Made any travel mistakes lately?

[amaroo]

Cancelled a very high SC (330) value (old style) JASA. For NYE to CHC.
That's going to haunt me.

I went a little silly with F/J MASA thing .... not sure we'll squeeze them all in.

 

[boomy]

I went a little silly with F/J MASA thing .... not sure we'll squeeze them all in.

I think I also booked too many USDM, LM, FASA flights. Don't believe I will be able to squeeze them all with my busy domestic schedule.
Now to decide which one to cancel...

 

[QF WP]

I'll fly them for you - got any Dom JASA's

 

[JessicaTam]

I'll fly them for you - got any Dom JASA's

And I can do the Int ones.

 

[Julesmac]

A family member is planning a trip to Europe later this year. Looking at hotel/accom websites. Having been burnt myself a couple of times (bedbugs in the NY hotel, Hideous one in Nice we christened the Hotel Syphillis instead of Sybillis, another in Edinburgh with carpet held together with gaffer tape - the last two booked out of the Qantas booklet no less). What do AFF'ers look at to investigate accommodation - keeping in mind budget's tight. Is Trip Advisor any good or is it rigged? I also wondered about Air BnB. Help would be appreciated.

 

[ellen10]

Julesmac, I use a combination of looking at Booking.com reviews and Trip Advisor reviews.
I write reviews on Trip Advisor, you just need to to read many of them to get a good feel for the comments and be wary of lots of first posts reviews.
I have booked all our overseas accommodation for our os trips for the last 8 years and have always been happy with my choices.
We have stayed in a mix of hotels, B&Bs and apartments.

 

[pagingjoan]

What cities, Julesmac?
And an approximate daily budget might help others to give appropriate suggestions?

I use a variety of sites, for hotels, apartments and occasionally B&Bs.
Always check as many references and reviews as possible before booking.

It's very much a personal choice, though, and depends on priorities and preferences, so the more information you can provide, the more relevant and tailored the suggestions can be.

Best of luck. The choice of accommodation can make a world of difference to the travel adventure.

 

[Julesmac]

What cities, Julesmac?
And an approximate daily budget might help others to give appropriate suggestions?

I use a variety of sites, for hotels, apartments and occasionally B&Bs.
Always check as many references and reviews as possible before booking.

It's very much a personal choice, though, and depends on priorities and preferences, so the more information you can provide, the more relevant and tailored the suggestions can be.

Best of luck. The choice of accommodation can make a world of difference to the travel adventure.

I'm not sure they've worked out a daily budget have just told me they are trying to be very economical; I've suggested apartment rental for Paris & London since I've done that and it's great value. I'm not sure of their itinerary - 'Europe & UK' is what I was told! I guess I was wondering about staying in hotels & more particularly a chain hotel, where you would likely get a fairly consistent standard whereever you were. Anyway thanks for the tips

 

[straitman]

I/we have made two major stuff ups on our present trip and both involved (LPB) El Alto Arpt La Paz, BO.

LPB ​is the highest International airport in the world and where the airfield elevation (13325ft) is greater than the runway length (13123 ft). :shock: Light aircraft often need to climb to be able to land.

We booked our tickets in early July for flights in mid/late December (SCL-IQQ-LPB-VVI). It was only on the night before flying that i realised the 'agent' had actually sold us 2 separate unrelated tickets on the one itinerary. :shock::evil: SCL-LPB was no issues as it was with LAN and our OW status helped sort out bags without issue but when I went to checkin on the LBB-VVI leg (with Amaszonas) that I realised what had happened. Suddenly a big problem that we now have roughly twice the baggage of our allowance. :shock::shock::shock: Not much to be done but see what happens.

From here it gets better/worse or funnier depending upon perspective. With an airfield at such high elevation we initially had 3 of the 6 with altitude sickness so effectively useless. So whilst Cameron, Brody and I were carted off to the doctor to get oxygen the girls had to get all the bags find Amaszonas, communicate with them and checkin and street excess baggage. Fortunately Karen had someone meet her (Coco) who spoke pretty good English as well as their native Spanish.

With Coco's help Sue, Karen and Sienna (4 yrs) managed to explain the situation and get a pretty good deal $US54 on excess baggage. Now we don't have enough $US remaining so I had to work out an ATM in Bolivia in Spanish to get $US. Anyway eventually all fixed and we went off for coffee with Coco and family until our flight.

To the gate at 1900 for a 1930 flight (as directed) and they are in a panic looking for us as everyone else had boarded. Hurry hurry which is impossible when you can't walk a straight line and Cameron needed a wheel chair by this stage. So as we scurried across the tarmac to the aircraft Sue started to fall apart. Sue was carrying the extra carryons that we couldn't and the lack of oxygen caught up with her.

As soon as the pressurisation kicked in we came good again but it was a fun few hours.

 

[straitman]

On arrival at Santa Cruz (VVI) it didn't take long for part 2 of the stuffup(s) to become evident.

One small carryon size bag had not been collected from the carousal at LPB and had not been rechecked to VVI.

Karen with her Mamma went and spoke to LAN who said it was too late and to contact them tomorrow. Mamma rang next morning and again the following day but we have no information. I have contacted LAN via their social media team on FB who 'are concerned about our situation and have notified their luggage area'. -- and -- We have provided the contact data to our luggage team, so you will be contacted shortly'.

Nothing heard so I plan to go to the airport today if possible and do a face to face and at the very least get a 'File reference' for tracking purposes.

 

[pagingjoan]

Oh dear! You ARE having adventures, aren't you!
Commiserations - and fingers crossed for a good outcome on the lost bag.
Sienna seems to be doing well, at least.

 

[ellen10]

I/we have made two major stuff ups on our present trip and both involved (LPB) El Alto Arpt La Paz, BO.

As soon as the pressurisation kicked in we came good again but it was a fun few hours.

Wow, that is a trip to remember.
I hope your further travels experiences are less eventful.

 

[QF WP]

Straitman, you really need to harden up

Seriously, that's a lesson for us all. Check everything, plus make contingency planning a part of travel plans.

Hope the altitude sickness is gone. Sounds like a trip you all won't forget

Kisses and hugs to all (maybe no kisses to you and Cameron)

 

[straitman]

Straitman, you really need to harden up

Seriously, that's a lesson for us all. Check everything, plus make contingency planning a part of travel plans.

Hope the altitude sickness is gone. Sounds like a trip you all won't forget

Kisses and hugs to all (maybe no kisses to you and Cameron)

Maybe things are getting better. I have a note from the LAN Social Media team asking for an address so they could notify their baggage area where to send the luggage. They did not actually say they had found it but I'm hopeful.

Lindsay, altitude sickness leaves as soon as you get oxygen so no worries with that one.

I also have to say I really thought we had it all covered BUT Murphy's rules applied.

 

[legroom]

Currently in Paris on NYE and will be in London tomorrow so I thought I would look up my Eurostar booking made some time ago to be ready for ticket collection.

To my utter disgust, the booking was for 1st November 2014 (instead of 1st Jan 2015) !!!!

Eurostar +1

Legroom -1

I must have been multi-tasking at that moment thinking that 11 (Nov) would do for 1 (Jan).

 

[Cynicor]

Currently in Paris on NYE and will be in London tomorrow so I thought I would look up my Eurostar booking made some time ago to be ready for ticket collection.

To my utter disgust, the booking was for 1st November 2014 (instead of 1st Jan 2015) !!!!

Eurostar +1

Legroom -1

I must have been multi-tasking at that moment thinking that 11 (Nov) would do for 1 (Jan).

I think it's quite easy to do that (not sure why, however). When it happened to me (on bookings for my parents), their email support were excellent, and rescheduled it for free when I explained what had happened. I can't remember if we found it before or after the accidental date.

 

[legroom]

I think it's quite easy to do that (not sure why, however). When it happened to me (on bookings for my parents), their email support were excellent, and rescheduled it for free when I explained what had happened. I can't remember if we found it before or after the accidental date.

The tickets were 'non refundable' and the erroneous date was a full two months ago so I just copped it on the chin marking it down to 'experience'.

You'd always think it won't happen to you etc... but it always catches up with you somehow.

 

[Nizar]

Currently in Paris on NYE and will be in London tomorrow so I thought I would look up my Eurostar booking made some time ago to be ready for ticket collection.

To my utter disgust, the booking was for 1st November 2014 (instead of 1st Jan 2015) !!!!

Eurostar +1

Legroom -1

I must have been multi-tasking at that moment thinking that 11 (Nov) would do for 1 (Jan).

Damn, that is unlucky !

 

[straitman]

Maybe things are getting better. I have a note from the LAN Social Media team asking for an address so they could notify their baggage area where to send the luggage. They did not actually say they had found it but I'm hopeful.

Lindsay, altitude sickness leaves as soon as you get oxygen so no worries with that one.

I also have to say I really thought we had it all covered BUT Murphy's rules applied.

Good news.

LAN has the missing bag but when I will get it is in the lap of the Gods. Their wording is 'we inform you that the send will be made from the day of January 05' What this actually means nobody knows! i.e. before January 05 or after January 05???

WE fly VVI-LIM-MIA at 1610 on January 05 so we may only get to wave to it in passing. :shock:

 

[QF WP]

So are they sending to VVI ? Would they send to MIA to make sure you'll get it (obviously no benefit to send to LIM as you'll be in transit).