Read how Stockholm Arlanda Airport has never had to close due to snow for the 50 years it’s been open: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12039443

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I’ve voluntarily slept on the floor on airports dozens of times and I don’t find it deprived me of my humanity. It was a bit unpleasant for sure, but not inhumane.

I understand, that the situation is very different for someone who’s elderly or seriously ill. But generally I think people are taking themselves a bit too seriously. One night on the floor is really not that bad. And if it is, why don’t they travel to a hotel in London themselves? One lady even said to BBC that her children were traumatized by sleeping on the airport floor. TRAUMATIZED by sleeping one night on the floor? Seriously? I think I would have found spending the night at airport exciting as a child.

But as a Finn who has lived in the UK I also agree with your final note about the need for UK airports (and the country generally) to learn to cope with snow and cold.

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I Think Darren you would change your mind if you spent a day with an airline or at an airport, or indeed with a Tour operator or travel agent and seeing yourself just what goes on behind the scenes to actually look after our Clients.

You only have to look out of the Window to see just What Conditions are like. Yesterday in Great Malvern we had nearly 6 inches of snow in an hour.

Of Course we hate to see this type of disruption, It’s good news for Helsinki they are so well prepared, but you can’t compare Helsinki with the type of traffic Heathrow gets, virtually a Plane taking off and landing every 40 Seconds.

Planes have to be meticuosly de-iced and you only get less than a 20 minute window from de-icing to get the aircrft airbourne. I’d Like to give them a pat on the back rather than a slap and kicking.

Our Clients have had to put up with some disruption but behind the scenes Tour Operators are going beyond what is expected to look after those either stranded overseas, or those waiting for the next available flight or re-booking them.

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TRAUMATIZED by sleeping one night on the floor?

Annimarie did you not read the news or watch it recently?????? Old people, kids, babies having to sleep in the airport and for FOUR days just so that they have a chance to see family and friends at CHRISTMAS!

Shocking just shocking

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Darren I have to agree IF you look what is in the news the situation that those passengers find themselves in is disgusting. When this mess is cleared up the government need to investigate what has gone on at these airports.

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My daughter was stranded at Heathrow for 3 days, now she is on her way home. After her flight from UK was canceled, she was handed a hotel voucher. She stood in a taxi-line for 3 1/2 hours to get a taxi to go to this hotel. The taxi-driver only accepted a fixed fee of 40 pounds. Now comes the ugly part; the hotel doesn’t exist! It was an empty field.

The driver used GPS and called his company to be sure to have driven to the right place. There was no mistake. My daughter had to pay another 40 pounds to get back to the airport, the only place she knew in London.The price was set by the taxi company, so she had to pay. She ended up on the airport floor freezing (the doors were open) with no food or water.

All food had run out. I managed to get her a hotel in the morning, and I was also able to send her money via Western Union to pay for the hotel, food and transportation. As a student she has no credit card.

Three days later, today, she finally got on a Finnair flight to Helsinki. I had gotten this re booking after spending hours on the phone. The flight took off late so she just missed her connecting flight in Helsinki. In 30 minutes Finnair had her in a shuttle bus going to the airport hotel for the night. No money needed, everything is taken care of by the airline.

Kudos to Finnair, they went out of their way to get her re-booked even though it was not their original booking, and they are also taking good care of my daughter in Helsinki. And shame on British Airways. I think someone will die at Heathrow before this is over. Maybe that fragile old lady my daughter met who as no money to pay for a hotel, and who has been told she has to wait for her connection to Canada until the 24th.

One last thing, the security staff at Heathrow ordered everyone sleeping in the terminal 3 to leave the building at 5am Sunday morning…my daughter called me in tears asking where should she go, it was cold outside…this all is totally unacceptable!

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@ Karen.

I have to agree with others, you can not compare an airport that has 3 runways and manages to keep one open (all but for small closures under 1 hour) and expects snow with an airport that has 2 runways, does not expect large snow falls (remember more snow than we had in 25 years) with more flights in 1 hour than the other airport has in 1 day.

@ Liisa, airlines have a responsibility once your fist flight has taken off till you land in your final destination, they do not have the same before you depart or after you arrive.

@darren .. hotel costs… we where booking clients in airport hotels for under £70 a night, you know how hard it is to find London hotels for that money. (remember your talking 60,000 beds a day in a city with 220,000 beds).

Lastly, do staff just appear for days it snows, no of course not. (In fact there tends to be less). So you’re left with staff numbers that can deal with 6000 dealing with 60,000. You need to have some patience, I saw a news report of a man saying “I been here almost an hour and they only made one announcement”, the airports closed how many times do they need to say it? Another interview a French lady said “I asked the staff member at the door and they gave me the correct information”. Was asked would she be travelling she answered “not till tomorrow there going to give us food and blankets and take care of us here”.. 2 totally different attitudes to the same problem.

I was caught up when Gatwick closed in January and I know what it feels like, but there is a general feeling that the answer must be there somewhere and it must be now, this second to me personally.

Have other countries done better?
Germany?….No… Massive delays, people stranded on trains, roads and airports closed
France? …. No … ditto… in fact they banned lorries from moving
Italy? … No…. ditto, plus even motorways closed (near the alps where snow is common)
Holland… no and so on and so on, even countries that expect snow have had problems.

Look at what it takes for 1 plane to take off at Heathrow in the recent snow.

1) 30 tons of snow cleared from around the aircraft
2) 3 miles or more of slipway cleared, treated and slip tested
3) 1 mile of runway cleared, treated and slip tested
4) de-ice the plane
Oh and you have 20 minutes to do all that or you have to start again…and Heathrow has 1 aircraft movement every 40 seconds.

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I was caught up last weekend in the airport chaos at Gatwick Airport. My own experience was not too bad.

Easyjet were well organised, giving out information sheets to clients. I did have to queue for 2 hours to try and rebook my flight but the staff were polite and the other clients in the queue were patient and understanding. I was rebooked on a flight for the following morning but they had no hotel accommodation or food vouchers to offer.

I spent the night at the terminal but found the free showers (lovely and hot), was well fed by the restaurants, coffee shops and retail shops (some of which stayed open all night) and was served by polite and kind staff at all times . Yes the floor was uncomfortable but I couldn’t go home if I wanted as all the coaches had been cancelled.

Unfortunately, my rebooked flight was also cancelled, so I made my way home the following day.

I have nothing but respect for the staff at Easyjet, Gatwick Airport and National Express Coaches who did what they could and kept calm under very difficult circumstances.

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