Due to the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland, my flight to the United Kingdom has been canceled and my round-the-world business trip will be shortened to include just Asia. I was hoping to fly British Airways‘ new first-class product and review it for Global Traveler. I will have to reschedule the trip for a later date when the air over the UK and Europe clears of the pumice and silica from Eyjafjallajokull. The eruption may continue for months.

I see the thousands of stranded passengers at Heathrow and other airports on the news and I wonder what I would do in this situation. Hotels are full and trains are overbooked. Cars are scarce as people try to move south to Spain or Portugal, countries which have not yet been affected. Others are holding tight in hopes that the cloud of ash will move away. I think I would favor the former and get moving, trying to find an alternative airport, even if it meant trekking the 1,000-plus miles from London to Spain. The big problem, though, is the congested travel across the channel. Maybe I would make a trip of it, playing European golf courses en route.

I have now changed my trip, leaving directly from JFK to Beijing and then to Hong Kong. This is a simpler and quicker trip than originally planned, but I am disappointed I will be missing out on the BA first-class experience, my meetings and golf in the UK. Right now I am scanning for a Beijing golf course for the next GTee golf review. Traveling can be a pain in the ash at times!

— Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO