Hi there,

My daughter, wife, and I are starting to plan a two-week trip to Japan for... April 2026. My wife wants us to really treat ourselves, so we’re considering business class (we usually fly premium economy or even economy). Since we’re departing from Paris and want a direct flight, we have three options: JAL, ANA, or Air France.

I’ve flown Air France in business quite a bit for work, and I do find it very comfortable. But I wonder if I’m just defaulting to a national bias—maybe the other two airlines have advantages I’m not considering.

If I’m looking at criteria like: - Comfort (especially for sleeping) - Meals - Entertainment

Any advice? Personal experiences? Have any of the three airlines updated their business class on this route recently?

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

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,

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.

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

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,

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,

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.

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

Hi, I’m trying to book 2 flight tickets on SATENA’s website. After entering my personal details, it asks for: "Business name, fiscal identification and fiscal ID"... and I can’t skip this step. Can anyone help me out? Thanks in advance

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 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,

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 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 everyone,

You’re probably aware that Premium Economy classes are becoming more and more common among regular airlines. I wanted to get your thoughts—do you think the value for money is good? Personally, I’ve tried British Airways and Emirates Premium Economy, and I absolutely loved them! I do wish we had access to Fast Track and/or the lounge, but otherwise, I really think it’s an excellent alternative. Photos of Emirates PE

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 there,

We’re heading to Chile in September 2025, and we booked a Paris–Santiago flight (AF) that was supposed to arrive in Santiago at 7:45 AM, with a same-day connection to Calama on LATAM at 2 PM. Air France just changed the arrival time to 8:45 AM in Santiago. Do you think we’ll still have enough time for the connection to Calama, or should we change our 2 PM flight to one the next morning? The other same-day options are too late. How long should we budget for customs, health checks, and baggage claim—since we’ll need to recheck our bags for Calama?

Is moving between the international terminal and the domestic terminal time-consuming?

Thanks so much for your help! :)

Hi there,

Do you know any tricks for traveling on a budget? With flight prices constantly rising, it’s a real lifesaver!

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 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 there, we're flying with Air Caraïbes and bringing our dog—he'll be traveling in the cabin with us. The airline recommends a carrier size of 43×35×20 cm, but despite calling them several times, we can’t figure out if the 20 cm is the height or width, or if the carrier can be slightly larger. Thanks to anyone who replies and has flown with Air Caraïbes before!

Hi,

A pretty serious issue has come up in the past few weeks for traveling to Tanzania.

What’s the deal with airlines in Tanzania? https://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/ce-pays-est-tres-touristique-mais-ses-compagnies-aeriennes-sont-placees-sur-liste-noire-par-l-europe-1515325 https://www.charentelibre.fr/tourisme/la-tanzanie-sur-liste-noire-de-l-europe-des-vols-interieurs-a-haut-risque-pour-100-000-touristes-francais-25002566.php

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!

Loïc

Hi,

We’re planning a trip to Santa Cruz de la Sierra with our pets. We’ve seen a lot of really negative reviews about BOA and AirEuropa, but it looks like the options are limited.

So, I’m looking for recent firsthand experiences with these two airlines—especially if you’ve traveled with animals.

Thanks so much!

Well, another novelty from the low-cost airlines.😎

https://www.lefigaro.fr/voyages/a-partir-de-ce-1er-mai-arriver-trop-tard-a-l-aeroport-vous-coute-100-sur-cette-compagnie-a-bas-cout-20250501

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 there, I'm Cameroonian and I'd like to know if there's a reliable airline where someone can buy their flight ticket and travel without any issues from Cameroon to Bolivia.

Hi, We’d like to travel to Saint Martin with our dog on Air Caraïbes, with a layover in Guadeloupe and then a flight to Saint Martin. Our dog weighs 5 kg without the bag—no problem for the Paris-Guadeloupe flight—but the limit is 5 kg *including* the bag for the Guadeloupe-Saint Martin leg. Is there a risk they’ll refuse our dog for being just under 1 kg over? Thanks for your replies!

Hi everyone. Sorry if my post might make some of you laugh, but here’s the thing—I’m emetophobic, which means I’m terrified of vomiting or seeing someone vomit. So, I’m *extremely* afraid of flying and the possibility of someone getting sick on the plane. I’m taking a flight in a few days from Lyon to Palma de Mallorca. I know it’s a short flight, but I’m still terrified that someone might get sick. I was wondering if there are any professionals or frequent travelers who could honestly share their thoughts or experiences with this. Thanks in advance for your kindness and support.

Hi there, we're planning a trip to La Paz, Mexico at the end of December for a family of four. Which airline should we take? Where should we fly from? Are there any "layover countries" that are cheaper than others? Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Hi, We’d like to travel to Guadeloupe as a family (5 adults) for Christmas 2025. We’re leaving on the first Saturday of the school holidays and returning on January 1st—we can’t leave outside of the holiday period. Could you give me a rough idea of what a reasonable price is for that time? Is booking as soon as reservations open a good deal, or should we wait? Thanks for your help. Isabelle