Don't let a delay ruin your holiday

[albatross710]

A couple of week s ago Mrs Albatross710 & I took an R&R trip with Qantas from BNE to DPS via MEL. Our outbound flight out of MEL departed >4 hours late bound for DPS

The next day we were thinking about all of the horror posts and news articles that go viral about some person's flight being delayed and how it ruined their holiday.

First up QF did a good job letting us know well before the scheduled departure that there was a major delay.

Then we just settled in and read our books, magazines, wandered around and were generally content. Took showers at the QP then boarded.

Lesson for us was be prepared for delays, have something to do and most of all don't let a small thing like a travel delay ruin your day.

Alby

 

[dajop]

I think it's all a matter of attitude. If you take a positive view of things, it helps deal with it. On a trip to US/Canada(Niagara) last year, we had 5 internal flights, and in that part of the world, delays go with flying. If you let them ruin your holiday, better to stay well clear of the whole continent. Two of the five suffered delays (one 2 hours - spent at departure airport in the lounge , one was 4 hours - spententirely on the plane at transit airport and on landing at destination), and one was cancelled and we were delayed the next morning (which meant 11am-5pm in Chicago instead of 10pm-5pm ). You can scream and moan or you can simply take the attitude "such is life".

Although it is definitely preferable to have a specific, known delay rather than a rolling delay. Then you can do something with your time.

Also overnight delays where the airline is not responsible for and will not provide a hotel, can seem infuriating at the time but can be a blessing in disguise. In the modern era, it's often quicker and less stressful to sort out your own hotel room than wait in a queue of 200 people for a voucher and transport.

 

[RooFlyer]

I must admit that where I can get steamed over a delay is where the airline announces it just before scheduled boarding and you know that they knew at least an hour or more beforehand about a significant delay ( such as very late inbound flight). Or when after rolling delays the flight gets cancelled , but they still haven't organised extra staff to desk with all the rebooking, his etc.

As you say, delays are part of the game and can be tolerated if good reason, but I get very peeved when the airline simply treats it's paying customers with contempt.

 

[jenib]

I once had a delay of 7 hours on a QF flight from Melbourne to London. Flew from CBR to Melbourne and on arrival at the lounge I was offered a spa treatment and then advised the flight from Melbourne would be delayed until 12.30 am. Ok (and spa treatment nice). Boarded the flight, taxied, then the captain came on to advise that one of the engines was sending error messages and we needed to return to the gate. Further messages about stopping and starting engine (rebooting ) to see if it would clear the errors. Finally at 4 am after lots of tests we were advised that a part needed to be flown in and so everyone had to deplane. I felt sorry for the families with little kids - the terminal was dark, the lounges were closed and even the vending machines were turned off. We finally re-boarded and took off after 7 am and not surprisingly I missed an onward connection from LHR to Stockholm. But I would far prefer long delays than danger.

At the conference I was attending, a colleague from Slovenia gave a presentation. He started with a slide showing why he was so pleased to be speaking that day - it was a picture of a small dash 8 type plane out of his window showing a still propeller and leaking fluid. They made an emergency landing on his way to the conference.

I felt lucky

 

[Himeno]

During my trip last year, I arrived in DXB in the morning and got a message my flight out of DXB that night was delayed. QF app, email and txt message all said different things. (one saying 24 hr delay, others saying a few hours).

Once I confirmed the length of the delay, I just said "meh. more time in the lounge. Doesn't impact my next flight".

A few years ago, I was in CAE heading for NYC. All flights out of CAE were delayed (ATC north bound, weather west bound). Delay was going to impact my connection.
I had found an alternative and was heading to the airline agent to discuss the problem before the airline even noticed there was a problem with many peoples connections.
They wanted to keep me on the same CAE-PHL-LGA routing as booked and said hotel in CAE or PHL. I had prepaid hotel near JFK. I suggested the next flight via CLT to JFK, would get me to NY that night with only a 2 hour delay and they wouldn't have to pay for a hotel somewhere. They rebooked me without issue.

 

[harvyk]

Also overnight delays where the airline is not responsible for and will not provide a hotel, can seem infuriating at the time but can be a blessing in disguise. In the modern era, it's often quicker and less stressful to sort out your own hotel room than wait in a queue of 200 people for a voucher and transport.

No that's never a blessing in disguise, at no point during them arranging hotels do they put a gun to your head and say "you will stay here". At all times you're free to make your own arrangements if you prefer.

Them arranging hotels (at their expense) means that you are not up for an unexpected cost through no fault of your own.

 

[harvyk]

My worst delay was 27 hours in BNE after the plane that was meant to do BNE-LAX went tech (They ended up flying another plane up from SYD to do the flight).

It was massively frustrating but I simply dealt with it. (Lounge access helped ease the pain ). Sitting there whinging and complaining would do nothing (except make everyone miserable).

The annoying thing was needing to call up hotels and car rentals in the US to change things, which luckily they all did free of charge.

 

[mrsterryn]

Last year we had a 24 hour delay from JFK back to Sydney. Qantas didn't organise it really that well but we just went with the flow.
We have also had a train delay due to snow on our way to Budapest meant we had a six hour delay in Breclav.
Had a very interesting hotel lol.

 

[Denali]

Ive decided Im OK with paying my own hotel and just getting the hell out of the airport than wait for arrangements to be made, shuttles, long line at hotel check in ect. I'll carry the cost just to move on. Would rather be sitting in my hotel and on the phone for an hour+ than standing in a queue with a sore back.

And, like many, I often have connecting on different bookings, I usually have a plan B & C for just in case. Knowledge beforehand takes the sting out of the anxiety of missed departures and bookings/reservations.

 

[Himeno]

Unexpected delay here now.
Just checked in at TPE, expecting to go through to MEL and CBR, only to be told I had more then 24 hours in SIN.

Seems something happened somewhere and my SIN-MEL got booked for tomorrow night instead of tonight, and no D availability tonight to get it fixed.

 

[Ausbt]

Took showers at the QP then boarded.

Which of course if fine for you with your QP access and, I would suspect, quite a few departures so the trip was not one you had waited 12 months for. Fine for me as well, in the VA lounge or bumped to the very next flight while SG, PS & NBs wait, wait and wait some more. While part of me groans a bit as well hearing of someone's 'ruined' holiday waiting it out in the airport terminal or forced to purchase another night's accom, the fact is that for a lot of people it is a massive inconvenience, costs them holiday leave they may not have and they don't get the niceties (or priority support) you and I get. Not an attack, would you be fine sans shower and waiting in the terminal for 5 hours?

Actually a colleague of mine was on Jet* MEL-SYD Thursday night. He ended up in NTL and caught a very late night bus. My first thought was "you are flying Jet*?".

 

[amaroo]

Ive decided Im OK with paying my own hotel and just getting the hell out of the airport than wait for arrangements to be made, shuttles, long line at hotel check in ect. I'll carry the cost just to move on. Would rather be sitting in my hotel and on the phone for an hour+ than standing in a queue with a sore back.

And, like many, I often have connecting on different bookings, I usually have a plan B & C for just in case. Knowledge beforehand takes the sting out of the anxiety of missed departures and bookings/reservations.

Agreed. Been diverted a few times where they’ve organised a bus for the 1.5 hour drive back to the original destination.... luckily the rental car booths were still open.

 

[AIRwin]

Just checked in at TPE, expecting to go through to MEL and CBR, only to be told I had more then 24 hours in SIN.

Welcome to Hogsmeade Village!
It's magic: Changi Airport turns into Harry Potter site

 

[Ausbt]

Yep if you are going to be stuck anywhere without lounge access, please please please make it Changi. I mean if you are stuck there long enough you could fit the city tour in as well.

 

[Pushka]

Mmmm depends on the situation. We were at Adelaide International airport for a 10.30pm departure to Doha on Qatar in May then on to Venice. A delay would have been fine. Except for Adelaide’s curfew. The flight had landed hours earlier from Doha - around 4 pm so it’s nice to think the plane is already there. Nup. At 11pm flight was cancelled. I had pre booked transport in Venice which is a little complex, then the usual hotels etc. So at 11pm at night immigration had to reopen, collect luggage and work out arrangements on how to get to Venice. Didn’t sleep much that night. 24 hours later we were back at Adelaide airport.

I can’t imagine how the many families with young babies got on. There were also maybe 10 people in wheelchairs. Trying to get them to a bed somewhere around midnight with lack of access cabs would have been a nightmare. We were lucky, we were WP and in J so were looked after but it still cost us cancellation fees overseas of around $600. Two lost days. Hotel in Venice threatened to cancel our four night stay as a No Show even though we emailed them immediately the flight was cancelled. Not a great way to start a 40th wedding anniversary trip.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Which of course if fine for you with your QP access ...

Exactly. Easier to say 'go with the flow' when you have a comfortable lounge to sit in. For most pax a four hour delay means around 7 hours all up in the airport departure halls before even boarding the aircraft. Even with vouchers for food and drink that's not ever really going to be enough to pass the time.

 

[Renato1]

The annoying part is when the delay is only hours or nearly a whole day - which often pretty much means having to hang around killing time.

We were fortunate enough to be caught up in a BA catering strike in London back 2005, where the delay wound up being four days before we could leave. I just emailed my boss that we were stuck, and we went off happily touring London for the remaining time.

Same thing last year with the volcano in Bali, which added an additional 5 days of delay.

Though it was handy that both times our luxury 5 Star accomodation was paid for by someone else.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Pushka]

A couple of week s ago Mrs Albatross710 & I took an R&R trip with Qantas from BNE to DPS via MEL. Our outbound flight out of MEL departed >4 hours late bound for DPS

The next day we were thinking about all of the horror posts and news articles that go viral about some person's flight being delayed and how it ruined their holiday.

First up QF did a good job letting us know well before the scheduled departure that there was a major delay.

Then we just settled in and read our books, magazines, wandered around and were generally content. Took showers at the QP then boarded.

Lesson for us was be prepared for delays, have something to do and most of all don't let a small thing like a travel delay ruin your day.

Alby

I’m probably not going to share your exuberance with all the people who now aren’t able to get here for sons wedding reception today.

 

[dajop]

I’m probably not going to share your exuberance with all the people who now aren’t able to get here for sons wedding reception today.

The heading is "Don't let a delay ruin your holiday", not "don't let a delay ruin a life event" !!

Those of us in the know, if it's a event you simply cannot miss, do try and get there 24 hrs + in advance. if we possibly can. But I guess many people aren't quite that knowledgeable about all the things that can affect airline travel.

 

[Pushka]

The heading is "Don't let a delay ruin your holiday", not "don't let a delay ruin a life event" !!

Those of us in the know, if it's a event you simply cannot miss, do try and get there 24 hrs + in advance. if we possibly can. But I guess many people aren't quite that knowledgeable about all the things that can affect airline travel.

Ah yeah. Their flights were booked for yesterday. They got cancelled. So they allowed well in excess of 24 hours as the venue is out of the city. One couple even trained it to Newcastle then flew to Brisbane last night to catch 9.30 flight to Adelaide. That got cancelled. Then was rebooked for 1pm. That just got cancelled. This guy is WP and travels a lot. The rest were cancelled yesterday and could not get flights for today as none available.

And yes I am very cranky