In my business traveling time, I have been to places during floods, blizzards, and torrential rain. I’ve dealt with record lows and highs. I’ve also been lucky enough to have beautiful weather a lot of the time. In fact, I am pretty sure I’ve never canceled a trip due to weather concerns. But I’m having a hard time with this one.
Next week, I am scheduled to go to Manila. It’s a tiny bit anxiety-inducing in general due to the 25 hour travel time. But to add to my current stress level, they had a hurricane go through on Tuesday, and forecasts are showing another one moving over the islands on Friday and Saturday. There has been torrential flooding, dozens of deaths, and over a billion dollars in damage.
The Home Warrior is concerned. My family is concerned. I’m also concerned! The company I’m meeting with says business is going on as usual. There hasn’t been much guidance from my travel agent besides “wait and see”. I have no problem with going–if I didn’t go this time, the trip would be rescheduled for November or December, and I would have to go then. My main issue is concern about a) going all the way there, having my meetings get canceled due to weather, and needing to go again; or b) getting stuck there because flights are canceled.
It seems a little silly to be worrying about this when there is so much destruction and suffering going on there. I hope that the weather gets better for the sake of the Filipinos, certainly more so than for my own sake.
So, Readers, any advice? Have you canceled trips due to weather? Were you glad you did, or did it feel like a waste?
Call the hotel where you are booked and ask them about their status (open for business, restaurant working, clean water, transportation around the area, getting to/from the airport, etc.)
By the way, also ask what happens if the previous guest doesn’t check out. Many years ago I was turned away from a hotel where I had a res because people hadn’t checked out on time. All the hotel could do was charge them the “Rack” (maximum) rate. They “compensated” me with an amount equal to my reserved room rate, but there was no place else to stay.
(This was in Europe, but I don’t remember the city any more).
I was in Manila for work while a tropical cyclone went through a couple of years ago. I didn’t have to deal with flying through it, but was already there for a week or two. If you’re staying in Makati or Edsa, the hotels are really well prepared for that kind of thing and built really well since the area is prone to both earthquakes and cyclones from what I remember!
The one thing that I thought was majorly different was their “business as usual” attitude through it. They were out and about doing their thing til the last minute. Good luck!
(this is orange felt btw!)
I had my plans cancelled when the volcanic ash hit Europe last year, and almost was stuck traveling for work for the same reason this spring.
When my plans were cancelled, I could have gone with the train option if it was essential – but my workplace actually enforced a policy of no travel unless necessary – due to the fact that everyone else was on the road trying to get home in that way.
I would take a look at the status with the hotel and their situation, but I would seriously consider postponing. Getting stuck in a natural disaster now when you have the possibility of going later seems rather foolhardy to me.