Rail, Ferry Prices Double, but Companies Deny Profiting From Travel Chaos

Travel companies have denied profiteering from the volcanic dust cloud as stranded holidaymakers face paying premium fares to get home after the Easter break, The Times reported Saturday. Channel ferry firms and Eurostar trains were fully booked this weekend as the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland continued to pump ash into the atmosphere and aircraft were grounded across Northern Europe.Europe's three biggest airports-London Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt-were closed. In total at least 19 countries in Europe have been forced to shut down all or most of their airspace.As travelers sought alternatives, P&O Ferries reported a 40 percent increase in bookings across the Channel. Prices for foot passengers increased from $93 for a return to more than $231 over the weekend.
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