Right now, with the war raging in Iran and affecting all the neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf, many airports are completely closed to all traffic.
Several airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, and others have almost completely halted their operations.
Whether in the Middle East or Africa, many travelers are stranded—maybe for a long time... A heartfelt thought for them and the struggles this will cause.
Four months ago, I was in Kenya with a flight booked through Qatar Airways... I can’t even imagine how I’d react if I were stuck there now. ??
Wishing all these travelers courage, patience, and success in making it back home.
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.
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!
I have a Ryanair flight scheduled for 10/14 (outbound, returning on the 16th) from Charleroi in Belgium.
A strike is confirmed, and the airport will be closed on the 14th.
But Ryanair is still saying the flight is confirmed. I get that they’re trying to make us change and pay extra fees rather than wait for the free compensation.
If I make a new booking, can I still claim a refund for the first one?
Thanks in advance for your help—this is the first time I’ve faced this situation.
I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to run a simulation on Nile Air’s website for a flight from SSH Sharm to Cairo, but it keeps crashing every time. I’ve tried several dates. I have flights with Egyptair or Air Cairo, but it seems like Nile Air’s prices are much more interesting. Does anyone know if they have daily flights or not?
Thanks, and happy holidays to everyone.
So, even before starting my explanation, I’d like to introduce myself since this is my first post on the forum :) I’m Jérôme, a huge Asia enthusiast, and I’m currently in the process of moving to Japan with my family in 2028.
Now, onto the topic :)
We’re a family of four traveling together to Seoul, with two separate bookings.
Our original itinerary was:
Madrid → Doha → Seoul (March 23–24)
The issue is that our entire outbound flight was canceled, and the airline simply rescheduled the Madrid → Doha leg.
Now we’re left with an incomplete journey, with no solution to reach our final destination (Seoul).
Since then:
- Can’t modify flights online (technical error every time)
- Can’t get help via chat or WhatsApp
- Phone support is unreachable, and the usual French number isn’t working right now
We don’t want a refund.
We just want to be rerouted to Seoul, as our original ticket promised.
We’re flexible:
- On dates (we can leave on March 21 or 22 instead of the 23rd)
- On the itinerary (different layovers if needed)
Have any of you dealt with this before?
Do you know how to unlock a booking in this case or get a rerouting? We’re considering going straight to the airport to resolve it at the Qatar Airways counter....
Hi everyone, just a quick feedback on my Saudi flight with two consecutive stopovers in Jeddah and Riyadh. This was for my outbound trip in July 2025 (return trip still to come). I booked through Lastminute without paying attention to this little detail, which caused me a lot of stress afterward. In the end, the only "difficulty" is that you absolutely need a one-year, multiple-entry e-tourist visa from visitsaudi. And it costs around 100 € at the current exchange rate per person, including children. Apart from that, luggage is checked through to the final destination from CDG, so no customs issues in Saudi Arabia and no significant impact on transit time since you don’t need to collect or recheck your hold luggage during the two stopovers in Saudi Arabia.
We had about three hours of transit between each flight. It was late, and the airports weren’t busy, so we only took about an hour each time from leaving the plane to reaching the boarding gate for the next flight—plenty of time. As a solo woman with a child, I wasn’t asked for any proof of parentage (neither a family record book nor a notarized authorization from the father, which I had taken as a precaution), and no questions were asked. No searches, nothing. I had just taken the precaution of wearing an abaya during transit to avoid any issues, but I didn’t cover my head, and I saw several Saudi women with their heads uncovered as well. Black is widely worn, but it’s not mandatory.
So, I stressed a lot, but we arrived at our destination on time with all our luggage. The only difference on board compared to other airlines is the absence of alcohol, prayer at takeoff, and the indication of flying over the *mikat*. Safe travels to all! !
Hi there, we’re looking at a flight from Montreal to Zurich, then Zurich to Brussels (final destination). There are two couples and two kids in our group, and the layover is listed as 50 minutes. I wanted to check if this is doable before booking...
I have a multi-city flight: CDG-San Francisco and return Las Vegas-CDG via LAX. The whole thing was booked on the AF website with one checked bag included per person.
I’m thinking of buying an extra checked bag for the return trip (souvenirs and outlet shopping!). Air France won’t let me add it online, saying that part of the return journey is operated by a partner (the LV-LA leg is a codeshare with Delta, while the rest is on AF) and that I can only do it at the Las Vegas airport.
When I go to the Delta website with my booking reference and simulate adding a bag, it clearly states “1st checked bag: Free” and “2nd checked bag... $490!!!!!!”. However, if I simulate the same route on Delta’s site without entering my booking, it shows $75 for the first bag and $100 for the second.
Has anyone been through this before? How did you handle it? Thanks in advance!
I’m really surprised because in TUI’s new tour packages, the airlines they’re using are of low quality. Before, they used to prioritize major airlines, but now it’s small airlines from small countries—companies with terrible ratings and borderline safety concerns. I even just noticed this note for a Tanzania trip: "We inform you that the domestic flight segment in Tanzania included in your trip is operated by an airline listed on the European Union’s list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the European Union. This ban only applies to European Union airspace, meaning this airline is not permitted to take off, land, or fly over European airspace. However, this airline is authorized to operate in Tanzania."
This means they’re using airlines on the blacklist!! It’s pretty worrying for safety. What do you all think?
Hi there.
I’m planning a trip to Chile, and the fares from the Colombian airline Avianca are really appealing.
Way cheaper than Air France, for example.
That said, the reviews I’ve seen online aren’t great.
What do you think of this airline?
Have any of you taken long-haul flights with Avianca?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Eric
Hey everyone,
We bought a ticket a month ago on Trip. It was supposed to be a flight leaving at 2:30 AM to arrive in Kuwait at 4:30 AM to catch a connecting flight with the same airline (Kuwait Airways) at 8:30 AM the same day, arriving in Paris at 12:45 PM. But Trip just informed us that KA "modified" the first flight to depart at 1:20 PM, which means we’ll miss the second leg of the journey. No alternative offered for that portion. After checking, the only solution is to take the flight the next day—so more than 17 hours of layover. We have to go back to work the next day, even though we’d planned a rest day. Trip’s only options are to cancel or accept the change!!! We asked them to propose an alternative flight, but their response was to contact the airline. We did, and their answer? Wait a bit longer for the final schedule!!! From my research, this counts as a cancellation or at least a delay of over 3 hours, so the airline is obligated to find us an alternative flight and compensate us. Has anyone had this experience with this airline or another? Any advice? Thanks in advance
Hi everyone!
It feels really strange to be back on Voyage Forum after such a long time.
A quick question for the pricing experts out here 😉
I’ve been running some simulations for a Singapore Airlines flight, and I found THE perfect one for me!
But here’s the thing: the simulation for 1 passenger is 978 €,
and for 2 passengers, it jumps to 2,208 €.
Where do those extra 252 € come from?
Yeah, I know I could book two separate reservations...
Hi,
I’m traveling with a 5th-grade class next Wednesday.
We’re flying to Brussels with Brussels Airlines.
Then, 1 hour and 15 minutes after landing, we take off again with the same airline to Prague. (We’ll all have carry-on luggage.)
We have two different flight numbers since it’s two flights, but...
in 1 hour and 15 minutes, will we have to go through security again, or since it’s the same airline, will we just switch planes? Or maybe it’s even possible it’s the same aircraft?
Thanks for your answers.
Teacher Bérengère.
Hi there,
We're planning a trip to the Philippines but would love to spend 10 to 15 days in Vietnam to see what we missed due to bad weather a few years ago. Every simulation I've tried has turned out to be way too expensive... I know that for a departure around February 2026, it might be a bit early, but if anyone has a great tip.....? Thanks in advance
We’re planning to return to China next fall. Destination: Shanghai, followed by a trip through Gansu and then Hunan.
I’ll admit that international flights are leaving me a bit puzzled—I’m wondering how far in advance I should book to get the best deals.
For most other international destinations, I usually book 6 to 9 months ahead, but for China, it’s a whole different story...
For example, when I look at flight comparisons, the best prices are around 500 € or even less for departures within the next 3 months with Chinese airlines (Air China, China Southern, etc.).
Not the most practical timing for planning a trip...
Those same tickets jump to over 1,000 € for departures around October 20th. 🏴☠️
There are also flights in October at very reasonable prices with Finnair + Juneyao Airlines. Has anyone heard of them? I’m worried that if the first flight (Finnair) is delayed, it might be impossible to get rebooked on the next Juneyao flight...
Anyway, if you have any recent experiences to share... 😇
Thanks in advance! !
Hi, I know this topic has already been discussed, but in a rush, I booked a flight ticket with my married name (on my passport it’s noted as "married name X").
I’m flying with Oman Air, but since I booked through Expedia, they refuse to change it to my maiden name. Can I still travel? I’m really panicking!
Hi,
I’m heading to China at the end of March and I’ve got the question in the title.
Chinese airlines only sell the most expensive tickets on comparison sites or their websites outside China. For the best prices, tickets need to be bought in China. Has anyone ever bought a domestic flight there through a local agency or online?
Same question for trains.
Hi everyone, we need your advice to avoid being denied boarding at Paris CDG.
We’re planning a one-month trip to China, which matches the 30-day visa on arrival, but with a return ticket from Vietnam. For example, we’d arrive in Chengdu, then travel via Lao Cai to Vietnam, and fly back to Paris CDG from Hanoi 45 days later. Do you think this could be an issue at boarding?
Second option: arrive in Chengdu (*30-day visa duration*), then fly from Kunming to Hanoi 45 days later (Vietnam visa duration), and return to Paris CDG from Hanoi. Thanks for your input!
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.
We bought round-trip tickets from Mulhouse/Basel to Maun (Botswana) in January 2023 through Option Way.
Turkish Airlines issued the entire round-trip tickets. The flight plan was:
31 August 2023: TK 926 from Basel/Mulhouse to Istanbul and TK38 from Istanbul to Johannesburg
1 September 2023: Airlink (4Z)300 from Johannesburg to Maun.
11 September 2023: Airlink (4Z)301 from Maun to Johannesburg and TK43 from Johannesburg to Istanbul
12 September 2023: TK1923 from Istanbul to Basel/Mulhouse.
On 1 September, on the outbound trip, Turkish Airlines flight TK38 from Istanbul to Johannesburg arrived 1 hour and 30 minutes late due to airport congestion. As a result, we missed our connection with Airlink flight (4Z) 300 from Johannesburg to Botswana (even though the initial layover time was sufficient for the connection). Upon arrival at Johannesburg Airport, a Turkish Airlines agent greeted us, booked us a room near the airport, and rebooked us on the same flight for the following day, 2 September.
On 2 September, after numerous difficulties checking in at the Airlink counter in Johannesburg, we finally reached our final destination with a 24-hour delay. We lost our first day of vacation in Botswana, including the activities that were planned for that day.
On 11 September, during our return trip and almost certainly due to the rescheduling of the outbound flight, the Airlink check-in counter in Maun did not recognize our tickets issued by Turkish Airlines. After many searches and phone calls, we had to buy new tickets for the Maun/Johannesburg flight 4Z301. This cost us 9,306 Botswana pula (643 €).
Upon arrival in Johannesburg, the Turkish Airlines check-in counter again had trouble identifying us for flight TK43 from Johannesburg to Istanbul.
It’s clear that the root of our check-in problems stemmed from the renumbering of our tickets when the Turkish Airlines representative rebooked us on the Airlink (4Z)300 flight for 2 September. During this process, all subsequent flight tickets must have been canceled.
Since our return, I’ve requested the following from Turkish Airlines:
· Compensation under the European Regulation EC 261/2004 of 11 February 2004 for flight delays, amounting to 600 € per passenger. We meet all the conditions: departure from a Franco/Swiss airport, arrival at the final destination more than 4 hours late, and a distance greater than 3,500 kilometers. Turkish Airlines has not provided evidence that they did everything possible to avoid this delay.
· Reimbursement for the Airlink Maun/Johannesburg tickets on 11 September, which we had to pay again to Airlink even though we had already paid for them through our agent, Option Way.
Turkish Airlines refuses compensation on the grounds that they complied with all regulations.
Turkish Airlines and Airlink are passing the buck when it comes to reimbursing the tickets we paid for twice.
For Turkish Airlines, claims can only be made through their website, and each time a different agent responds.
I’ve contacted our insurance, legal protection, the travel ombudsman... without success. Currently, the case is with a lawyer working for "Air Indemnité," but I have little hope.
Obviously, I won’t be flying with Turkish Airlines again—they seem to have a habit of not respecting schedules or customer satisfaction.
A good lesson for planning very long layovers.
Hi!
Sri Lanka has announced it could run out of fuel in the coming weeks if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. The government has implemented a mandatory four-day workweek to save oil, and there are long lines at gas stations due to fears of an early shortage.
In Vietnam, the government has warned all airlines that flights will need to be reduced due to a lack of kerosene. The country imports two-thirds of its jet fuel from China and Thailand, but both countries have now banned exports out of fear of domestic shortages.
The state is asking airlines to plan ahead and park aircraft to drastically reduce operations, starting with domestic flights and then international ones. International carriers will also need to cut back on their rotations.
This will begin in the coming days. 🙁
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?
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!
Basically, all airlines have been blacklisted because they don’t meet European safety standards. They’re banned from flying in Europe but continue operating in Tanzania.
The main issue is that travel agencies’ civil liability no longer applies to blacklisted airlines.
So we can’t allow clients to fly with these carriers.
Of course, there’s huge pressure from European agencies, which are forced to disrupt their plans or even cancel trips because of this.
Personally, I’ve got a trip planned for February 2026 to the southern parks in Tanzania, so I’ll be keeping an eye on how this develops.
Do any of you have updates?
Thanks!
Hi, I need your help because I’m stuck. I booked 6 flight tickets to Palermo on August 6th through the Lastminute site. The flight is operated by Air France, and I just realized my name is wrong. I immediately contacted Air France, who told me it’s up to Lastminute to make the change, but they say it’s Air France’s responsibility. I’m really anxious because I’m traveling with my two kids. Can you help me?
Thanks
My friend is supposed to leave on June 26th for Philadelphia. American Airlines called him last night to ask him to cancel or postpone his flight because they’re canceling around a hundred flights from Europe, mainly due to fears of retaliatory attacks after the bombings in Iran. Their offer is either to postpone with compensation (the amount would be known once he accepts) or to cancel completely with a refund and the standard compensation for flights departing from Europe. The airline gave him until 24 hours before departure to decide. Otherwise, he can still go to the airport for now with no obligation to board since he’s traveling alone—they’re prioritizing families in case of overbooking due to some flight cancellations. The same goes for the return flight. In short, it’s total chaos. We’re waiting until tonight or tomorrow to decide whether to cancel outright.
Hi there,
I’m facing a rather unusual issue with SAUDI AIRLINES.
I booked a flight to Jakarta with a layover in Jeddah for July directly on their website on February 25th, paying for our three tickets via PAYPAL.
I quickly received confirmation that my flight was booked and our e-tickets were issued.
However, after several days, I noticed we were never charged for the tickets, and I saw on our PayPal account that the payment authorization was still pending.
At first, I chalked it up to cross-border or banking delays… but since I use PayPal often and the debit from my bank account is usually almost immediate, I called PayPal. They told me that neither they nor I had anything more to do: when a transaction is paid using their solution, the payment is systematically validated by the seller before the transaction (an automated process, I imagine). However, PayPal confirmed that SAUDI hadn’t done this and that they had a month to do so, otherwise the transaction would be canceled by PAYPAL and SAUDI wouldn’t receive the funds. There must have been a technical glitch because normally, I shouldn’t have received the tickets until they had received the payment.
Given the reviews I’ve read about their customer service, I’m worried they might cancel our tickets without notice once they realize their mistake—or that they’ll ask us to pay the amount at that point (since the closer we get to the date, the higher the price goes).
So, I’ve been trying to contact them nonstop via their app (I’ve submitted about 10 tickets), I’ve called them, messaged them on Messenger and Instagram, and so far, I haven’t gotten any response. Either they don’t read my message to the end and just reply that the flight is confirmed + resend the tickets, or more recently, they tell me the issue is being handled by another department. We tried calling them again on Saturday, but no luck—the French-speaking agents were always busy. On Messenger, they keep asking for the secret code sent by SMS at the start of the conversation, but of course, I never receive anything even though my number is correctly registered in my SAUDI account.
I don’t know what else to do, and I’m not sure if I’m right to worry they might cancel our tickets.
I’m afraid this could jeopardize our dream trip, for which I’ve already booked hotels and activities… and we were really looking forward to it.
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.
