Jolene Balkan and her husband on vacation in Iceland last year.

Submitted by Jolene Balkan

My husband and I were supposed to start our honeymoon Thursday. We had planned a trip to the Seychelles, Dubai and France. Our flight was with Air Canada from Edmonton through Montreal to Paris. From there we were connecting with Emirates from Paris through Dubai to the Seychelles -- the starting point of our honeymoon.
 
We heard on the news that morning that the Iceland volcanic eruption was affecting travel to London. We immediately checked our flight on the internet, and it was still going, so we proceeded to the Edmonton airport. We were checked in and waiting to board when they announced that travellers to Frankfurt and Paris should hold off. A short while later, they announced that the Paris airport was closing and our flights were cancelled.
 
I was quite disappointed when I heard that we were not going to be starting our honeymoon. We got married in September 2009 and have been planning this for a long time.

When Europe-bound travellers were told to not board, there was a lot of concern, a lot of cellphone usage, and the Iceland volcano just happened to show up on the TV by our gate. After we were told that we would not be flying, there was disappointment and a lot of "what am I going to do?"

We stayed at the airport long enough for an Air Canada employee to explain the situation and where our bags could be collected, and then they handed us a pamphlet on how we could rebook if desired. We caught a taxi home and resolved things there. At least we were fortunate enough to be able to go back home.

As soon as we got home, we started calling Air Canada, Emirates airlines and the travel insurance company to see what our options were. Initially, we thought we might be able to get to Dubai from North America to catch our original flight to the Seychelles. Unfortunately, it was too much money. We then called Air Canada, who offered to rebook us or give us a full refund. We opted to rebook, and the next flight we could get on was April 21. We also managed to change our Emirates flights and most of our hotels. Overall, everyone has been very understanding and adjusted us accordingly.
 
 
I have been checking the Paris airport website for updates on when their airspace will open. I also check Air Canada and the London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre frequently for more information. So far, it appears that they are waiting for this to clear.
 
I understand that volcanoes aren't exactly predictable, and if we cannot fly next week, we will chose a different honeymoon destination and I'm sure have a great time either way.

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