Iceland Volcano Eruption and British Airline Strike: Frequently Asked Questions
Volcano Eruption and British Airways Strike Headlines
Share your own stories on our Graffiti Wall's Icelandic Eruption forum
Are your Tours operating as scheduled?
Yes, all of our 2010 tours are operating as scheduled. We currently have no plans to adjust any tour departure dates. However, Rick has approved a penalty-free transfer for any June or July 2010 tour member whose flight is canceled due to the volcano eruption or the British Airlines strike. We are keeping our fingers crossed that all European flights will be operating as scheduled for the remainder of the year but please check back here for any updates. We had some April and May tour members whose flights were delayed, some whose flights arrived as scheduled, and some whose flights were canceled. If your flight is canceled, please contact your airline or travel agent, as well as our Tour Department, to discuss your options.
What are my options if I'm scheduled on a June or July tour but my flight is canceled because of the Iceland volcano eruption or the British Airlines strike?
We are offering a penalty-free transfer for June or July 2010 tour members to any other 2010 tour in the case of flight cancellations due to the volcano eruption or the British Airlines strike. Contact your airline or travel agent to review your options for alternate flights. Many of our customers have been able to arrange an alternate flight and remain on their originally scheduled tour.
Call the Tour Department as soon as possible to discuss your options if you will not be able to reach your tour at 425-608-4217 (Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursdays).
After hours, please leave a message at ETBD and someone will call you back as quickly as possible to make transfer arrangements. Please also contact our tour member assistance company — OnCall at 800-576-2714 which is open 24/7. OnCall will relay a message to your tour guide regarding any delays in your arrival for your tour. You should have received a yellow card in your final tour letter with instructions on how to contact OnCall while in Europe. Our assistance company, OnCall, has been a tremendous support to our tour members whose flights have been delayed or canceled, especially after hours when our Edmonds office is closed. Please see below for their contact information, and remember that if you need help, whether you have flight issues in the USA or Europe, OnCall will be happy to assist you, and will relay the information to your guide, and to our Tour staff at ETBD.
The instructions are also noted below.
To contact OnCall from Europe:
1. Dial the AT&T access number provided below for the country you are calling from. (Using the access number below means your international call should be free of charge through AT&T. Even so, you may still be charged for a local call, depending on where you place the call).
2. An English language voice prompt will ask you for the telephone number you are calling, which is: 00-1-603-328-1923
3. Press zero or stay on the line and an English speaking AT&T Operator will assist you with this COLLECT call to OnCall:
AT&T Access Codes:
Belgium....................... 0-800-100-10
Bulgaria...................... 00-800-0010
Czech Republic............ 00-800-222-55288
Estonia....................... 800-12001
France......................... 0-800-99-0011
Germany..................... 0-800-225-5288
Greece........................ 00-800-1311
Ireland........................ 1-800-550-000
N.Ireland & UK............ 0-800-89-0011
Italy............................ 800-172-444
Netherlands................ 0800-022-9111
Portugal...................... 800-800-128
Spain.......................... 900-99-0011
Sweden...................... 020-799-111
Turkey......................... 0811-288-0001
Additional country access codes: www.usa.att.com/traveler/index.jsp
Can I get a tour refund if my flight is canceled due to the volcano eruption or the British Airlines strike and I cannot reach my tour?
The cancellation coverage which we include free with your tour does not provide a refund for these situations. However, if you are booked on a tour scheduled to depart in June or July, we will help you transfer to another 2010 tour with no penalty. For details, review our Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage.
Does Travel Insurance provide coverage for the Iceland volcano eruption? Many companies are providing insurance coverage for new eruptions and emissions but we recommend contacting your insurance provider to determine what is included with your policy. Three of the insurance companies that we work with on a regular basis are: www.travelguard.com, www.accessamerica.com, and www.travelexinsurance.com.
* Please check back for new information and updates.