Starting on March 25 we left for New Orleans on what initially was a three day work/road trip. However, evolution happens. An odd combination of work opportunities, family matters, and volcanic natural disasters took us to Europe and stranded us there.
Finished with work in Paris, we took a brief working trip to Lyon, Provence, and Girona, Spain. We were literally at the edge of the Barcelona runway — number 2 for takeoff to London and a connecting flight to Italy– when Eurocontrol closed UK airspace due to volcanic ash. While in Spain, we remained on guard for six-fingered swordsmen and tried to stay sober enough to buy Brandy (actually, Sangria). However, it appears that no one expects either the Spanish Inquisition or volcanic ash.
I’ve always maintained that anyone who relies on the airlines to take of them in a crisis is asking for even more misery. No airline, even our beloved British Airways, is equipped, staffed, or insured sufficiently to handle a natural disaster the magnitude of the volcanic ash crisis (and perhaps the human folly that followed). Neither should BA or other carriers be the insurer of last resort. People were seeking care and compensation normally designed to accommodate people after airline overbookings, etc. The bottom line is that when disasters happen, EVERYONE (airlines, related businesses, and travelers alike ) will lose money. Accordingly, if you are going to lose money, best to find some work to pay for it –or at least get out and enjoy what you are spending. So begins the LernerMedia 2010 Spring Odyssey…
In all, five of our ticketed flights were canceled. BA seemed pleased with our attitude and willingness to provide for ourselves and wait while they took care of more urgent passenger needs. The BA staff were very helpful in moving a number of business flights to later in the year. Some of the agents were stressed –and BA does need to find a way to service North American executive club business members working in Europe on European time. Following the initial airspace closure, things were already quite messy by the time the North American office opened. However, in our experience, BA ultimately takes care of its regular business customers and this crisis proved no exception. We’re apparently flying back to the U.S. in mid-May without cost or loss of miles. We even have our usual seats reserved. So, we are free to concentrate on work AND enjoying spring in Spain, Provence and eventually in Italy (we have to be in Italy in early May to start a project). Thank you, British Airways!
Autos were hard to find, but colleagues helped and we’ve been lucky in that regard too. We were told we secured one of the last international rentals in Spain. Now that we have a car, we can eventually return it in Italy. So, we are driving, exploring and working our way along the Med coast. We are, however, on thin ice with regard to technology. We have only one computer (and thus no backup), so we covet good wifi when we find it. However, we are fairly savvy young monkeys. I even managed to answer a deadline query from our publisher while climbing Mount Ventoux on a bicycle! Doug Merrill and other new-media Google gurus would be proud; how’s that for integrating life and work!
Our youngest daughter, Ellie, alleges that this the “most convenient natural disaster ever.” As long as we navigate home in time to take her to Chicago and her Second City summer improv and writing classes, I think she will forgive us. We are, however, working very hard. Keeping good Internet access is a priority. It was initially a bit tricky, but we are making our deadlines and all projects are on schedule.
Except in the direst of emergencies, we could not get home anyway, so we might as well do good work and enjoy it all. We’ll be posting pictures to the video log below every few days. Enjoy, as you desire.
Cheers,
Lee
P.S. Comments are turned off. Last post we had more than 30 legitimate comments but we also twice as many spam comments. Alas, we don’t have the net access to keep the site tidy. Brenda and I are already on the 200 MB overseas iphone plan and may have to sell some internal organs to pay next months cell phone bill (last time I peeked it was at $700 and climbing). ACK!
CLARIFYING A STATEMENT I MADE IN A GENERAL POST TO COLLEAGUES: PLEASE DO FEEL FREE TO SEND ME EMAIL POSTS (PERSONAL OR BUSINESS). EMAIL is NOT taxing on our usage because we can defer downloading posts until we have wifi access. Cheers, Lee
About K. Lee Lerner
K. Lee Lerner, Managing Director
LernerMedia Global (London & Paris)
www.lernermedia.co.uk
2010 Spring Volcano Euro Odyssey
Starting on March 25 we left for New Orleans on what initially was a three day work/road trip. However, evolution happens. An odd combination of work opportunities, family matters, and volcanic natural disasters took us to Europe and stranded us there.
Finished with work in Paris, we took a brief working trip to Lyon, Provence, and Girona, Spain. We were literally at the edge of the Barcelona runway — number 2 for takeoff to London and a connecting flight to Italy– when Eurocontrol closed UK airspace due to volcanic ash. While in Spain, we remained on guard for six-fingered swordsmen and tried to stay sober enough to buy Brandy (actually, Sangria). However, it appears that no one expects either the Spanish Inquisition or volcanic ash.
I’ve always maintained that anyone who relies on the airlines to take of them in a crisis is asking for even more misery. No airline, even our beloved British Airways, is equipped, staffed, or insured sufficiently to handle a natural disaster the magnitude of the volcanic ash crisis (and perhaps the human folly that followed). Neither should BA or other carriers be the insurer of last resort. People were seeking care and compensation normally designed to accommodate people after airline overbookings, etc. The bottom line is that when disasters happen, EVERYONE (airlines, related businesses, and travelers alike ) will lose money. Accordingly, if you are going to lose money, best to find some work to pay for it –or at least get out and enjoy what you are spending. So begins the LernerMedia 2010 Spring Odyssey…
In all, five of our ticketed flights were canceled. BA seemed pleased with our attitude and willingness to provide for ourselves and wait while they took care of more urgent passenger needs. The BA staff were very helpful in moving a number of business flights to later in the year. Some of the agents were stressed –and BA does need to find a way to service North American executive club business members working in Europe on European time. Following the initial airspace closure, things were already quite messy by the time the North American office opened. However, in our experience, BA ultimately takes care of its regular business customers and this crisis proved no exception. We’re apparently flying back to the U.S. in mid-May without cost or loss of miles. We even have our usual seats reserved. So, we are free to concentrate on work AND enjoying spring in Spain, Provence and eventually in Italy (we have to be in Italy in early May to start a project). Thank you, British Airways!
Autos were hard to find, but colleagues helped and we’ve been lucky in that regard too. We were told we secured one of the last international rentals in Spain. Now that we have a car, we can eventually return it in Italy. So, we are driving, exploring and working our way along the Med coast. We are, however, on thin ice with regard to technology. We have only one computer (and thus no backup), so we covet good wifi when we find it. However, we are fairly savvy young monkeys. I even managed to answer a deadline query from our publisher while climbing Mount Ventoux on a bicycle! Doug Merrill and other new-media Google gurus would be proud; how’s that for integrating life and work!
Our youngest daughter, Ellie, alleges that this the “most convenient natural disaster ever.” As long as we navigate home in time to take her to Chicago and her Second City summer improv and writing classes, I think she will forgive us. We are, however, working very hard. Keeping good Internet access is a priority. It was initially a bit tricky, but we are making our deadlines and all projects are on schedule.
Except in the direst of emergencies, we could not get home anyway, so we might as well do good work and enjoy it all. We’ll be posting pictures to the video log below every few days. Enjoy, as you desire.
Cheers,
Lee
P.S. Comments are turned off. Last post we had more than 30 legitimate comments but we also twice as many spam comments. Alas, we don’t have the net access to keep the site tidy. Brenda and I are already on the 200 MB overseas iphone plan and may have to sell some internal organs to pay next months cell phone bill (last time I peeked it was at $700 and climbing). ACK!
CLARIFYING A STATEMENT I MADE IN A GENERAL POST TO COLLEAGUES: PLEASE DO FEEL FREE TO SEND ME EMAIL POSTS (PERSONAL OR BUSINESS). EMAIL is NOT taxing on our usage because we can defer downloading posts until we have wifi access. Cheers, Lee
About K. Lee Lerner
K. Lee Lerner, Managing Director LernerMedia Global (London & Paris) www.lernermedia.co.uk