Boss, a Volcano Is Delaying Our Trip

If you’d planned to head to the United Kingdom points in Scandinavia today, tomorrow or this weekend, be prepared for significant travel disruption because of an eruption.

Airports throughout Northern Europe, including hubs in London, Dublin, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, are closed because Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano spewed a plume of ash up to 30,000 feet on Wednesday.

Seat 2B columnist Joe Brancatelli reports: “Needless to say, the ash will cause disruptions through at least midday tomorrow, perhaps longer. If you are headed to/from/through Northern Europe in the next few days, plan accordingly. And expect sudden changes in departure status since this is an unpredictable weather event, not something any airline or airport can control.”

The problem is that a volcanic cloud isn’t like a regular one. The air is filled with bits of rock that can grind an airline’s engine to a halt.

For business travelers heading to England, there are few options, short of getting to Paris and then taking the train to London. Might be a good time to get a Skype account.

UPDATE, 3:15 pm EDT: Add Paris to the list of airports closed because of the volcano. And British authorities say London's airports will stay closed until Friday morning.