Hi Voyage Forum members,

My wife and I took American Airlines flight no. 63 on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 9:30 AM, with a scheduled arrival in Miami at 1:30 PM local time.

After about half an hour of flight, a young passenger had a medical emergency. They were given care, and a flight attendant went to get an oxygen bottle. Then, an announcement over the loudspeakers informed passengers that the plane was diverting to London.

Once at London Heathrow (LHR), we were waiting to depart again. But a new announcement asked us to disembark because the plane wouldn’t be able to take off until the next day. (American responded to my follow-up, saying they’re required to limit their staff’s working hours to a certain number per day.)

A crowd of travelers gathered at the American Airlines counter, where they were told to follow instructions to get to a hotel. Meanwhile, I called the airline’s customer service to find a replacement flight that same day, since I couldn’t afford to leave the next day. If I had, I would’ve lost my hotel and car rental reservations due to late cancellation, which would’ve cost me a significant amount.

After discussing in English with customer service and the counter staff (who I handed my phone to), we managed to get two seats on British Airways flight BA 0209, which was leaving about 2 hours later.

That’s how, after a stressful wait unsure if we’d get our luggage back, and once we did, we hurried—heavily loaded—to reach the far-off terminal for our new boarding on foot and by train shuttle.

We finally took off for Miami and landed around 7:30 PM, which was 6 hours later than the originally scheduled arrival time of American Airlines flight 63.

On top of the stress, there were the costs of meals in the meantime, and I had to notify the hotel and car rental company about our delay.

As a result, I requested compensation for a flight delay of at least 3 hours (and I’ve involved my insurance’s legal protection to pursue this claim). American Airlines argued that exceptional circumstances prevented them from compensating me.

What do you think? Is my request unreasonable?

Hi there,

Lately, when I check Skyscanner (sorted by price low to high 😛), I don’t see Gulf airlines at the top of the list anymore. Instead, Air India dominates (I flew with them a few years ago, and my experience was pretty mixed). After that, there’s Royal Jordanian… and the first Gulf Air, Etihad, and others only show up at 7XX € or more (with endless layovers). What’s going on with these airlines? Did they change their target market? I really like these routes for Southeast Asia trips because they give you a perfect midway break.

Hi there,

I’d like to travel to Japan with my son. I read that it’s cheaper to fly via Hong Kong to reach other Asian countries. I tried it, and it’s indeed much cheaper, with better flight times on Cathay Pacific, which is a great airline. In short, it’s better—even though I think if I miss a flight, I’d lose everything.

I’d like to know if it’s easy to get around Hong Kong Airport? Do you have to go through customs again in these cases? Do you need to pay for some kind of transit visa?

If the layover is long, is it easy to head into the city for a quick visit?

Thanks for your feedback!

Hi there, I’d like to know if it’s possible to catch a 9:00 AM flight to Lombok with Air Asia after landing in Kuala Lumpur at 6:10 AM from Paris with Malaysia Airlines (we don’t have checked baggage, but our tickets are separate, so we’ll need to go through immigration). Same question for the return: arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 9:20 PM from Lombok and departing for Paris at 11:40 PM. I’ve read that the two airlines are in different terminals at the airport. The other option is to take flights with a 7- to 8-hour layover. What do you think is better? Thanks!

Hi there, We're leaving next month from Marseille to New York with a layover at London Heathrow. We have a one-hour layover—I was wondering if that’s enough time for the connection. We arrive at Terminal 3 and depart from Terminal 3. Thanks for your replies!

Hi everyone,

So glad to see this forum still so active!

Quick question for those who’ve recently traveled to Australia: I found a Singapore Airlines flight from Marseille/Frankfurt/Singapore/Sydney for 1425 € round-trip (from 11/10 to 12/8).

Do you think that’s a good price??

I checked directly on the Singapore Airlines website, but the price is way higher than on the comparison site.

Thanks for your input!

Hi there,

This afternoon I had a flight at 5:10 PM to Amsterdam from Nice (final destination: Berlin). I arrived at the airport a little before 3:00 PM and saw that the flight was now leaving at 6:30 PM. I went to the counter to point out that I wouldn’t have time to make my connection, and they told me I’d be spending the night in Amsterdam.

When the agent checked her computer, she saw that I’d been put on a flight with another airline and asked if I hadn’t received an email.

In the end, I had to change terminals and leave at 7:05 PM with Swiss Airlines, then Air Baltic.

Just to clarify, I checked in less than 24 hours ago for both KLM flights (Nice-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Berlin) where I had seats assigned. I checked my emails carefully, and I was never notified!

Luckily, the Swiss Airlines flight left later—otherwise, at 3:00 PM, I wouldn’t have had time to check in (I have a checked bag), and I don’t know how I would’ve proven I never got an email. Also, thankfully, I went to the counter much earlier than planned for the 6:30 PM departure.

In the end, I was lucky because with KLM, I would’ve lost a whole day. And it’s a good thing I always travel for at least two full weeks because I’ve often lost a day due to delays—I wouldn’t do that for a week or a weekend getaway...

This is the first time this has happened to me, but there’s a first time for everything!

Hi, I’m planning a trip to Australia—Paris to Melbourne. I’m flying with Etihad and have a 1-hour connection in Abu Dhabi. Does that seem doable to you? Thanks for your feedback and experiences!

CUSCO-LA PAZ FLIGHT Hi, I’d like to fly from Cusco to LA PAZ (to save time… so I don’t want to deal with a canceled flight). Any feedback on Avianca? (It’s the only direct flight I’ve found.) Thanks

Hi there,

Hi, I just bought a flight ticket on eDreams. My account was debited, but I haven’t received the tickets. I checked my spam folder, but no luck. Could you provide me with a contact number or a link to their site so I can file a complaint? Alternatively, if anyone has a solution, I’d be interested in getting a refund. I contacted my bank, but since the amount has already been debited, what can they do? Thanks in advance!

Hi there!

In August, I’m planning a flight with a layover between Las Vegas and Pointe-à-Pitre. Departure from Las Vegas at 11:50 PM – Arrival in Miami at 7:50 AM Layover from 7:50 AM to 9:55 AM Departure from Miami at 9:55 AM, arrival in PTP at 1:10 PM

I’m a bit stressed about the 2h05 layover. What do you think? Is that enough time?

Thanks for your replies! Marc

Hi, it's my first time taking a plane and I chose EasyJet for a Geneva -> Barcelona flight. I booked my ticket. I received my booking reference by email, but I don’t see the actual ticket (barcode or QR code?). Then I checked in to get the boarding pass with the flight details, QR code, etc. But does this boarding pass act as the ticket? Because I’ve seen several times online that the flight ticket and the boarding pass aren’t the same thing.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, I'm heading to Namibia next May. I'm planning to take a first flight from Paris to Johannesburg with Air France, departing at 11:20 PM and arriving at 11:05 AM in Johannesburg. Then a second flight from Johannesburg to Windhoek at 3:25 PM with South African Airways. Four hours between the two flights seems enough to catch my connection, but a friend told me I should maybe take the 5:30 PM flight instead because I need to go through immigration, collect my luggage, and check in again. Apparently, I have to do this because I bought the two tickets separately (it's actually much cheaper). What do you think? Also, in terms of South African airlines, which one do you think is the most reliable between South African Airways and Airlink? Thanks for your advice!!

Hi there, I traveled in June 2025 with Nouvelair Destinations to Hammamet. I had one checked bag and one carry-on sized 40x24x30, which I usually take on low-cost flights, and I didn’t have any issues. But I just read on a website that Nouvel Air only accepts carry-ons of 40x20x15. I’m flying back to Djerba in June—what do you think? Especially since that size is impossible to find??????? Thanks

Hi, We’re planning to go to Bohol from El Nido (Airswift flight from El Nido to Cebu, then ferry to Bohol). I can’t find any info about the checked baggage price for the flight. The airfare to Cebu includes a 7 kg carry-on. Does anyone know about checked luggage? Thanks in advance

I’m planning to take Air France from Paris to Trujillo with my 2 bikes in boxes. I have a layover in Lima and a change to LATAM Airlines for Trujillo. On the way back, it’s Santa Cruz in Bolivia via Lima (LATAM Airlines) and then Air France to Paris. During the layovers in Lima, do I need to collect my luggage and the bike boxes and re-check them for the second flight? It’s really hard to get through to Air France for this kind of question.

Hi, I have a flight from San Diego to Newark with a layover at Washington IAD (Dulles). In Washington, do I need to collect my luggage or will it be transferred automatically?

Hi, What’s the cost for a 20 kg checked bag on the Airswift flight from El Nido to Manila? Thanks in advance! Michel

Hi, I’m reaching out to the community because I can’t find the answer to my question. I’d like to book a flight from Barcelona to Singapore, then from Singapore to Bali with Singapore Airlines. When transferring from Singapore to Bali, does the airline handle the baggage transfer between the two flights? Or do we have to collect our luggage, go through security again, check in, etc.?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Hi, We arrive at Rome airport from Lyon Sunday morning at 9:30 AM and have a layover until 11:45 AM for our flight to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). We need to collect our luggage at T1 to head to T3. Will we have enough time? Thanks for your feedback.

Hi there, I usually bring along a can or two of vegetables, sugar, tea, coffee, and even jam to start off my stay. Does anyone know if this is allowed when arriving in South Africa? I know that milk—even powdered—is banned, but I haven’t found answers about the other items. Thanks for your help.

Hi there,

I’m heading to the United States for the first time, flying from Paris to Austin with a layover in Atlanta. I arrive at 8:55 PM and leave again at 10:30 PM. Air France told me I don’t need to collect my checked bags, but I keep reading that I *do* have to pick them up after immigration and customs—and that doing all that in 1 hour 30 minutes is basically impossible. I’m traveling with my son, and our English isn’t great. It’s making me a little anxious because the flight I need to catch is the last one of the day, and if I miss it, I’ll have to wait until the next morning.

Do you think this is doable?

Thanks so much

The couple involved refused to pay the extra fee demanded by the flight coordination company. Things quickly escalated. It got so bad that the man ended up physically fighting with an airport agent, even rolling on the ground.

https://www.nicematin.com/faits-divers/il-refuse-de-payer-un-supplement-bagages-le-litige-se-termine-en-bagarre-a-l-aeroport-de-nice-999711

If you can’t afford to pay for your luggage, don’t travel 😡. What’s next? Are they gonna hit the tour guide in Mykonos because the price of the tour went up without warning 🤪?

A heads-up to all EasyJet travelers: baggage checks are more strict than ever!

Hi, I’m traveling to New Zealand in January 2026 with Lufthansa. To check the allowed baggage dimensions, I went to my "booking" account on the Lufthansa website. And that’s when I discovered that my last layover, the Zurich-Bordeaux flight operated by Swiffairlines, was canceled. I never received an email, and even worse, it’s not even noted on my booking. So I contacted Lufthansa. They told me that for now, there are no other flights but that there will be by the time I leave. They advised me to call them every week to get a flight. What do you think of their response? Has this ever happened to you? Emilie

Hello,

The end of an era at Southwest—starting May 28, 2025, they’re no longer offering two free checked bags.

Southwest Ends Free Checked Bags Policy | AirlineGeeks.com

Les dernières dispositions de l'UE pour les voyages en avion.

https://www.midilibre.fr/2026/06/17/bagages-cabine-reclamations-simplifiees-voyage-en-famille-voici-ce-qui-pourrait-bientot-changer-lors-de-vos-prochains-vols-13424186.php

Hi there, I’ve got a long layover (about 10 hours) in Seoul on an upcoming trip. I arrive from Phnom Penh at 7:20 AM and depart for Montreal at 6:00 PM.

First question: Will my checked baggage be transferred automatically? I have a single ticket from KTI to YUL (Air Canada ticket—KTI-ICN operated by Asiana (codeshare) and ICN-YUL by Air Canada).

Second question: I saw it’s possible to join free guided tours (Airport Transit Tour). What do you think of this kind of service? And is my "actual" layover time (accounting for security checks, check-in, etc.) enough to do one of these tours?

Thanks in advance to everyone who chimes in on this!

Hi there

I completely forgot the transit procedure at Doha Airport and I’m a bit worried because I only have 1h30 to change planes, since my first flight was rescheduled. My flights: Barcelona/Doha: arrival at 6:15 AM Doha/Bangkok: departure at 7:50 AM

We only have carry-on luggage. Will they be checked again? Do we have to go through security again? Are the connections smooth and well signposted? Finally, is it common in this situation to ask a flight attendant for help?

Thanks! 🙂

Hi everyone!

I have a question about organizing my entry into India.

I have a flight from Paris to Delhi, then Delhi to Leh. Both flights are part of the same booking with Air India, so they handle baggage transfer. I have a 20-hour layover in Delhi and I’d like to leave the airport to sleep at a hotel. Is that possible?

Also, for the e-visa, Leh airport isn’t available as an entry point. I was planning to list Delhi as my entry point and go through immigration there. But since I’ve been to India before, I remember that re-entering the airport can be tricky... Plus, I’ll be "leaving" my luggage behind during that time. I’m not sure if that’s okay.

Does this seem doable to you?

I’ve been to India twice before, but I’ve never been in this situation!

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Laura