Made any travel mistakes lately?

[Highway23]

Not so much a mistake I made lately, more one that I’m about to find out how much of a mistake it might have been.

Looking for Qantas CR flights to visit family in Europe and that would be premium cabin all the way, but found three J class with EK ex HKG. Checked QF connections from SYD, looked all good, so I went ahead and booked the EK flights… without booking the repositioning flights at the same time.

So in the next few days will be rolling the dice on “I know they’re not on the same booking, but is it possible to be checked all the way through, pretty please?”

We have about 6 hours buffer in HKG anyway, so fingers crossed…

 

[RealtimeY]

I'm not sure if you're aware, but the QF interline rules do lean in your favour for QF-EK transfers https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnec...ge/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html

In any case, HKG has proper transit services and is not a bad place for an unprotected transfer.

 

[MARTINE]

A short list of what I experienced for $800+ night (commenced in member chit chat thread.)

1- Pay for access to L35 club/no specific check in processes or information about room on arrival then…
2- Wait over 1 hour for luggage, ring to reception ‘it is coming’, go to my personal concierge L35 (PC) who rings down and told ‘we delivered 10 mins ago’. Go back to room — still no luggage then…
3-Go to reception and speak w duty manager. He investigates and finds its still in storage (??) - now sent up. He offers x2 drink vouchers (have all the drinks I want on L35) and late checkout (have already) . I say not good enough - food credit in order.$100 given
4- that night at turn down, I said the chocolate only please. 15 minutes later someone arrives with x2 blocks of chocolate (?) I enquire next day with PC. Yes it was charged to minibar but will be removed (still charged)
5- Next day ask about newspapers. Downstairs concierge advised you can walk two blocks to newsagent or use my Sofitel Internet access to pressreader. No info given about code etc for this. Try for ages so back to PC on L35. He enquires and rings me back an hour later - its not working then…
6 - Decide to use the food credit as my PC allowed me to use on L35 as an ‘in dining’ experience. Really appreciated this. Great - three times they took our order, forgot one dish and had to be done as 2nd order. Then..
7-On day of checkout (midday extended from 11am) room card deactivated at 11 so have to go downstairs with luggage to get a new card as cannot go to L35 to check out or get back into the room. Then…
8- Then there was an extra twenty something dollars on top of the food order ie that chocolate and dish that did not arrive with inroom dining order. PC ( who was absolutely outstanding ) said I would not have to pay given all the issues. Great and appreciated. Nothing to pay then…
9- hours later no receipt so I email. Its sent and all paid for nothing outstanding. Great and then…
10- the following day I get an email that an extra charge has been made (the additional $20+ ) no explanation - just charge and then…
11- I sent an email last Sunday asking please remove the charge and I want to discuss the issues during my stay with senior manager and then…….

I have heard nothing since (but I have given a very honest critique on ‘How did we do?” Questionnaire).

Staff individually were great and my PC was so apologetic (constantly) and attempted to make good. The issues however are systemic

Rant over

… and of course the points never landed and have had to send followup on the (very unhelpful) ALL website

 

[cove]

Went to select Mrscove’s seat to fly LAX -NRT-SIN after selecting mine. Oops all taken in the class we booked.
After two phone calls all I got was suggest you check in early.
So I have gone auto check in at 48 hours prior to the flight with SQ to get her one of the three seats remaining that are Xed out at the moment.
Miserable wife would mean miserable life is what I am thinking.

 

[Flyinfish]

After years of travelling I made the ultimate mistake... I mistook my flight departure time and missed my Rome to Singapore flight with Singapore Airlines The flight time was listed as 12pm, I thought midnight. I think 1200 might have been clearer, I always get 12am/pm mixed up. Contacted SA who offered me same flight in 2 days time for $1500! Luckily was able to book Gulf Air for $770 next day. Found the SA flight in my searches advertised for <$1000. Bad experience all round with SA. Didn't honour my reserved seats, won't refund reservation fee, arrogant and unhelpful customer service... I'm guessing they're on commission, because they seem keen to extract every last dollar. I can't believe I paid a premium to fly with them. Never again!

 

[k_sheep]

Mr k_sheep had his QF end of status year end April. Had 655 SC so requalified for gold easily. Done.

He first flew yesterday and we saw he'd downgraded to silver. Scrolled through, saw 5 JQ and QF flights so got on the blower.

Turns out 2 of the QF flights were reward flights, and he doesn't have points club. DOH!

Offered 80,000 to reinstate. Politely declined - thought that was a totally unreasonable sum.

 

[tassie6]

Yep we have the IDPs but they wouldn’t accept it without the actual licence (nor looked at my partners at all)

Some news! The restaurant got back in contact and it is there! So… waiting to hear back if they are kind enough to post it to our next destination (including a few bonus euros of course) Wasting a day going back for it doesn’t sound like fun (but is possible)

Well it took another two weeks but finally reunited!

Restaurant very kindly sent it on to where I thought it would have plenty of time to arrive… but it didn’t make it in time

(Shoutout to La Sifflotte in Paris for a great meal and sending on without accepting any payment)

Luckily we were staying at a friends and they were arriving 3 days after we left. If it was there when they arrived and they sent it the next day, it had two days to catch us in our last French destination. I left a two day prepaid envelope there ready to go and it made it to us on the last possible chance!

Will get to use it on the second car rental in the Dolomites as this one is nearly done, and my partner has become much more comfortable behind the wheel so has been good.

The no show on the original booking through Autoeurope ended up being a $150 fee from them and Europcar didn’t levy anything extra.

 

[JohnK]

Monitor flights, see they're going up for Christmas, bite tongue and wait, stress when they've quickly gone beyond expensive, borrow money to book and then a few days later find that the datea/flights booked are basically useless.

Why does life continue to throw these curve balls? It's not like I can afford to lose $2500-$3000. Oh well.

 

[albatross710]

Well I never imagined I would be posting in this thread.

Booked flights to Thailand 6 months in advance to explore the Thai-Burma railway.
Travelled to Thailand on schedule.

Overland to HellFire pass only to discover that the Hellfire Pass Interpretive centre was closed !! for maintenance and renovation for most of May 2024.

No visit to the centre, no visit to Hellfire pass, no walk along the extended route.

This will cost me a future complete new booking and journey. Small price to pay.

I did get to spend time in Kanchanaburi, visit the cemetery of course and ride the rail line from Nam Tok to Kanchanaburi.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Well I never imagined I would be posting in this thread.

Booked flights to Thailand 6 months in advance to explore the Thai-Burma railway.
Travelled to Thailand on schedule.

Overland to HellFire pass only to discover that the Hellfire Pass Interpretive centre was closed !! for maintenance and renovation for most of May 2024.

No visit to the centre, no visit to Hellfire pass, no walk along the extended route.

This will cost me a future complete new booking and journey. Small price to pay.

I did get to spend time in Kanchanaburi, visit the cemetery of course and ride the rail line from Nam Tok to Kanchanaburi.

What a pity @albatross710

In 1975, I visited and walked over the bridge on the River Kwai when there was no commerative centre.
It was an eerie but very moving moment.
Certainly now on my list of places to revisit.

 

[drron]

I did the same in 1975. It was one of those moments when visiting the cemetery. I had an uncle who died on the Burma railway. Walked into the cemetery walked straight to a grave near the back and it was his.

 

[mrsterryn]

Husband checking his flights from Perth to Sydney (coming in from London ) changes his seat because he said the seat he had picked was wrong, only to realise within minutes he was wrong. Of course someone else just have had a seat alert up and the seat is now gone .