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Here is an update which some of you may interested in.
The flight disruption story seems to be off the news now, but many of us are still waiting to get out, and some are going to be waiting for up to another week.
There has been atrocious price-gouging and inflexibility on the part of the airlines. I have heard of prices up to 11,000 dollars being demanded to change to flights back home in Rome.
That said, things are getting slowly better. Most of the people I know who are stranded across Europe (in Dresden, Krakow, Munich, etc), including myself et al in Venezia, are slotted for flights tomorrow.
Most Europeans seem to have abandoned waiting and gotten home by surface transport, or on the extra or larger planes that have been put into use in some of the larger airports (I am not sure about this, it is based on word of mouth).
We have heard many reports of partly-empty planes but our airline claims there are no standbys available.
We will probably know more about that once we get home. all I can report form the ground is that the US airline staff here seem indifferent and bored at best.
That said, most of the other people have been helpful, patient, and generous.
It has been a sobering and life-changing experience to find ourselves in the midst of so much confusion and uncertainty. Last weekend was like nothing we have ever seen before.
Thanks to those who expressed interest and empathy regarding our plight, and who understood our surprise and frustration at the lack of airline and US State Dept action.
We know they could not turn back the volcano, but the response was weak at best in the opinion of everyone I have spoken to here (those who had time to think about it, that is).
Thanks again, and see you around here again sometime.
Best
Freddie.
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