Made any travel mistakes lately?

[Deleted member 29185]

Usually not an issue but because it’s a booking made with points it can’t be changed. Had to cancel it and make a new one ‍

Can we assume you got the points back when cancelling the booking?

 

[ICUDr]

Can we assume you got the points back when cancelling the booking?

I did. According to the IHG website you have until 6pm of the hotel’s local time to cancel the booking and get your points back.

 

[Cossie]

Just made a booking on the Iberia website and I spelt my first name wrong, added an 'f', realised, went back and fixed it and proceeded to do the rest. For some reason the edit didn't take! I didn't realise until I got the confirmation email. Panic mode, no Iberia contact in Australia, had trouple getting a connection for the number in Spai, found a direct number through T.A., called that and got it fixed, blood pressure has now returned to normal!

Flying from Madrid to Nice and I hope to drive some of the famous Monte Carlo rally roads, like Col du Turini.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Sure did - BIG mistake - burnt UA pts for CA J MEL-PVG instead of SQ F or J - burning the pts not the mistake as was at old UA rates - just the whole cough CA J exp - several pegs below the top tier carriers both for hard and soft product - won’t make that mistake again!

 

[Denali]

Booked a number of AirBnBs and forgot to go via QF. I seem to have a blind spot to that little perk.

Thanks for the reminder! Will be making some bookings soon.


Wanted to buy a couple thousand HIlton points to top up a balance a little bit. Not much, just a couple of thousand points.

Accidentally bought 75,000 points (plus 75,000 bonus). $750USD.

Ive been saying for over a year I need glasses - could have got them with the $1KAUD I just spent. Havent even told my husband what I did.

 

[andye]

Thinking I was doing the best thing by taking the Heathrow Express from T2 this morning.
Its a reasonable walk to the platforms. Ended up waiting 25 minutes for train to come. No seat despite first-class ticket (presumably fills up from T4 and T5). Hassle not worth the 200 Avios earned though the actual jouney to Paddington is quick

 

[JohnK]

Leaving flight bookings until the last night of the sale and having a nosy 20 month old around and then trying to get them to sleep. I only managed 3 out of 4 bookings before midnight and airfares had hone up for the last booking after midnight.

Then I realised I had booked the same date as an existing booking. Luckily it was a JQ booking on Starter Plus and the only change was $30 fare difference. I could have waited until another JQ sale but don't want to make another mistake.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Just prior to boarding, I thought I'd nip into the "little boys room". Had to blow my nose so chose a cubicle for the dunny paper and then whilst standing there having a tinkle, wondered to myself why they had a ladies sanitary bin in the gents ....

It then dawned on me that I hadn't noticed any urinals on the way in either!

 

[Denali]

Just prior to boarding, I thought I'd nip into the "little boys room". Had to blow my nose so chose a cubicle for the dunny paper and then whilst standing there having a tinkle, wondered to myself why they had a ladies sanitary bin in the gents ....

It then dawned on me that I hadn't noticed any urinals on the way in either!

If it was Adelaide, my husband may have seen you go in and its OK, you use whatever toilet you identify with

 

[turtlemichael]

I was looking for QFF award flights in J to SFO between Christmas and New Year in order to hook up with a cruise we have booked sailing from San Francisco. I started seriously searching when redemptions opened from mid-December. I was aware that it would not be easy given the time of year. Up popped a redemption on CX via HKG for December 23 to JFK. Why not have a few days in NYC then fly back to SFO to meet up with friends there on December 28 I thought to myself? So I grabbed it.

Slowly the penny dropped. This is a 29 hour plus journey and I am beginning to hate long flights without stopovers. The final flight is to arrive at JFK at 2230 on the 23rd. That would effectively make at least the 24th a write off with jet lag and tiredness and the 25th is Christmas Day. In reality we would have the 26th and 27th to do the 50 things I'd thought about doing in NYC! Further, if the weather was like this year we would at least have a fraught time getting out of NYC comfortably to SFO.

Of course, by the time I'd come to my senses nothing else was available. So we have booked paid seats to SFO for late December. The outcome is that I feel a lot more comfortable with that but am considerably cash poorer (and points richer) than I wanted to be. Act in haste, repent in leisure.

 

[Hvr]

Just prior to boarding, I thought I'd nip into the "little boys room".

I made this mistake in the CX lounge at TPE AP many years ago. The look on the woman's face when she walked in on me was pure horror. As I felt when I realised I was in the wrong loo.

 

[Cossie]

Well maybe there is a god after all or at least something seems to be looking after me.........

I've had some good luck on this trip, this morning I had a double whammy, I thought the bus to the airport was leaving the hotel at 10:30, I was having breakfast and at 08:50 and I realised I must have got that wrong as it 50 minutes to the airport and I would have only just made the check in time. So i figured it must be 09:30. Minor panic, race up to the room, chuck everything into bags and get downstairs, bus actually going at 09:45, so I made it quite comfortably.

Then...... on arrival at the airport we all get off and wander over to the various check in points. I'm asked for my passport. Where is my passport? I had a new waist belt for valuables , I had taken this off and of course I left it on the bus. Major panic this time, fortunately some of the tour group hadn't checked in, they phoned Per the tour leader for me as they had his number in their phones, I'd been trying to ring his home number in Sweden!

Anyway I'm a very lucky person, to say the least.

The driver didn't speak much english, so had he called his office and they called Per. Luckily for me he had driven from departures to arrivals as he was waiting for another group, race down there and he had it, still plenty of time to check in.

Everything is replaceable, well nearly, but certainly passports are, even if it is a major pain in the bum. I had my wallet with everything else in my short's zip pocket as usual, so all wouldn't have been lost, but it would have been very traumatic to say the least.

Time for another lottery ticket! and perhaps a couple of stiff drinks.............

I'm beginning to think that I won't be allowed to travel anywhere by myself anymore!

 

[drron]

Yesterday dropping off my Avis rental I left my computer bag in the trunk/boot.Realised when back at the hotel.So shuttle back to SFO and airtrain to rental parkade.Straight to Preferred desk who said you have to check at the rental returns but they have probably sent it off to lost and found by now.
Off to the returns.Lovely woman drops everything and rings manager.He was on his way to clear the lost items.A minute later I am reunited.Nothing missing.Found by Dexter-obviously a very honest employee.

So now to this morning.Wait for ANA checkin to open.I take the cases and mrsdrron brings the carryons.Checked in and she says wher's your bag.Fortunately still where she left it.Her excuse-I was reading the OTT thread!

 

[Pushka]

Yesterday dropping off my Avis rental I left my computer bag in the trunk/boot.Realised when back at the hotel.So shuttle back to SFO and airtrain to rental parkade.Straight to Preferred desk who said you have to check at the rental returns but they have probably sent it off to lost and found by now.
Off to the returns.Lovely woman drops everything and rings manager.He was on his way to clear the lost items.A minute later I am reunited.Nothing missing.Found by Dexter-obviously a very honest employee.

So now to this morning.Wait for ANA checkin to open.I take the cases and mrsdrron brings the carryons.Checked in and she says wher's your bag.Fortunately still where she left it.Her excuse-I was reading the OTT thread!

Some stomach churning moments there.

We really need an OMG button don’t we.

 

[Pushka]

Well maybe there is a god after all or at least something seems to be looking after me.........

I've had some good luck on this trip, this morning I had a double whammy, I thought the bus to the airport was leaving the hotel at 10:30, I was having breakfast and at 08:50 and I realised I must have got that wrong as it 50 minutes to the airport and I would have only just made the check in time. So i figured it must be 09:30. Minor panic, race up to the room, chuck everything into bags and get downstairs, bus actually going at 09:45, so I made it quite comfortably.

Then...... on arrival at the airport we all get off and wander over to the various check in points. I'm asked for my passport. Where is my passport? I had a new waist belt for valuables , I had taken this off and of course I left it on the bus. Major panic this time, fortunately some of the tour group hadn't checked in, they phoned Per the tour leader for me as they had his number in their phones, I'd been trying to ring his home number in Sweden!

Anyway I'm a very lucky person, to say the least.

The driver didn't speak much english, so had he called his office and they called Per. Luckily for me he had driven from departures to arrivals as he was waiting for another group, race down there and he had it, still plenty of time to check in.

Everything is replaceable, well nearly, but certainly passports are, even if it is a major pain in the bum. I had my wallet with everything else in my short's zip pocket as usual, so all wouldn't have been lost, but it would have been very traumatic to say the least.

Time for another lottery ticket! and perhaps a couple of stiff drinks.............

I'm beginning to think that I won't be allowed to travel anywhere by myself anymore!


Also posted in the off topic forum.......

The thing is, we only confess such things here. It’s like Confessional. ‘Others’ never need know .

 

[serfty]

The thing is, we only confess such things here. It’s like Confessional. ‘Others’ never need know .

Moreover, there is the faint hope that some can learn from other's mistakes ...

 

[Denali]

..... Where is my passport? I had a new waist belt for valuables , I had taken this off and of course I left it on the bus. .....

Yesterday dropping off my Avis rental I left my computer bag in the trunk/boot......

So now to this morning....she says where's your bag.Fortunately still where she left it.Her excuse-I was reading the OTT thread!

Are we becoming complacent? Last month hubby forgot his laptop bag at home and I forgot my ipod (no music on my phone).

Nothing to raise the blood pressure (unlike a lost passport), but do frequent travellers start getting a bit lazy/less aware after a while?

 

[Pushka]

Moreover, the is the faint hope that some can learn from other's mistakes ...

And just do a quick double check of our own similar bookings

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Are we becoming complacent?

Maybe not so much complacent, but preoccupied. For non FFers, the only preoccupation is ensuring nothing will dampen the experience so usually check upon check of the ticked boxes are carried out. For a FFer, habit and procedure often is second nature and other things take the fore.

For me the other day, I was so tied up in a meeting, I lost track of time and had two business partners who are two very unFFers that needed to fly home. I probably left enough time in a perfect world, but then the airport shuttle was late meaning we arrived at POM Dom check in counter right at the 30 min prior to departure mark. The one and only check in guy was busy with a group of 5 people and when he served us he said, sorry the flight has been closed off. I appealed to his better nature (as I'd previously checked for other flights ... no spare seats for 3 days). He went away for 10 minutes and returned and allowed the check in to continue. It made me realise that I had made the error of allowing the meeting to roll on too long (but with great results). Complacency, yes maybe, but I think I was just preoccupied to a point that could have been very costly.

Right now I'm packing. I never pack the day before, but my all important man bag was emptied to allow a brilliant modification (if I don't say so myself). I'm taking more time to ensure it all goes back in. Everything in its place, as one thing worse than preoccupation is disruption to an often rehearsed procedure.

 

[Ausbt]

I've had a bit of a run lately. Booked 5 nights in Paris at what I thought was AUD$1K. Bzzzt, that's the wrong answer. USD . No cancellation options. I'll put that down to unfamiliarity with the booking site used. Arrived MEL and was walking toward Europcar when a sixth sense said to me "pull out the confirmation email". No email and no car. Credit to Egencia's helpline number (based in UK BTW), they ordered me a car within minutes, although from Hertz and I think I'm over Hertz and their queues. At Europcar as Privilige Elite I don't queue or do paperwork at all.

And then when returning the car, I got befuddled by MELs changed rental car returns lanes. I drove into the old lanes (which are now only for Park Royal) and basically came around to the Hertz office and thought, "where can I go?". I just parked it right outside the office. Rep comes out and new already why and what I'd done, many others apparently are similarly befuddled.