Made any travel mistakes lately?

[cirqueboy]

At JFK two weeks ago, I forgot to adjust the time zone on my phone from BOG (+ 1 hour). Happily sitting in the lounge with +1 thinking we have an hour until boarding, we have another drink. About 30 mins later on the way back from the bathroom, I check the screens only to find out flight left 5 mins ago! Panic stricken I head to the service desk, and yes the flight left 5 mins ago - last flight of the night to YUL!

The AAngel booked us into the first flight the next day, tracked our luggage, which had been offloaded and booked it on the same flight as us. The AAngel also booked us a room at the Sheraton and arranged transport for us too!

Thankfully a potential horror story turned out just fine with an impromptu night at the Sheraton!

 

[Knid]

Flew into MEL on 31 Dec & out on 2 Jan at 6am - or so I though - arrived at the check-in counter at 4.15 ish and was not impressed when the agent couldn't find the booking.

Turns out I was booked for 2 Dec - 11 months later & the flight was full. QF were good enough to convert the D fare to a Y fare and oversell the flight, allowing me a quick breakfast in the FLounge before heading on my way albeit in 14A instead of 1F.

Still feel slightly guilty for whoever found themselves checking in after me & to find no seats available.

Knid

 

[flychrisfly]

Heading to Mumbai (BOM) for work in 2001 I rocked up to the airport around 11:00 for a 12:30 departure in J. Bit surprised to see no other customers checking in for business class but there weren't many international Qantas flights at that time of day. The check in agent asked where I was heading and I told her and she casually mentions that she thinks that flight had closed. Instant panic! Not too fussed about being late for work but a colleague/friend was arriving via Manila and needed moral support.
Turns out I was looking at times after daylight savings ended when the schedules shift. The agent was brilliant - she printed an express customs form, she grabbed one bag and I grabbed the other and we ran through immigration and all the way to the gate. I was fourth last on board but missed out buying an electric shaver duty free but picked one up in Singapore, so all good!

 

[Poisson]

Still feel slightly guilty for whoever found themselves checking in after me & to find no seats available.
Knid

I should think so. Some poor bugger's had his day ruined because you couldn't get your booking right. I have no problem at all with all the perks high status flyers get, but I think the line should be drawn at bumping passengers because some WP can't read a calendar.

 

[JohnK]

Still feel slightly guilty for whoever found themselves checking in after me & to find no seats available.

I am hoping by oversell no one would have been denied boarding and someone else would have received an op-up.

If by oversell you mean that you took/accepted someone else's seat and they would miss out on the flight then that is extremely poor from both parties involved....

 

[middlerowed]

1) In younger days thinking the departure time was the boarding time and sheepishly being the last person on board a packed flight. Yep, had the names announced in the terminal and the death stares walking down the aisle where karma had positioned my seat down the back. Nice.
2) Again in younger days sitting in the wrong seat on another busy flight. An old lady came shuffling down the aisle, looking confused at my seat, suggested it was hers and I smugly said "no, this is my seat - I'm in blah-blah" and told her to look at the seat numbers stamped near the air nozzles etc. Time froze as I looked up myself and realised I was the dumbest guy on the plane. Made worse by the fact it was a window seat - two blokes next to me had to get up and shuffle out, along with the two blokes comfortably seated in my actual row. I'm *that* guy.
3) I will squirt you when opening those milk sachet/pots. I just can't open them. Some people can't roll their tongues or click their fingers. I don't do airplane milk pots.

 

[Mardi]

1)3) I will squirt you when opening those milk sachet/pots. I just can't open them. Some people can't roll their tongues or click their fingers. I don't do airplane milk pots.

At the cricket a few years ago husband tried squirting sauce on his pie with one of those sachets that bend in half to squirt. But instead of the pie he hit the back of the guy in front - who was wearing a nice white business shirt.

My silly travel mistake is pretty boring - in 2004 I flew to SYD on a Saturday with husband when he was going on to the USA to a world tenpin bowling championship. I stayed with my mother overnight and rocked up to the airport for my award flight back to CBR. Which I'd booked for the following Sunday. Back then there wasn't OLCI so being younger and prettier, I opened my eyes wide and played the silly little girly and asked the man checking me in to get me on the flight I thought I'd booked. Which he did at no extra cost, which was nice of him

 

[straitman]

I should think so. Some poor bugger's had his day ruined because you couldn't get your booking right. I have no problem at all with all the perks high status flyers get, but I think the line should be drawn at bumping passengers because some WP can't read a calendar.

Whilst I understand your thoughts I also think you are being a little harsh without knowing the outcome or the processes the airline had in place to cover the situation.

You (and I) have no idea how this played out and what contingencies were in place to IF they overbook really happened. The airlines spent a lot of effort to ensure that seats are not wasted. I have been in the situation where people had to be offloaded and they got more than enough volunteers. We got an upgrade the day after but would have happily have stayed anyway.

 

[medhead]

I should think so. Some poor bugger's had his day ruined because you couldn't get your booking right. I have no problem at all with all the perks high status flyers get, but I think the line should be drawn at bumping passengers because some WP can't read a calendar.

WTF? Are you forgetting that Platinum can have a guaranteed seat on any flight, as a published benefit? (Provided they want to pay full Y prices)

 

[Poisson]

You're right Bill - there could have been any number of outcomes, and we don't know. I guess I was responding to the attitude of the poster concerned who seemed quite happy to take the seat and was vaguely guilty that somebody else missed out on his flight. I frankly find that kind of attitude quite repulsive. Likewise I find the WTF attitude of Medhead disgusting. This is not a matter of "published benefits", entitlement or even legalities. It's a matter of ethics, common decency and concern for one's fellow man, which seems sadly lacking.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Missing a Red Eye, PER-BNE on VA. Got mixed up with the dates. Had to go 1 day later.

 

[Rox]

Made one this am, too raw to talk about yet unless I can post under a pseudonym!
Still small in the scheme of things and we are making champagne take the pain away while waiting for the next much more expensive flight 2 hours later

 

[Major]

Yesterday we checked in for a MH flight from BKK-KUL and then KUL-LGK on a separate booking. The check in clerk linked the 2 bookings and checked our bags to LGK.
Sitting up near the boarding gate reading the paper when the same clerk comes up and says "excuse me Mr Major but my boss says your booking to KUL was for 18th March and now you must pay extra "
"But I must have had a valid booking because you gave us boarding passes" says I whilst digging up the E ticket....whoops, E Ticket shows flight departing 18th March....Er how much extra ?....THB500 each....OK (offers CC)....No, must be cash....I don't have enough THB.....You will have to change money, I will come with you...OK (Sheepishly slinks off to find airport money changer)

I remember looking at different flights and different airlines over several days and when I decided on this booking I must have forgotten to change the departure date, so the system picked up the booking date.

At least we were able to travel but I will pay more attention to detail next time

 

[RooFlyer]

You're right Bill - there could have been any number of outcomes, and we don't know. I guess I was responding to the attitude of the poster concerned who seemed quite happy to take the seat and was vaguely guilty that somebody else missed out on his flight. I frankly find that kind of attitude quite repulsive. Likewise I find the WTF attitude of Medhead disgusting. This is not a matter of "published benefits", entitlement or even legalities. It's a matter of ethics, common decency and concern for one's fellow man, which seems sadly lacking.

Sorry? A guaranteed Y seat always has the implicit possible consequence of some-one getting bumped. Doesn't matter if you book a week before or an hour before - if the plane is already full, some-one will be bumped.

It appears that you are saying Qantas is promoting unethical / not-decent practices by giving the guarantee. If so, consider if you wish to belong to a scheme where these practices exist.

 

[Inver]

"But I must have had a valid booking because you gave us boarding passes" says I whilst digging up the E ticket....whoops, E Ticket shows flight departing 18th March....Er how much extra ?....THB500 each....OK (offers CC)....No, must be cash....I don't have enough THB.....You will have to change money, I will come with you...OK (Sheepishly slinks off to find airport money changer)

Major I think that was a very cheap lesson

My girlfriend at the time had misread the departure time as being the arrival time on a Cebu Pacific flight so we arrived too late to get on the flight and had to pay for a whole new flight thankfully only domestic so it cost us around $200 for the mistake.
I use tripit now thanks for the advice on this board and double check times & dates myself.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Thought i would kill a few hours before my flight from LAX. Took the rental car to Hollywood. Ended up getting a parking ticket for, wait for it, 'wheels straight.' To this day i still do not know what i was booked for. An expensive side trip from LAX!

 

[AIRwin]

Thought i would kill a few hours before my flight from LAX. Took the rental car to Hollywood. Ended up getting a parking ticket for, wait for it, 'wheels straight.' To this day i still do not know what i was booked for. An expensive side trip from LAX!

Were you parking on a slope/hill?

 

[Poisson]

Sorry? A guaranteed Y seat always has the implicit possible consequence of some-one getting bumped. Doesn't matter if you book a week before or an hour before - if the plane is already full, some-one will be bumped.

No - the implicit and ethical assumption is that if somebody pays good money for a ticket and turns up at the airport on time he will be given a seat on the aircraft. Legal niceties and fine print do not detract from this.

It appears that you are saying Qantas is promoting unethical / not-decent practices by giving the guarantee.

Yes, that's what I'm saying. I'm also saying that platinum wankers who happily accept that their careless mistake will result in some poor bugger having his day (maybe his whole trip) ruined are unethical.

If so, consider if you wish to belong to a scheme where these practices exist.

Perhaps so. I for one would never accept that situation if I were ever to rise to the exalted heights of platinum wankerdom. On the other hand, I find that participating in this forum often leaves me with a feeling of frustration and extreme sadness at the selfish and arrogant attitude of a few members here. I don't think we have a lot in common - I'm outa here.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Were you parking on a slope/hill?

Yes, but not signposted that i could see. I just googled the violation number. What a ridiculous rule.

 

[BadgerBoi]

I don't think we have a lot in common - I'm outa here.

I hope you reconsider, I for one have enjoyed your posts here.