Made any travel mistakes lately?

[fly2earth]

Whereas if you walked up with a QF Gold bag tag, they'd have not even noticed..

the VA gold bag tags doesnt look that great to be honest looks like a bag tag you would wear on a school field trip

 

[Happy Dude]

Whereas if you walked up with a QF Gold bag tag, they'd have not even noticed..

....but still give the evil stare anyway.

 

[fly2earth]

....but still give the evil stare anyway.

Walks up with booking using OneWorld Sapphire FF number issued by Qatar and trying to use the Qantas F lounge

 

[drron]

I hope I haven't but just booked 2 rewards flights on JAL using QF points.

 

[ausfox]

When we visit each time Singapore we like to checkout all the recent MRT additions. One line crosses the centre of the island so we were going to do a bit of sightseeing. Blunder, totally underground.

 

[fly2earth]

When we visit each time Singapore we like to checkout all the recent MRT additions. One line crosses the centre of the island so we were going to do a bit of sightseeing. Blunder, totally underground.

I stumbled upon the Woodland (red) line and it was a gem (didn't know there were countryside in singapore).Was thinking it was new but actually turned out it was old. The only new route I can think of is the orange circle line but it just connects existing stations from different lines. And the brown Thomson line but seems very low key.

Fun fact all singapore Housing Building Complexes looks the same (aka nothing to see here). Travel around Singapore for one day and you'll feel youve seen all the HBC's since they all look the same

 

[fly2earth]

Having platinum status with a low cost carrier that is not Qantas and finding that I have practically no use for it except for same day fly ahead flights and can't use the four free vouchers to upgrade to J without first buying flex fare which is more expensive than outright flying J (since I am fed up with the Cole-slaw in the business class and the lounges) whereas I already have Skyteam Elite+ and Star Alliance gold. then spending time at the QF Gold lounge making ham toasties and lemon bitters (nothing much really but sure beats non-stop Coleslaw and never changing spaghetti alternative at the low cost carrier). Oh it does give me Hilton Diamond but I never stay at a Hilton since it's overpriced and overrated anyways rather be staying at Pullman, or even Marriott chains as a lowly gold even though they don't upgrade me for cough and I still end up with a better room

 

[tassie6]

I don’t like it, but sometimes an unprotected booking is a necessary evil

The plan this morning, JQ700 up from HBA at 0800 to MEL, day use airport hotel for little fellas nap before rewards PE booking on SQ208 this evening to SIN, then on to CDG. 8 hours planned in MEL with the JQ departure having a great on time record, I accepted the odds and had what I thought was plenty of time.

But…an absolute shemozzle in Hobart this morning due to Fog that just. would. not. clear, until after midday, that is quite rare. People in the city messaging me blue skies, but at HBA you couldn’t see the trees across the runway for hour after hour. Only the first flights of the day got away, as they had been there for the night.

Our bird coming in left two hours late waiting for the weather, held for an hour then diverted to LST, I was hoping for a quick sip and take off to get back down my way as one plane managed to sneak in and land shortly after the diversion. But then the next three had at least one go each and all went to LST. One JQ flight from Brisbane was 5hrs in the air when they landed at LST.

Well, how do I get out of this mess? Drive to Launceston and get another flight from there? Too late at this point . Our bird kept saying it was going to leave launnie and never did. The better half went out to the desk, they called launnie and said the plane is going to leave soon without any passengers as they are getting bussed to Hobart? Seems rather silly if it’s going to fly there anyway.

I just couldn’t trust this was going to happen as it had been on the ground at LST for maybe 2 hours and at this point weather was 100% ok. We managed to get them to give our bags back (actually great service from JQ on this, they retagged our bags out the back and dealt with Rex in a handover) and when the daily Rex flight was in the air from MEL I booked us three seats on that (for only about $140 a head last minute).

So we made it to SQ check in with only an hour to spare, instead of 8…

The original JQ flight did end up only thirty minutes behind us in the end, but I was more than happy with my choice when the wheels went up in Hobart.

Quite a stressful start to a Holiday, exacerbated by being stuck in HBA from 0630 to 1400, with no flights leaving and people everywhere, just trying to get out of there. Plans for a well rested toddler out the window..

Not a small mercy though, as I type this from SQ208, the little fella crashed at takeoff and hasn’t made a peep since. Singapore sling or two to decompress are underway..

 

[RooFlyer]

But…an absolute shemozzle in Hobart this morning due to Fog that just. would. not. clear, until after midday, that is quite rare. People in the city messaging me blue skies, but at HBA you couldn’t see the trees across the runway for hour after hour.

Haven't heard of one that bad for a long time. Many years ago, my mum & dad got caught like you did ex HBA - connecting through to a flight to London. Wait, wait, wait due to fog. Mum thought dad was going to have a heart attack. They eventually got away and just caught their connection.

Sounds like you are rightly cautious about same day domestic ---> international connections. My mum & dad's experience makes sure I never plan to do same day international connections during autumn/winter out of Hobart, but I probably would have taken the connection you chose!

 

[I love to travel]

Haven't heard of one that bad for a long time. Many years ago, my mum & dad got caught like you did ex HBA - connecting through to a flight to London. Wait, wait, wait due to fog. Mum thought dad was going to have a heart attack. They eventually got away and just caught their connection.

Sounds like you are rightly cautious about same day domestic ---> international connections. My mum & dad's experience makes sure I never plan to do same day international connections during autumn/winter out of Hobart, but I probably would have taken the connection you chose!

I am now so paranoid I go the day before.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am now so paranoid I go the day before.

Yep, me too. And not the last flight of the prior day either, if there is no comfortable option the next morning. My policy usually is that there needs to be two following domestic flights that I could still make the international.

Drives my Travel Agent batty.

 

[kookaburra75]

I am now so paranoid I go the day before.

Same here for MrsK and me. After a few close calls when we had virtually the whole day to get from Canberra to Sydney or Melbourne, we head out the day before. It makes for a leisurely start to our holiday, and sets the right mood. Being in a panic, running for flights, just doesn't cut it

 

[Flyfrequently]

Anytime from May - August the fog can play havoc with travel arrangements on the eastern seaboard.
June 2005 had my brother and family land in HBA from BNE missing Mum's funeral in Melbourne.
Made it in time for the wake!

 

[tassie6]

Sounds like you are rightly cautious about same day domestic ---> international connections. My mum & dad's experience makes sure I never plan to do same day international connections during autumn/winter out of Hobart, but I probably would have taken the connection you chose!

It’s a tough one, because the flight out of MEL wasn’t until 1825, it’s a long day to kill in Melbourne if you arrive the afternoon before (with a little one), and was rewards seat so could only take that timeslot which limited choices. But yep always the preference is the night before

Now the dust has settled, in the same situation what would I do next time? Taking the first flight out would generally remove the (rare) fog risk, but again a long day to kill on the other end and a very early rise. I think that would be the option I am most likely to take (or even better, bookings on the same ticket )

The joys of not living at a main hub! The time it takes you and I to connect via MEL/SYD, we could be at the next destination already! (No way am I moving though ha)

 

[Justinf]

Arrived at Auckland airport about 4.30pm after a liquid lunch for a 1630 departure to Sydney, believing that it was a 6.30pm departure. So, back to the bar and flew the next day.

This is a good mistake.

 

[andye]

Book hotel exec lounge access room and end up arriving after the freebies

 

[FishFood]

I booked a Qantas Hotel stay with a $50 voucher, with the booking being refundable. I decided to change to another accommodation so booked a non-refundable rate.

When I came back to my Qantas Hotels booking, I only then discovered that while the cash component was refundable the Qantas voucher would disappear into thin air.

Since it isn't real money, I'll just assign it to the stupid tax but I sure wish I'd known that before I booked a non-refundable rate elsewhere.

 

[SYD]

I booked a Qantas Hotel stay with a $50 voucher, with the booking being refundable. I decided to change to another accommodation so booked a non-refundable rate.

When I came back to my Qantas Hotels booking, I only then discovered that while the cash component was refundable the Qantas voucher would disappear into thin air.

Since it isn't real money, I'll just assign it to the stupid tax but I sure wish I'd known that before I booked a non-refundable rate elsewhere.

You might be lucky and get some points turn up in lieu.

For future reference others have reported that if you call, you can rebook and reuse the $50 value.

 

[zig]

Yep, me too. And not the last flight of the prior day either, if there is no comfortable option the next morning. My policy usually is that there needs to be two following domestic flights that I could still make the international.

Drives my Travel Agent batty.

Me three. I just don't need the stress, and make sure I go the day before, and also not on the last flight of the day.

 

[ellen10]

I was even stressed leaving a day earlier on a paid ticket to Singapore. Then picking up rewards flights to Europe and beyond.
For weeks before, I would daily check the flight to make sure it never got canceled, delayed was ok but canceled not!