for any of us to panic about what is going to happen. We have great trust in the people who work in the travel industry, as we do in all people, to do the right thing. We will work for you in making certain that all of us are treated in the best manner possible and in the most timely manner.===