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The Five Most Humbling Photos of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano's Ash Cloud

Are you trapped far from home due to the massive volcanic ash cloud covering Europe? Relief is on the way, but for now, you can only rest up and prepare for the final slog.

Since we're several days into the mass flight cancellations now, hopefully everyone has realized that this is the eye at the center of the storm. It's the period just after widespread confusion and before flights get back up even to half-power, when a rush on airports and available seats will begin. We suggest understanding what exactly is keeping you grounded, and so we kept our noses to Twitter and news and dug up the Five Most Humbling Photos of the Ash Cloud, just to put things into perspective. Yelling and crying at the airports won't help, because no airplane wants to fly through this.

Check out the snaps, after the jump

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Volcanic Ash Clouds Cause Mass Flight Cancellations For Britain, Northern Europe

Update 1:30pm EST: United Air Lines has cancelled all Europe-bound flights leaving from the US today. They are issuing travel waivers for passengers HERE. As a result, all United flights leaving from LHR/CDG/AMS/FRA/BRU/DME to the US tomorrow are also cancelled. (Because the planes for those are still in the US, of course)

Update 11:45am EST: Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam's Schiphol Airports have closed due to the ash, as well as many other French and northern European airports. First time all UK airports have stopped flights since 9/11.

Flying to London today? Or perhaps you're already in London and attempting to fly elsewhere in Europe? Stop right there and consult FlightStats.com first, because your flight might be cancelled due to volcanic ash. That's right, we said volcanic ash is causing mass international flight delays, and it's not the first time in the last few weeks.

Up in southern Iceland, tourists have been flocking to watch Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupt, ever since it began the fireworks and lava-spewing a few weeks ago. Today however, the volcanic ash clouds have invaded British air space and they're drifting south into northern Europe. The British Airports Authority has suspended passenger air traffic until at least 6am GMT tomorrow, the 16th. All of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Belgium are also putting a stop to flights while the dangerous ash cloud moves on. As expected, the Eurostar Channel Tunnel routes are completely sold out.

Why a volcanic ash cloud is very dangerous to airplanes, after the jump

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Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull Volcano Causes International Flight Delays

We may not know how to correctly pronounce the name of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano that just exploded in southern Iceland, but we do know that any volcanic activity in an area with air traffic means potential delays, diversions and worse. And this is exactly what's happening in Iceland now, since the volcano caused a temporary stop to all domestic flights in Iceland yesterday and turned around three Reykjavik-bound flights originating in Boston, Seattle and Orlando. Additionally, flights from Iceland to London, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Frankfurt were cancelled.

Volcanic dust not only subtracts from visibility, but too much dust and ash can clog a plane's engines. leading to engine failure and we don't want to talk about what could happen after that. So if you're heading out for a lovely little spring trip to Iceland soon, be sure to check up on the volcanic forecast and take out whatever trip insurance you can that covers volcanic explosions, and hope for the best. A non-volcanic day is a good day.

Related Stories:
· Air travel to Iceland disrupted by volcano [AJC]
· We Can't Imagine a Worse Flight Delay Reason than Volcanic Eruption [Jaunted]
· Travel Alerts [Jaunted]

[Photo: Garry DeLong]

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Can Iceland Express Save Iceland's Economy?

If you thought that 2009 was the year to grab a cheap package to Iceland in order to take advantage of the country's floundering economy and inexpensive prices because of the pesky bank failure, then just wait until 2010 really gets a move on. Flights to the cold island nation are about to get cheaper, more plentiful and even hipper thanks to LCC airline Iceland Express flooding the country with tourists when they add all sorts of new routes in June.

Currently, Iceland Express flies from Reykjavik to two of London's airports and five other European cities; all routes which truly helped shovel tourists and their money into the country during 2009. Come 2010 though, the LCC will expand like gangbusters! In addition to throwing in another Iceland city (Akureyri) on flights to London and even Copenhagen, the airline is starting direct Reykjavik flights to Newark, Winnipeg, Barcelona, Basel, Frankfurt, Krakow, Luxembourg, Milan, Oslo, Paris and more.

What this means for Iceland's economy, after the jump

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Iceland Express Begins Selling Flights From Newark For $275

There's a new low cost airline coming into our court, and it's one of our most anticipated travel events for 2010. Can you guess? It's just too good, so we'll tell you: Iceland Express will begin flying direct from Newark International Airport to Reykjavik in the beginning of June, and there's no doubt about it.

This is great news for New Yorkers anxious to have a quick (but far) trip to places other than the Caribbean, the west coast or London. Heck, a flight to Reykjavik is only five hours; we can easily spend that long on the internet at a Starbucks.

So, since this is a low cost airline, they're advertising one-way flights beginning at $275, and indeed we found a plethora of June dates still at this lowest rate, but it looked like return flights are a little pricier at $290. Keep in mind that airlines love to have specials...so we'll be keeping our eyes on Iceland Express for you during the next few months.

Related Stories:
· Iceland Express [Official Site]
· The Hottest New Airline Routes for 2010, Plus 36 from EasyJet [Jaunted]
· Iceland Express coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Ati977]

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Celebrating In The Skies: Imps And Vikings On Iceland Express

Welcome to our new feature on the ways that the airlines are making you more comfy and less cranky this holiday travel season—"Celebrating In The Skies." Some airlines just want you to sit down and shut up, but these—thanks to extra treats and smiles—will show you how much they appreciate your flying with them.

Can low cost carrier Iceland Express just hurry up and fly to Newark already? They've already got several Europe routes and Newark won't start until summer 2010, so we're jealous that it'll be only Euros enjoying the magical holiday surprises in store onboard Iceland Express flights this week.

If you are lucky enough to be flying to Iceland for their four daily hours of sunlight at this time of the year, where's what you'll find onboard your flight:

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The Top Three Reasons To Visit Iceland This Fall

The little country with the big tourism marketing imagination has given us tips on getting a date with an Icelander and ugly sweaters, but now Iceland is even coming up with some seriously good reasons for us to visit in the next couple of months. Aside from the bank failure, of course.

· Reykjavik International Film Festival
It runs from September 17 to 27 this year, it's full of excellent films and even the chance to catch the glow of the Northern Lights.

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Did Iceland Find a Pot of Gold at the End of This Rainbow?

Iceland has had a rough year. While tourism might now be booming, the country's main banks and currency collapsed earlier in the year, leaving the North Atlantic Island's econonmy and government in perpetual crisis mode. Not to mention in debt to various European countries.

There is some good news on the horizon in that Iceland is beginning talks to join the European Union which could greatly help them out. But it couldn't hurt for Icelanders to go hunting for a pot of gold at end of this rainbow, snapped by Jaunted Flickr member Chris Gold, at the Gullfoss Waterfalls. (Yes, we know it's corny but we couldn't resist!)

Got your own travel snapshot? Share it with us in the Jaunted Flickr Pool

Related Stories:
· Iceland Says Tourism is Booming, We Say Let's Go [Jaunted]
· Get the vapors at Iceland's Blue Lagoon [Jaunted]

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Get The Vapors At Iceland's Blue Lagoon

Last one in's a rotten egg! We're finding the best places in the world to stick our toes in this summer (or next winter) for our World's Coolest Pools map. Know of any pools we must check out? Let us know.

It's just what the doctor ordered: A thermal pool known for its health benefits and a 19th-century-style spa that once did double duty as an "Amazing Race" pit stop, but it's perfectly safe for the less adventurous too.

Time was aristocrats would flood the small towns built around natural pools and springs to "take the waters," advertised as good for sickly children or hysterical females (Lohan?). Now the rest of us can rub shoulders at the Blue Lagoon Spa with the rich and famous—like Dave Grohl, who compared it to a scene from "Apocalypse Now"—at a sightly reduced price.

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Iceland Says Tourism is Booming, We Say Let's Go

We've been fans of zany Iceland for a long time now, and correctly tipped that it's the new budget destination - and now we hear that tourism in Iceland is going through a boom.

The Icelandic banking crisis and drop in currency value might mean that there are less locals sitting in the pubs these days, but it has made it much more affordable for tourists to pop over, with cheap fares from both the US and Europe. Tourism board director Oloef Yrr Atladottir (pronounce that!) actually sounds pleased that his nation's no longer classified as an expensive destination, and we couldn't agree more.

It's all landscape in Iceland: hot springs, geysers, waterfalls, glaciers and volcanoes. Getting out to these places is cheaper now and there are deals galore to attract tourists, with the hope we'll prop up the local economy a bit. Ever since we read about how to get a date with an Icelander we've been craving a trip to Iceland, so maybe we'll jump on the boom's coat-tails and try it out.

Flights from the US are cheap right now - for example, Icelandair flies from JFK to Reykjavik for $455 return. With places like the Hilton Reykjavik offering last-minute rooms for 12,700 koruna (under $100), there are plenty of incentives to get there now, before the boom breaks.

Related Stories:
· Iceland Tourism Booms as Currency Plummets [The Age]
· Iceland Invites You To Take Advantage Of Its Economic Misfortunes [Jaunted]
· Iceland Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: taivasalla]

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'School of Rock's' Mike White to Do 'Amazing Race'

With so much travel news flying around, we don't always have time to give every story big play. Here's more of the day's news, in brief.

· Teams for Amazing Race Season 14: The list of teams competing in the newest season of "Amazing Race" include screenwriter Mike White ("School of Rock") and his father, a gay activist. Also on the show will be stuntmen, flight attendants and a few students. [HitFix]

· Iceland Still in Turmoil: The troubled nation's coalition government collapses. [MSNBC]

· Free Airline Tickets to Africa: That's free tickets for your companions we mean. Ethiopian Airlines is offering this deal from DC's Dulles airport to 32 destinations in Africa from Feb. 1 to March 30th as a way to celebrate President Barack Obama. [Time]

· 6,200 Jobs Cut: It was the day of layoffs. Sprint, Home Depot and General Motors all announced layoffs. When the unemployment rate goes up, the travel industry goes down. Things look dark for the future. [NY Times]

· Oklahoma To Get Serious Winter Storms: Sadly, the bad weather had to come in town just as AC/DC kicks off their now appropriately-named "Black Ice Tour." [USA Today, Bam's Blog]

[Photo via HitFix]

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Iceland Invites You to Take Advantage of its Economic Misfortunes

While pretty much the entire world took a bath in the financial markets last week, few countries got hit harder than Iceland. The elf-filled North Atlantic island saw its currency plummet, its three biggest banks fail, and its stock exchange close due to "unusual market conditions." But while the acute economic meltdown represents one of the biggest challenges the country has faced in generations, it also creates a great opportunity for travelers who had heretofore been dissuaded from visiting Iceland due to its notoriously lofty prices. Better still, rather than viewing opportunistic tourists as vultures swarming over carrion, the nation is welcoming them - and what little cash they have in their pockets - with open arms.

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