Made any travel mistakes lately?

[andye]

Is that one of those machines that has "do not toast croissants" on it?

It's quite possible the offending party didn't have her reading-glasses on...and then couldn't see for the smoke��

 

[Pushka]

We were staying in IC in Dubai in the midst of Ramadan. Hotel was deserted and we were staying in an Exec room. Having breakfast (behind screens ) in the club room. I noticed that someone's bread had broken into the toaster. I wasn't toasting and I didn't think any more of it. Then a French guest decided to toast. Within a couple of minutes smoke filled the room and set off the fire alarm throughout the hotel. The club people told us we could stay put as they knew what the source was - the club room - but the Evac notice was put in place throughout the hotel. Fire brigade rocked up but by then the cause had been passed on to management.

Toasters are such dangerous things.

 

[leadman]

Try booking Syd to Mel and you book Mel to Syd! QF were good to change it but it was lucky they sent me an e:mail to check in and I noticed it, today as im heading to the airport! Travel has been too hectic and it was my fault, not thinking clearly.......

 

[Pushka]

Just a couple of days ago. Bought an annual insurance cover when there was already one in place from 6 months ago.
In my defense I searched and searched through my emails for the policy before purchasing. As the new email came through I realized it had gone through MrP's email account as the main traveler. Of course that was noticed within an hour of purchase although I'd been searching for a couple of days.

Lucky there was a 19 day full refund in place and it was quickly sorted.

 

[JohnK]

Left my working laptop in Sydney and brought another laptop with me and I cannot install anything on it including internet access. Tried tethering phone to laptop and 135mB went in 2 minutes.

Stuck without laptop for 2 weeks as flying JQ next week and need laptop to do a few things. That will teach me.

 

[serfty]

Left my working laptop in Sydney and brought another laptop with me and I cannot install anything on it including internet access. Tried tethering phone to laptop and 135mB went in 2 minutes. ...

is the laptop brand new or used?

The high data usage would indicate a possible windows update.

 

[JohnK]

is the laptop brand new or used?

The high data usage would indicate a possible windows update.

Used laptop. Vista installed but not yet setup.

 

[cove]

You might appreciate that I am a frequent flyer points/miles junkie. Yesterday I went to Bankwest to get my $12,000 credit limit fixed / increased on my World CC. So in goes the info into their computer where they ask what credit limits I have on credit cards. Because we are about to travel I owe almost zero on them.
I hadn't finished the list when the computer choked and said "INELIGBLE".
Having been a customer for about 50 years you realise that retail banking has no idea how to assess a customers ability.
So in about 40 minutes all I achieved was an auto monthly pay and nothing else.
Meanwhile Mrscove still has a big credit limit and I walked out with dust. We have just become computer numbers and Bankwest is just a business name of CBA.

 

[cove]

Mrscove is still 7 figures ahead of me in QF points as a result of her credit limit. I thought I should close the gap by a visit to my Bank of 50 years but I left thinking I am glad I use Westpac for Kris Flyer and business banking.
I guess I am not used to being told NO.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I hadn't finished the list when the computer choked and said "INELIGBLE".

So did you head off to a T-Shirt shop to get one made that has boldly emblazoned across your chest "I CHOKED THE BANKS COMPUTER"?

'70's era lads may remember a slightly different variant ... but that's waaay off topic!

 

[cove]

We used to have a T Shirt printing business next door to us in 1979 when we started our business. Unfortunately they closed so no T shirt for me.
I had only had a bit over $300,000 of limits entered and their computer choked even though I had only about $200 that I had spent on those cards in the morning. Too bad...too sad... so I just plan to transfer funds into the card to pay real bills each month.

 

[Mattg]

I made a pretty stupid mistake this afternoon. I was flying from CBR to SYD and after landing I completely forgot that I'd checked in a suitcase. Almost got home before I realised I was missing something.

Thankfully the bag was still on the carousel an hour after I orginally left the airport!

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

I made a pretty stupid mistake this afternoon. I was flying from CBR to SYD and after landing I completely forgot that I'd checked in a suitcase. Almost got home before I realised I was missing something.
Thankfully the bag was still on the carousel an hour after I orginally left the airport!

O. M. G. !!!!! How could you forget your bag! You were only flying for 5 minutes !!!

 

[Mattg]

O. M. G. !!!!! How could you forget your bag! You were only flying for 5 minutes !!!

I know, right?!

I guess it was just force of habit - I fly that route so often and normally just have hand luggage.

 

[trooper]

This was a BIG ONE.... I had visions of arrest etc....Eeek. Hardly likely to be a problem for most folks...but anyway........

Just returned from a World Championship Pistol shoot in France. Checking in with AY at CDG with the guns....no problem at all.
Correctly tagged for the HKG transit (12 hour layover - so by HKG regs the guns had to be removed from the baggage and stored by Customs.....to be put back into the system much closer to departure of my QF flight to SYD)
Perfectly acceptable AY flight in EuroBiz to HEL then on to the very nice A350.

Met at the jetway by a HKIA employee......escorted to Customs as expected. Bag arrived as I did. Removed the 2 small pistol cases..serials checked. Paperwork issued. So far so good.

Off I go to dayroom in town...or so I thought.
Tried to drop now-lighter-suitcase off at Left Luggage. Bag X-rayed.... AND the excrement hit the rotating blades.
The(empty) pistol magazines were still in it. At this point I find out HKG treats such accessories essentially AS guns. Ooops.

Long story short. After 3 hours of increasing involvement by increasingly senior people..... escorted (by local QF handling agent and FIVE police officers) back to Customs...paperwork completed on the magazines ...and off for 3 hours (instead of 9) at the dayroom.

Yes... my fault ...absolutely. Never even thought to ask about "accessories".

Lesson? Check EVERYTHING. Assume NOTHING. Remain calm. Remain polite.

 

[marki]

The Cult of Two....this is my specialty loosing iPads that is.......Have done it many times on flights.... you think I would learn.
Just recently flight from Perth dis-embarking in Melbourne when I thought I will just check under the Newspaper before joining the queue out. Phew glad I did there was my iPad in all it's splendor. What a great save I thought....even bragged about it to the driver who picked me up!!! Then only to leave it in said taxi. Several days later without realizing it I called the driver about owing some money. Glad I did! He had my iPad and wasn't to difficult to return.

 

[romney]

So many travel mistakes, but my most recent was a couple of weeks ago in Albania. Unsurprisingly transport in Albania is rather sketchy. We wanted to get from Tirana to Shköder. It's only about 100km, so we figured it shouldn't be too hard. After much asking around and almost no decent information, it seemed like the thing to do was to get a furgon. These are basically small buses that wait at certain points. They leave when they fill up, and only cost a few dollars. We head to the furgon station, the driver says to us "Shköder?", and we jump in. About twenty minutes down the road I notice we go past the turnout to Shköder. I thought we were maybe taking a small detour to drop someone off. But then we begin to head south, not north. That was when I nudged hubby and said we're going to wrong way. After about another 45 minutes the bus stopped for a break and we were able to talk to the driver! Sure enough, we were not going to Shköder but to Vlores!

Now both hubby and I swear he said "Shköder", but the driver of course denied it. He was quick to suggest somewhere we could stay in Vlores, and that the bus to Shköder wasn't until the next day. He was not happy when we went straight back to Tirana. We lost a whole day in travel, had to forgo a night of accommodation in Shköder and pay for an extra night in Tirana, but really, if that's the worst thing that goes wrong on our trip I will be happy!

 

[JohnK]

Have been meaning to book flight for wife and daughter SYD-BNE on 25 Sep to connect to EK433 BNE-SIN. I'm on the 8:30pm flight and when I checked a few days ago there was plenty of availability.

What I didn't realise was the sort of effect finals football can have on airfares. The 8:30pm flight is now $343 (ouch!) and the 9:45pm flight is still $169 with award availability.

Slightly inconvenient but hope availability still there later tonight.

 

[Berlin]

Made what feels like a total rookie mistake just a few weeks ago: Had nicely negotiated a much needed period of annual leave with my work to take a 'little' First trip to the US, in my calculations adding what I thought is the usual 'extra day' on the way back due to the time zones. But I didn't realize that with QF8 from Dallas leaving around 10pm Texas time, it's actually +2 days for the arrival.

And worst of it all: I only understood what was happening upon touchdown in Sydney which was after 2 straight bottles of Grande Dame which made for a VERY awkward conversation with my boss

 

[blackcat20]

Made what feels like a total rookie mistake just a few weeks ago: Had nicely negotiated a much needed period of annual leave with my work to take a 'little' First trip to the US, in my calculations adding what I thought is the usual 'extra day' on the way back due to the time zones. But I didn't realize that with QF8 from Dallas leaving around 10pm Texas time, it's actually +2 days for the arrival.

And worst of it all: I only understood what was happening upon touchdown in Sydney which was after 2 straight bottles of Grande Dame which made for a VERY awkward conversation with my boss

In a similar vein, someone I know forgot to allow for the 2 days to get home and only paid for travel insurance until they day before they get home. and the TI company refuses to let them pay for an extra day...