Middle East Airspace Diversions/Cancellations

[Seat0B]

Update on on the Seat Family travels:

Seat Daughter
I have now booked QF flights CBR-SYD-JNB-CPT return for Seat Daughter, her wife and Seat Granddaughter. It cost $10,700 for 2 adults and a 5 year old in Y. This is about $5,000 more than they were paying for the VA (QR) flights via DOH, and is $1,200 more than when I first looked at QF 3 days ago (there were no sale or saver fares left for the outbound trip, so had to get a fully flex fare over but got saver on the way back). We did look at a bunch of other options, but in the end, this was the best for them for a bunch of reasons too long and boring to mention here. If we decide to cancel the QF flights, it's $250 per person. I am very certain now that VA (QR) flights they booked for 21 March won't operate. We have paid for them as they didn't have a spare $11k sitting around, and have told them we will accept whatever they get back from VA as payment. It's not their fault this happened, or that her brother (well DIL actually) picked an expensive destination wedding, and they have a stonking mortgage and rising interest rates.....

Seat Son
They have now booked on EK direct DXB-JNB departing on Wednesday 11 March after EY defintively cancelled their flight for Friday 13 March. This EK flight has operated successfully already this week, so we all have fingers and toes crossed that it will run for them. Plan B remains on Ethiopian Air out of MCT via ADD to JNB on Sunday 15 March. This gets them to the first of several pre-wedding activities with family and friends booked for 16 March - just!! These can be cancelled for USD150 per prson if Plan B is not needed.

So in summary, I have learnt a lot about networks, specific routes, fare classes, refund policies, risk management and the value of having an exceptionall high credit card limit . My stress levels are going down as I now feel that it's quite likely we will all be at the wedding after all.

What a week to giveup sniffing glue (Flying High reference).

 

[RooFlyer]

I think you'll need to define "safe".

Currently it means Taxi, takeoff roll, rotate, “hard a starboard, Captain, then starboard again - there be pirates, arrrrr”

 

[Quickstatus]

What a week to giveup sniffing glue

Petrol is getting expensive as well....

A good CC is essential. Had to get 2xJ 2 days prior to flight when MrsQS broke her leg in JPN when the travel insurer was reactive and not proactive.

 

[justinbrett]

I think the best we’re gonna get here is what was stated by an ‘aviation expert’ on the news last night which is … ‘acceptable risk’.

People can only decide for themselves whether they fly out now, or wait.

Acceptable risk corridors doesn’t quite have the same ring…

 

[kookaburra75]

Update on on the Seat Family travels:

Seat Daughter
I have now booked QF flights CBR-SYD-JNB-CPT return for Seat Daughter, her wife and Seat Granddaughter. It cost $10,700 for 2 adults and a 5 year old in Y. This is about $5,000 more than they were paying for the VA (QR) flights via DOH, and is $1,200 more than when I first looked at QF 3 days ago (there were no sale or saver fares left for the outbound trip, so had to get a fully flex fare over but got saver on the way back). We did look at a bunch of other options, but in the end, this was the best for them for a bunch of reasons too long and boring to mention here. If we decide to cancel the QF flights, it's $250 per person. I am very certain now that VA (QR) flights they booked for 21 March won't operate. We have paid for them as they didn't have a spare $11k sitting around, and have told them we will accept whatever they get back from VA as payment. It's not their fault this happened, or that her brother (well DIL actually) picked an expensive destination wedding, and they have a stonking mortgage and rising interest rates.....

Seat Son
They have now booked on EK direct DXB-JNB departing on Wednesday 11 March after EY defintively cancelled their flight for Friday 13 March. This EK flight has operated successfully already this week, so we all have fingers and toes crossed that it will run for them. Plan B remains on Ethiopian Air out of MCT via ADD to JNB on Sunday 15 March. This gets them to the first of several pre-wedding activities with family and friends booked for 16 March - just!! These can be cancelled for USD150 per prson if Plan B is not needed.

So in summary, I have learnt a lot about networks, specific routes, fare classes, refund policies, risk management and the value of having an exceptionall high credit card limit . My stress levels are going down as I now feel that it's quite likely we will all be at the wedding after all.

What a week to giveup sniffing glue (Flying High reference).

I think we can officially categorise this as a "Wedding of the Century". Just keep an eye on some of the lesser details, like packing your and MrSeat0a's outfits Wishing you and your family all the best for what I am sure will be a wonderful family event, and a source of stories for generations to come.

 

[Harrison_133]

Operations temporarily suspended at DXB...again

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030184598869778694

 

[LionKing]

Attention passengers!
Due to imminent threat and missles near DXB, all Emirates services have now been suspended until further notice.


Clearly situation remains volatile.

 

[IrishPete]

Hard to believe anything on ABC these days.

It's the most reliable and trusted media outlet in Australia, so that position levels you with no-one to believe.

I'm currently in the UK and the BBC has been very disappointing (on the topic of this thread) in its broadcasting of unchallenged opinion from obviously biased and untrustworthy sources.

 

[LionKing]

It's the most reliable and trusted media outlet in Australia, so that position levels you with no-one to believe.

I'm currently in the UK and the BBC has been very disappointing (on the topic of this thread) in its broadcasting of unchallenged opinion from obviously biased and untrustworthy sources.

Perhaps should try Al Jazeera instead?

 

[IrishPete]

Love his use of "less than one a day" - you mean zero? I don't think airlines even offered AU to Europe via USA/Canada as a regular one-way or return on the same booking, unless it was a round-the-world or maybe constructed via a multi-city booking, where I'm sure the prices probably never made it worth the hassle, until now.

No, less than one a day means it's an average of between zero and one per day. Even if the average is less than 0.5 it would be deceptive to round it down and say "zero", as it would imply they never receive any such bookings.

Of course for many of us, transiting through the USA simply isn't feasible.

 

[kookaburra75]

Perhaps should try Al Jazeera instead?

I have been reading Al Jazeera's reporting, along with a wide range of other media sources. Collectively I can work out an overall picture of what is, and isn't happening. All media outlets have a slant towards their existing or intended audiences. You just have to decide whether you fit into those or not. But at the end of the day, there's a lot of bad things happening out of the control of us all. I just wish for all those caught up in it, I hope it works out ok.

 

[Quickstatus]

I understand that Iran is going to stop sending missiles/drones over to their neighbours (unless attacked from there) according to the interim Iran President

 

[prozac]

I have been reading Al Jazeera's reporting, along with a wide range of other media sources. Collectively I can work out an overall picture of what is, and isn't happening. All media outlets have a slant towards their existing or intended audiences. You just have to decide whether you fit into those or not. But at the end of the day, there's a lot of bad things happening out of the control of us all. I just wish for all those caught up in it, I hope it works out ok.

You might as well get all your news of facebook or Fantail wrappers. Recently Al Jazerra admitted paying foreign news services to publish untrue news regarding tghe middle east.

 

[justinbrett]

It's the most reliable and trusted media outlet in Australia, so that position levels you with no-one to believe.

I'm currently in the UK and the BBC has been very disappointing (on the topic of this thread) in its broadcasting of unchallenged opinion from obviously biased and untrustworthy sources.

I’m surprised the ABC article by Laura Tingle hasn’t been amended as her claim about fighter escorts has been widely debunked. She said it as a matter of fact with no qualification or sources mentioned. Surely that falls below their editorial standard?

 

[LondonAussie]

I understand that Iran is going to stop sending missiles/drones over to their neighbours (unless attacked from there) according to the interim Iran President

This is what BBC has just reported

 

[Quickstatus]

This is what BBC has just reported

I prefer to avoid BBC.
The link above directs to the actual video by the president(though it's via X)

Surely that falls below their editorial standard?

Unless it is above their editorial standard?

 

[Andy72]

I bit the bullet and cancelled my Emerites F tickets to Milan Via the Dubai. Luckily managed to get Qantas F to LAX released and surprisingly a paid LAX Milan ticket in W for 1100 USD. More status credits at least and a visit to my favorite Mexican restaurant in LA. Arrive 12 hours later but basically slightly cost positive due to Emirates huge charges. Might be my last attempt at ME3, my fav is JAL but to be honest Qantas and Cathay are great too.

 

[IrishPete]

Perhaps should

Out of pure curiosity (and also because we got guests from Germany here in Sydney atm who are booked to go back on QR in a weeks time) - how is QR treating its passengers through all this? While they have a great product onboard, we’ve started to loathe them whenever there are delays or issues on the ground. Clueless staff in Doha (friendly but zero empowered or informed to help with anything flight related- even in the lounges), generally bad information policies and some pretty bad recent experiences in Doha airport. I cannot even fathom all this stuff now if you’re stuck in Doha- both the UAE airlines have always been much much better in this respect from my experience.

Just curious to know. Actually- the last two years we went on QR for our annual Europe trip. We had SUCH bad experiences with delays at DOH last time around, that this time we booked Cathay rather. And now I’m counting my lucky stars that we did!

I've had zero communication from Qatar Airways about the situation, apart from the occasional ephemeral notification in their app. No email or SMS contact which would be far more certain to get through to the customer. Initially the app (nor website) wouldn't even allow me to cancel my flights (booked direct with the airline), and requested I call them or use live chat, both of which had enormous wait times. The live chat only seems to be available on a computer, and the wait time started at 20 minutes, counted down to about 15 and then went back to 20, repeatedly. But the ability to cancel became available in the app after a few days, and I have cancelled and refund has been received.

My partner's flight was paid for with Velocity Points and was easier to cancel, though there's no sign of a refund of the points or cash copayment yet. As far as I know they also had no communication from either Qatar Airways or Virgin, though they often miss emails and don't check their spam folder often. I might check today that it is cancelled!

 

[kookaburra75]

You might as well get all your news of facebook or Fantail wrappers. Recently Al Jazerra admitted paying foreign news services to publish untrue news regarding tghe middle east.

I said I read them, not believed them. There are a lot of views and alternate realities out there. But, the only reality that matters is for those caught up in the middle of this mess. I hope it doesn't get any worse.

 

[SimonR32]

Why was my post deleted?