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.
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....
When I run searches on Skyscanner, I see that only Lufthansa has flights to Seoul with just one stop. Air France doesn’t show up, even though I thought the French airline served Seoul?
I can’t even log into the Air France website—it keeps glitching.
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’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.
I booked a flight to Bali in December through an online travel agency. I received my reservation number but not the e-ticket, so I wanted to check everything on the airline’s website (Qatar Airways).
On the airline’s site, for each of my flights, I see the status "confirmed" and an e-ticket number. However, I can’t generate the ticket. Should I be able to generate it, or are the e-ticket numbers enough?
Also, when I check the passenger information, the "title" field is grayed out and can’t be completed, even though it’s marked as mandatory. Is this a problem? Can I wait until check-in at the airport? Should I contact the agency or Qatar Airways?
Since I’m not familiar with Australian airlines, I’d appreciate some advice.
I need to book a domestic flight from Adelaide to Sydney quickly, and I see Jetstar, Virgin, and Qantas as options. On paper, Qantas’s schedule and price are less appealing.
Which of the three is the most reliable (fewer flight cancellations, since this is the last flight of the day) and easiest to book on their website?
For my upcoming trip to Thailand, I’ve narrowed it down to Emirates and Air India and would love to hear recent feedback from members who’ve flown with them.
I’ve noticed on several sites that reviews for both airlines are pretty negative.
I’m not surprised about Air India, but I read they’ve been acquired.
I flew Emirates twice in 2018 and was surprised by the drop in recent reviews. It almost makes me think of Etihad, which I initially liked but then declined (I’m not sure what their situation is like now).
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, I’m looking for a solution for my flight—I’ll explain my situation.
I live in the French overseas territories, so I have a flight from St. Martin to Orly.
Early September is cyclone season.
If there’s an alert or cyclone, my flight could be postponed.
I’m considering connecting with a flight from CDG to Bangkok.
I’d have to buy my second flight as open-ended, otherwise I’d lose it—it’s not the same airline.
I found a good price on Oman Air, Economy Comfort option.
Change fees are only 20 OMR—basically nothing.
Then there’s the option for a paid upgrade: would that mean the price gets adjusted on the day of the flight?
If I’ve made myself clear, do you have any other solutions?
Please—thanks!
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
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?
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’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!
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 swapped my first and last name when I made my reservation. I’d like to know if this could cause any issues for boarding or not? I have a layover in Istanbul on my way to Dubai.
I bought my flight ticket with my first (usual) first name, which appears first on my passport. However, I have two first names on my passport, and of course, it’s mentioned in the machine-readable zone at the bottom.
I booked with Turkish Airlines (through an online agency) for a trip to South Korea.
I wanted to know if it would be a problem that I only used my first first name on the ticket, while my passport has two. I had requested through the agency to add the second first name, but the airline refused because it doesn’t meet their general conditions. (They must have seen that the last name and first name were the same, and only the second first name was added.)
So, my ticket has my last name and first first name correctly spelled, and when I check in online, I’ll enter the passport details correctly.
I’ll have a layover in Istanbul on the flight.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Have a great day.
Hope you're all doing well—it’s really great to see the site up and running again!
Back in 2022, I booked a round-trip flight to Cairo/Paris via eDreams.
The outbound was with Saudia: Cairo > Jeddah > Paris.
The return was supposed to be in September 2022 with Aegean: Paris > Athens > Cairo.
At the end of July, I got an email saying my flight was canceled by the airline.
I immediately requested a refund, and they told me it would take 6 months to process.
And since then—nothing. I’ve followed up with eDreams multiple times, but they just redirected me to Aegean, whose contact seems impossible to reach.
Do you have any leads or a contact address to follow up with them?
Have any of you had similar experiences? Were you eventually refunded?
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.
Good evening. I hope you're all doing well. Sorry in advance—my message will be a bit long, and sorry for any spelling mistakes.
So, here's the thing: I booked a flight ticket through an intermediary to go to Réunion from November 29th to December 16th.
This evening, I was checking the dates and times of my flight, and—WHAT A NASTY SURPRISE!!
My outbound ticket is correct—no issues, the day and time match perfectly. But there’s NO flight at the time listed on my return ticket!!! I thought it must be a glitch. I refreshed the page several times, cleared my history, and even searched on other sites and in private browsing.
But it’s still the same—no flight on December 16th leaves at the time shown on my ticket. I went back to the intermediary’s site, then checked the airline’s website, and I had the idea to try December 15th for the departure—and BINGO! The return flight time, the airline, the type of plane—everything matches.
I realized then that the site that sold me the ticket made a mistake on the return date. I don’t know what to do because I can’t get anyone on the phone.
Since the error is on their end, are they obligated to change my flight to December 15th, or do I have to pay for a new ticket?
If I ask them to put me on another flight on the 16th, will I have to pay fees or not?
I’m completely lost and pretty upset, so if you have any answers to my questions, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
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...
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?
If you are remaining within the international transit zone of the airport and your layover is short, you may not need a visa. Confirm this with your airline or Kuwaiti embassy.
So I contacted trip.com for confirmation, and they redirected me to the Kuwaiti embassy, which hasn’t responded yet.
Has anyone taken this flight before and can confirm that no transit visa is needed?
Hi, I booked a ticket on January 2nd for a round trip from Lyon to Amman from August 13th to 27th.
I received an email on March 27th informing me that my departure and arrival airport would no longer be Lyon but Paris.
I contacted them to say I refused this change, since it’s 400 km between the two airports.
They replied that I could cancel my flight with cancellation fees of 130 € and a non-refundable tax of 29.82 €.
Or I could change the dates and still face a 130 € penalty.
I find this unbelievable—the airport change isn’t my fault, but theirs.
They told me Royal Jordanian no longer flies out of Lyon.
What should I do?
Hi there🙂,
I’ve applied to renew my Austrian passport but I have to wait 3 weeks.
I found some really interesting flights to Fès, but unfortunately I don’t have a passport number because I assume the old one isn’t valid anymore?
Is it possible to book with the old number and provide the new one later? Or any other solution?
The airlines are Air Arabia Maroc and Ryanair.
Thanks for your help!
Hi,
I’m traveling from Paris to Tokyo with a connection in Hanoi.
My layover isn’t long (1h45), so I’m a bit stressed about missing my second flight to Tokyo.
So I have a couple of questions: 1) Will my luggage go straight through, or do I need to collect it?
2) Do I have to go through everything again (customs, security, etc.)?
Just to clarify, my Paris-Tokyo ticket is with Vietnam Airlines.
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
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!
