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 hope you can shed some light on this?

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Hi,

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.

...

Doha Airport on October 21, 2025:



...

Hi, Air Cairo offers good prices on domestic flights and schedules that work for us, but is this airline reliable? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

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....

Thanks so much for your help! 😊

Hi, I booked flight tickets with Turkish Airlines 15 days ago for a round-trip for 4 people to Thailand in August 2026. On my reservation, I only included my married name, but on my passport, my maiden name appears along with my married name. I only noted one first name—I didn’t include my second or third first name. For my husband and children, I only included their first first name. I called Turkish Airlines a few days ago as a precaution, and they were very helpful, guiding me through the process of adding a comment to request the modification with scanned passports. They confirmed it would be free of charge. Today, I received a response from TK saying I need to buy new tickets with the required changes and then provide them with the new reservation details to be reimbursed for the initially purchased tickets. I called Turkish Airlines again, and they advised me to file a complaint using the initial comment I made. I did that tonight, explaining that I made these requests as a precaution—I fly every year and have never included my maiden name or other first names on my reservations, and it’s never been an issue. Plus, I can’t afford to pay for new tickets since prices have skyrocketed (+1000 € for 4 people). I’m really worried and anxious about this situation. We’ve been saving for a while to afford this trip, and I hope it gets resolved favorably. Have any of you experienced similar issues or situations like this? If so, how did it go at the airport? Thanks in advance for your help

Hi, On October 30, 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its ruling in case C-558/24 Corendon.

When an airline issues a ticket (or booking confirmation) and later issues a new ticket delaying the arrival time at the final destination, the delay of "3 hours or more"—which entitles passengers to compensation of 250, 400, or 600 euros (depending on the distance) per paying passenger—must be calculated based on the arrival time stated in the initial booking.

In the case examined, the airline had issued a new booking confirmation that delayed the flight. The passenger arrived less than 3 hours late compared to the arrival time in the new confirmation but was more than 3 hours late compared to the original booking confirmation.

This puts an end to interpretations that the previous texts allowed.

The ruling states:

"Article 5(1)(c) and Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 [...] must be interpreted as meaning that: in the event of a change to the departure and arrival times of a flight, announced in advance by an air carrier and accompanied by the issuance of a new booking confirmation to the passengers concerned, the duration of the delay suffered by those passengers upon arrival must be determined by taking into consideration the initially scheduled arrival time."

Full ruling here:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:62024CJ0558

Best regards

Hi,

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.

Hello, As a senior woman, I’m planning a 3-week solo trip (late April or early May) to explore the country by public transport, visiting the main cities (Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand), the Ferghana Valley, and if possible, the Aral Sea. I’m reaching out to the community to see if there are flights arriving in Urgench and returning from Tashkent—or the other way around? Thanks in advance to anyone with insights! 😉

Hi everyone,

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.

Hi there,

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?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have an idea about how flight ticket prices drop for a given destination? (Excluding Ryanair, of course.)

We need to leave for Seville on December 27th. Generally, airlines launch trips on a specific date with a high price to start filling the plane. As the departure date gets closer, the airline tries to fill the plane and lowers its prices, so the ticket price becomes reasonable again.

Example: Right now, for a trip in about 10 days, the average round-trip ticket price is usually around 200 €. Currently, the round-trip ticket price for December 27th is 450 €.

If any of you have more precise info on this topic (for example, if the price drops 15 days before departure), thanks in advance for your input. Jean Paul

Direct flights PAR / BKK in business class: AIR FRANCE or THAI AIRWAYS – prices, comfort. Thanks a bunch!

hi everyone, what's the cheapest flight ticket to fly from Paris to Madagascar in July or August? thanks for your help

Hi everyone,

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 often see people here claiming that if a flight is canceled due to weather, the passenger isn’t entitled to any compensation. However, the airline is only exempt from compensating the passenger if—and **only if**—they offer re-routing “as soon as possible.” Here’s what happened: A single booking with Swiss International Air Lines (a Lufthansa subsidiary) for Paris - Zurich operated by Swiss, then Zurich - Puerto Plata operated by Edelweiss Air (another subsidiary). After arriving in Zurich, the airport was closed for a few hours due to weather, and all flights were canceled. So far, nothing unusual. But Swiss International Airlines really outdid themselves:

Meals and hotel (plus transport to and from): “Figure it out yourselves, but we’ll reimburse you.” No re-routing offered at the time of cancellation (which is **mandatory** at the **same time**), nor in the following days, even though possible re-routing options existed. Worse: After 2 days with no information from the airline, the passenger showed up at the airport to demand immediate re-routing (3 hours later) on a flight operated by the same airline that had canceled the original flight, even though the final destination was 6 hours by road from the originally planned airport (Punta Cana instead of Puerto Plata). The airline refused because there was only space left in business class—and thus, the passenger had to pay!!! It’s completely absurd!!! The passenger declined, so the airline refused the re-routing! No other re-routing options were offered. The next day, the passenger returned, and this time, they were offered—**for the following day**—the exact same re-routing that had been refused the day before (Zurich - Punta Cana)! The passenger accepted. Arrival at a destination 6 hours by road from the final airport. Complete silence from the airline about the transfer. The passenger had to figure it out alone! In the end, arrival at the final destination with a 5-day delay. When the passenger claimed reimbursement for their expenses (nearly 600 €) the day after arrival, it took a month and a half to get the money back.

Swiss didn’t even bother responding to the registered letter requesting compensation. The passenger only received two replies from the parent company (Lufthansa), responding on behalf of its subsidiary, stating that the request should be addressed to its other subsidiary.

The passenger turned to the justice conciliator (a mandatory step before taking the case to court). The airline went silent and didn’t respond to the conciliator, who then issued a report of failure to cooperate. The passenger took the case to the local court in Aulnay-sous-Bois and sent Swiss their “submissions.” The airline remained silent until less than 48 hours before the hearing. Then, over the phone, the airline’s lawyer verbally agreed to pay the 600 € owed but proposed a reduced settlement for the rest. The passenger refused. Then, 24 hours before the hearing, the passenger received Swiss’s “submissions,” confirming the previous day’s verbal proposals.

Finally, the hearing took place, and the judgment was received: 600 € in compensation, as provided by Articles 5 and 7 of EU Regulation 261/2004 + 500 € under Article 12 of the same regulation (additional compensation, given how badly Swiss handled things) + 200 € for legal costs (registered letters, preparing the particularly large case file). All the details of this case (correspondence, justice conciliator, passenger’s submissions, the airline’s submissions, the arguments presented in court, and the judgment) are available here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/reacheminement-catastrophique-droit-indemnisation-meme-circonstances-extraordinaires-2/ In summary: -Just because a flight is canceled due to weather doesn’t mean the airline is automatically exempt from compensating the passenger. -In such cases, immediately look for possible re-routing options yourself (same airline or not), stop just before payment, and take screenshots. -Don’t always blindly believe what the airline tells you. -Don’t give up: the process is simple and free. But you must follow the templates provided on my website https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com without deviating from them. Best regards,

Booking for October 28th to Varadero, on October 22nd I was notified that it was canceled. I called and changed it to November 7th, departure at 7 AM. On November 6th, an email informed me that it was delayed until 12:30 PM. My return from Varadero on April 14th, 2025—on November 17th, another email notified me that my return flight on April 14th would no longer be direct but would make a stopover in Toronto. So, a heads-up to those thinking of booking with Air Canada...

Hello, I’m traveling this May to France and have a layover in Dubai with a 4h45 connection. Could you let me know if I need to collect my luggage when I arrive at Terminal 3 to depart from the same terminal? My travel agency is telling me to pick it up, go through customs, and then check in again for my departure with my luggage. That seems odd to me. Could you confirm whether this is correct or not? Best regards.

Hi,

Point Afrique is relaunching flights to Faya starting in December, direct from Paris...

Has anyone been there recently?

Hi there,

I’m flying to Bogotá with a one-way ticket in early January. A friend told me that I’ll likely have trouble boarding in France if I can’t show a return (or onward) flight out of Colombia. He was in the same situation but from the US and had to buy one at the airport before leaving.

So, I’m thinking of buying a ticket that I can get refunded once I’m there. Are there still airlines that offer full refunds without any reason? Is there a legal timeframe within which I can do this?

Thanks!

Levelo.

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, does anyone know if it’s necessary to have a return ticket to go to Mexico? I’d like to go there—I’ve bought a one-way ticket and plan to cross the border by bus to Guatemala. I’m worried they won’t let me board the plane if I don’t have a return ticket. Ed

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,

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!

Hi everyone,

For my round-trip flights between Milan and Tashkent, I have several airline options, with Turkish Airlines being the most familiar and offering plenty of combinations. But I’m also being offered an outbound flight with a layover in Baku via Azerbaijan Airlines and a direct return (7.5 hours without stretching my long legs 😱) with Uzbekistan Airways. I’m not a fan of flying at all (I feel uneasy when I’m not on solid ground, but it’s a necessary evil when you’re short on time). However, I’m tempted by the idea of trying these two airlines and getting a glimpse of Baku Airport.

Do you have any advice that could tip the scales toward curiosity or fear?

Catherine

My request: We would like to modify our return flight booking scheduled for December 3 under reference: O__T. We’d like a flight that gets us to France no later than January 27, 2025, under the same conditions as our current ticket. Please let us know the options and any additional fees. (We paid 2,256 € for the round-trip Bordeaux/Tamatave tickets for 2 people.)

Air Austral’s response: We’ve managed to free up seats for January 22. (Same class.) The penalty and adjustment fee is 895 € per person. (That’s 1,790 € for 2.)

My response: Given the outrageous prices Air Austral is charging for a date change, we’re confirming our flight on December 3, 2024, for Tamatave/Bordeaux. Also, you can count on me to share this experience with Air Austral on various online forums. It’s absolutely shameful to offer a flight change for 1,790 € when buying new tickets would cost us 1,564 €. I think Air Austral’s pricing policy is going to interest a lot of people online, and I can assure you that you’ve just lost two customers who will give you some great publicity.

Despite a complaint, no reaction from Air Austral—they’re clearly in big trouble...

Hi there, I just booked a round-trip flight from Brussels to Da Nang on eDreams, with a layover in Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific. Does anyone know the check-in procedure for these flights? 1) For flight CX294 BXL-HKG, I’ll need to check in on the Cathay Pacific website, 2) For the next flight CX5552 HKG-DAD, what should I do? I only have a 2h25 layover. Will I need to collect my luggage, go through immigration, and then recheck in at the airport counter, etc.? I’m pretty worried about this layover—I thought check-in could be done on the airline’s website and that my luggage would be transferred automatically during the layover, like with most other airlines... Thanks so much for any help from those who’ve been in this situation!

Hi there,

I’m taking a Ryanair flight from France to Portugal (and back) in May. I’d prefer not to bring my passport since we’re leaving for the US in July, and I’d rather not risk losing it (or worse), so I’d like to leave it safely at home!

My ID card expired in July 2022 but should still be valid for 5 years. So it *should* be fine, but if anyone has been in this situation before, I’d love to hear about your experience to put my mind at ease!

Thanks in advance! 🙂

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,

This might be a silly question, but I’m traveling to Japan from CDG and returning via Osaka with EVA Air, and I have a pretty bulky aluminum knee brace. It’s this model: https://enovis-medtech.eu/fr_FR/OA-FullForce-74358.html

Has anyone had any experience with airport security checks or flying with one of these?

Thanks in advance! Best regards,

Hi,

I received an email from the airline saying my return flight was canceled and rescheduled to another flight.

Nothing about the connection in France...

I checked my passenger file, everything is the same as when I first booked.

I asked for an explanation by email.

They replied that my original flight was canceled and that I should sort it out with Air France since I bought the ticket through their site.

I called Air France. Finally got through to someone. The agent checked my file and told me there were no changes and therefore couldn’t reschedule my flight.

I checked my file again: the flight is the same as on the day I bought it.

They suggested I change it by paying!!!

I forwarded Air Mauritius’s emails to Air France. Waiting to see what happens next...

Have you ever had this kind of problem? What’s going on with Air Mauritius? Have they become a third-rate airline that’s absolutely not recommendable?

Thanks for your thoughts and any attempts at explaining this...

(The Air Mauritius flight is no longer for sale on Google Flights. The replacement flight isn’t either... Yet it still appears on the Air Mauritius site as the replacement flight.)