I just had to bring back another unforgettable souvenir besides my simple hotel hassle for Thanksgiving in Page, Arizona!
So, I decided to head back last Wednesday on "the" flight that was going to have a problem leaving Phoenix! 😉
Just to remind you, last year I had a flight delay issue due to a Lufthansa strike.
This year, I decided to go even bigger! ...
So, we board British Airways flight BA0288 out of Phoenix.
Everything goes well until takeoff.
The plane takes off, we're in the air for about 30 minutes, and then they announce that the plane is turning back to land in Phoenix due to an issue with one of the engines...
I’d later find out from videos that the engine in question was simply spewing flames... Terrifying! 🤪
So, back to Phoenix airport—I’ll spare you the details—flight canceled. At 3 AM, British Airways staff finally manage to find me a new flight (the same one the next day, by the way). So, after 5 endless hours of waiting, I know I’m leaving 24 hours later, on December 7th at 8:40 PM.
I ask them to book me a hotel room, since that was the condition for agreeing to leave 24 hours after my original flight.
The British Airways staff tell me all the hotels are fully booked and that basically, I’m on my own.
So, just to clarify... *All* the hotels in Phoenix. I did a quick search—about 62,000 rooms fully booked in Phoenix! Wow! 😛
Thanks, British! So, stuck on foot in an airport at 3 AM, with zero desire to drop $100 on a taxi to find a hotel, and the same the next day to get back—especially since I can’t trust them to book a room, and I doubt they’d reimburse me easily afterward...
I end up more or less forced to sleep in the airport...
I’ll spare you even more details—no meal the next day, not even a drink... Just a bottle of water and a sandwich the first night (I should’ve taken more if I’d known...).
The next day, British Airways staff finally show up around 4:30 PM, fresh, well-rested, and showered... Meanwhile, I’d been struggling like a homeless person in that damn airport, sleeping on the floor, filthy...
I ask to see the manager, explain my misadventure after an emergency landing, and remind them that the least they could do was help me get a hotel room.
The manager—super cold and borderline rude...
All she can say is:
"We’ve done everything we can for you. Have a good flight, sir!"
So, I wanted to give British Airways a little shout-out.
Of course, since then, British Airways hasn’t responded to messages or even tags on social media...
Now, I just have to deal with the compensation claims, which are well-deserved this time...
True, I do tend to accumulate them a bit! 😛
I had 4 magical weeks, but the return trip was a bit rough... A total of 51 hours to get back.
The worst part was that on the return flight, I was next to a guy who threw up the whole way... Lol 😎
The plane takes off, we stay in the air for about 30 minutes, and then they announce that the plane is going to turn back to land in Phoenix due to a problem with one of the engines...
I later discovered in videos that the engine in question was simply spewing flames... Terrifying! 🤪
Now I just have to deal with compensation claims for what’s well deserved...
Given what you’re describing, ... compensation ... won’t amount to anything ... ask for a goodwill gesture instead, and if you had any expenses, request reimbursement for those ... that’s something that should go through.
Bon voyage et surtout voyagez zen!
Michel France (85)
No doubt you’re a black cat 😉😉😉. You must’ve had accommodation and meals covered, and for some reason that needs looking into, it’s impossible that ALL the hotels were fully booked. They probably have agreements with a few, and those were full—that makes more sense. I’ve been flying BA regularly for about 25 years and never had the slightest problem. A technical or mechanical issue is unfortunately possible with any airline, but BA’s handling of the situation in Phoenix was poor and unacceptable—there’s no denying that.
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
Hi,
Over the past few years, I’ve flown British Airways to the US several times. No issues—super friendly staff and really low fares this year in August for June 2018, 335 € round-trip Paris-LAX on the A380. British Airways is a great airline, and I much prefer it over Air France, which I avoid at all costs.
Once you're there, did you check Booking.com or Hotels.com? It surprises me that all the hotels in Phoenix are fully booked in December. I just did a quick search for the same day and found over 63 hotels with availability starting at 32 €. You could’ve used your Visa Premier or Mastercard Gold credit card insurance, which covers expenses like delays, meals, hotels, and transport up to 450 €.
Mastercard Gold terms for Crédit Agricole and Crédit Mutuel:
www.ca-centrest.fr/..._gold_mastercard.pdf Page 26
Yes, of course, no free room in Phoeni**x** is totally out of the question...
On the other hand, it’s very likely that if I’d taken a taxi at 3 AM to look for a hotel, it would’ve been a real hassle...
Yeah, I totally agree with you about the prices. But at 3 AM, it was already December 7th, and the hotels for the 6th were no longer showing up in the searches.
I think the only question we should be asking is: Why didn’t the British Airways agents bother to pick up the phone to find a hotel? It’s not more complicated than that.
It’s just a lack of willingness that seems huge to me, especially after an emergency landing... The airline is clearly 100% responsible.
I wouldn’t even think of leaving a stranger to fend for themselves in my city to find a hotel room. It’s so simple for them to know which hotels are closest and make a quick call.
It’s weird, but this will teach me to always check the available hotels and their contact info the day before I leave a place.
Oh my god. It really worries me to be a jinx like you say. Lol
It’s true that I’ve been racking them up for the past two years. :)
But I’m a bit like you. I’ve been flying British Airways for years and never had the slightest problem. So I think it can happen to anyone with this airline.
The more I talk to people around me, the more I post online, the more I realize that a lot of other people have had issues with British Airways...
What worries me the most about this is maybe the idea of poor aircraft maintenance. I wonder if the fact that airlines are 100% tied to shareholders doesn’t play a role in planes being less and less well-maintained.
Because in the end, the fact that I wasn’t rebooked really bruised my ego, but the idea of an engine catching fire on takeoff—I wonder why that wasn’t spotted before takeoff. ...
I find that super worrying.
Hi Olive,
I had the exact same thing happen on December 2, 2017, leaving Las Vegas. After confirming my flight on Thursday for a Saturday departure (email received from BA) — LAS - LAX - LHR — I was completely shocked when I arrived at the airport. The LAX - LHR flight was cancelled!!!!!!. Luckily, I dealt with an amazing manager who, after several phone calls, found me a direct flight from LAS to LHR. The only issue? No one to talk to at the BA counter to even get a drink. I got to the airport at 10:30 AM for a 1:15 PM flight and ended up leaving at 6:30 PM. That’s 8 hours of waiting.
I’m going to write to BA to get... what? I don’t even know yet. The worst part is I received an email saying the LHR - Luxembourg flight was full and BA was offering me free carry-on baggage. I didn’t understand because I checked that email at home...... I get the feeling there’s a bit of a "mess" at this airline.
The American Airlines and BA merger isn’t going too well, because I remember a similar episode two years ago...
I still don’t know why my flight was cancelled, because at the counter the agent told me it wasn’t true. She didn’t hesitate to lie, probably to avoid giving me a cancellation certificate.
Have a good day
As I’ve said before, everyone here has had their share of airline problems, and I don’t think we can jump to conclusions. That said, regardless of price, we all have our preferences or airlines and airports we avoid. Recently, Air France also faced a major technical issue, and a huge logistical operation was set up to get passengers to L.A.
But where BA really dropped the ball in Phoenix was in handling the incident.
"Si partir vivre ses rêves remplit l'âme, les partager après les avoir réalisés la grandit"
"Qui veut apprendre à se connaître commence par explorer le monde"
You’re covered by the compensation rules under European legislation.
An engine failure counts as maintenance, so it’s not an unforeseeable event outside the airline’s control.
Yes, thanks. I used this site as inspiration to write my letter.
I’m not someone who’s usually into procedures at all. But given the situation, I really don’t want to let this slide.
I’ll send them this letter by registered mail and see what happens.
Logically, I’m clearly within the group of people who qualify for 600 € in compensation.
An engine fire is definitely not an extraordinary circumstance that would absolve the airline of responsibility. And I arrived 24 hours late.
I’d still like an apology, though. But I’m afraid I’ll just have to suck it up for that.
06.12.2017: A British Airways Boeing 747-400, registration G-CIVM performing flight BA-288 from Phoenix, AZ (USA) to London Heathrow, EN (UK) with 234 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Phoenix's runway 08 when the crew declared Mayday, Mayday, Mayday reporting the #3 engine (RB211, inboard right hand) was shut down and advising they'd stop the climb at 6000 feet and enter a hold. A runway inspection was conducted, the next arrival needed to go around due to the ongoing runway inspection. While in the hold the crew advised they had no fire and wanted to dump fuel, the aircraft climbed to 8000 feet later 10,000 feet, dumped fuel and returned to Phoenix for a safe landing on runway 08 about one hour after departure.
I think you should still claim the 600 € provided for by EC261/2004 regulations by writing to British Airways. I reckon British Airways will respond with "exceptional circumstances," sorry... maybe offer a measly voucher or something along those lines.
But don’t let that discourage you, because the UK CAA is pretty "cool" (I think). I also had a problem on the Phoenix-London route with BA, and they ruled in my favor (and BA paid me the 600 €). But it took 15 months in total!
You should know that British Airways' Boeing 747-400s are very, very old. And so, breakdowns are becoming more and more frequent. Normally, there’s an engine monitoring system installed (which many airlines use to "predict" and anticipate engine failures before they happen). Sure, it’s not always possible, but often an engine failure gives warning signs well in advance. With automatic transmission of vibration data, N1 and N2 temperatures, or oil level thirst in the engines—all sent systematically to the main headquarters during flight—this is called preventive maintenance....
I think British Airways isn’t the model student in this category; they’re more about corrective maintenance....
It’s unbelievable that in Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, or Glendale, everything was fully booked that evening (hotel room-wise). I mean, aren’t there more than 10,000 hotel rooms in the greater Phoenix area?
Hi everyone,
Just keeping you updated on my progress. I didn’t even file a compensation claim—I just sent an email explaining my story to British Airways. They took barely three days to reply, asking for my bank details so they can pay me the 600 € I’m entitled to without any argument...
I have to admit, I was expecting to fight for a year, and I’m absolutely stunned by how efficient their customer service was.
I’m also entitled to at least five apologies in their letter.
Honestly, I’m blown away.
Me with American Airlines, it took me 7 months to get those 600 € after tons of back-and-forth (see my post), and I never even got an apology (not even replies to my emails).
So happy for you!!! 😉
A tip!!! Buy a lottery ticket tomorrow
* 04.2016 - San Francisco (semi marathon) / New York / Washington
* 05.2015 - Chicago + Sud Ouest US -
* 08.2013 - Voyage en famille - Principaux Parcs West US.
* 06.1994 - http://georgesroy.perso.worldonline.fr/usa/
* 12.1986 - 1er Voyage USA (CA / AZ / Nevada / Colorado / FL)
I just have a question about the agents in Phoenix: are they BA employees or are they employees of a subcontracting company that works for BA and other airlines?
Halte à la désinformation.
Les conseilleurs ne sont pas les payeurs.
I just have a question about the agents in Phoenix: are they BA employees or are they employees of a subcontracting company who work for BA and other airlines?
hi
yeah, that kinda matches what I was thinking
I don’t know if others will agree, but I’ve noticed that in the US, airline staff, car rental employees, and other service workers seem a lot less "flexible" and open than what you find elsewhere.
In this case, even if they’re BA agents in Phoenix, they’re American.
And apparently, there were several people involved on-site; you can’t just say it was one grumpy employee...
But anyway, they still have to follow the company’s current policy.
Hi,
It’s pretty hard to say. None of the employees working behind the counters had badges or anything to show they actually worked for British Airways.
The girl who was posing as the manager even had some kind of badge that said "security." So there’s a good chance they were employees of a company that was some kind of subcontractor for British Airways...
Hi,
Yes, I can confirm—I dealt with several agents. All women. And all extremely unpleasant and robotic.
Basically, every time I asked a question, they gave me the same answer.
No empathy, no compassion, just the same words over and over.
It was nothing like the email I just received, which was really nice and full of apologies...
I was actually really surprised by the difference between the counter staff and the in-flight crew. Everyone from British Airways on the plane was genuinely great...
Yeah, it's very likely I'll fly British Airways again. But I'll definitely take a closer look at the plane for the flight... for me, it's over with the old models...
After reading your post and the story you told, I also thought you’ve really been having some bad luck lately 😕
Then I figured your compensation situation was going to be a nightmare!!!!!
But nooooooo! I’m totally blown away here 🤪
Kudos to the airline and congrats to you! You’ve got enough to buy a new ticket for 2018 😎
Take advantage—there are some great deals around right now!!!
I managed to snag a multi-destination ticket for 345.45 € 😛
Hi Patricia,
Yes, I thought exactly the same thing. That I was really unlucky and that I wasn’t out of the woods yet :)
After thinking it over, I now realize I was actually incredibly lucky. First, given the context—a burning engine and a plane full of fuel—I should normally not be here anymore.
In the end, that’s what I call being super lucky, on the contrary.
Plus, British Airways compensated me to the tune of 680 € in barely a week. ...
I have to admit that I’m taking things much more positively today.
And honestly, they apologized profusely at least 10 times in their letter. That was what shocked me the most, and I have to say I’m more than satisfied with their response and how quickly they acted!
Hats off to British Airways!...
Hello,
I’m bringing back this 2017 discussion because, would you believe it, since then I’ve had my third flight refunded by British Airways...
So, in the end, it’s not such a jinx after all—this is the third time I’ve traveled almost for free! 😏
This time, it was for a canceled flight between London and Los Angeles. A 3-hour, 15-minute delay taking the next flight, and British Airways compensated me 600 € without any argument...
Anyway, all this to say: don’t hesitate to ask for compensation under European law if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours.
And for fun, here’s the summary of my 2017 flight where an engine caught fire. The reconstruction is missing the firefighters and the TV crews on arrival, though! 😄:
La poisse continue pour moi J'ai un vol direct à 12h15 pour Chicago et à 05h30 je ressoit un mail pour me dire que le vol est annulé sans raison Suis ds le…
Petite question sur l'annulation d'un vol Retour sur un billet multi destination la cie Corsair ayant repousse l'ouverture de ses liaisons sur New York City en…
Mon titre n'est certainement pas clair! Je m'explique: nous avons acheté un vol AR direct Paris- Chicago, vendu par Finnair opéré par American Airlines (17 au…
Nous avons réservé 4 billets AR se rendre à New York auprès de la compagnie XL AIRWAYS, départ fin Octobre 2019. Nous avons réservé nos billets directement sur…
Bonjour,
Je pense partir bientôt pour la Malaisie
J'ai vu des prix interessant et vol direct de Paris avec Malaysia Airlines
Est ce une compagnie fiable?
Merci pour vos retours
J'effectue régulièrement des voyages depuis plus de vingt ans
maís c'est la première fois qu'un compagnies me traite si mal que Air France.
Deux voyages, deux fois des problèmes. Le dernier:
Voyage de Séoul à Rennes. Dernière partie de París CDG à Rennes par Air France.
J'arrive à Paris et je me rends directement chez Air France pour obtenir la carte d'embarquement jusqu'à Rennes. On n'y assure que mon bagage suit jusqu'à Rennes.
Arrivé à Rennes, pas de bagage, comme c'est le cas de 5 personnes.
Le bureau d'Air France est fermé et le oersonnel de l'aéroport m'assure qu''il y a rarement quelqu'un.
Avec l'aide du personnel de l'aéroport, je fais une réclamation par internet et Mon bagage est quadi directement localisé, en conséquence je l'aurai le lendemain.
4 jours plus tard, le bagage est toujours au même endroitvà CDG, rien ne bouge.
Le problème est qu'Air France m'a pas de service clientèle. Ce qu'ils appellent service clientes, c'est un service qui répond après une heure et qui vous répète ce qu''il y a sur le FORMULAIRE informatique. Aucune coordination, aucune moyen de faire bouger les choses, je suppose que Air France préfère me payer l'indemnisation après 21 jours que se bouger le cul.
J'ai déjà eu des bagages égarés dans d'autres voyages maís c'est la première fois que je vous un tel je-m'en-foutisme foutisme et manque de professionalisme..
Hi there,
We had planned a trip to Sicily in August, and due to the volcanic eruption of Mount Etna, my flight was canceled. The airline is refunding the outbound flight, but none of the non-refundable expenses: accommodation booked through Booking, rental car, and the return flight aren’t covered. My SUPER Gold card doesn’t work in this specific case! :( If anyone has been in this situation, could you let me know if you were able to get any recourse and, if so, how?
Thanks in advance
Back in February, I booked a flight with Air France-KLM from Lyon to San Diego with a layover in Amsterdam (flights operated by KLM). The flight is scheduled for late August.
My Lyon→Amsterdam flight was canceled by KLM in June, and a replacement flight the evening before was booked for me. So, I’ll end up spending the night at Amsterdam Airport to catch my flight to San Diego the next morning.
Since the cancellation happened more than 14 days before departure, I know I’m not entitled to financial compensation (EU Regulation 261/2004). But am I entitled to reimbursement for a hotel night in Amsterdam?
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.
Hi,
I booked an Etihad ticket on their website for Dusseldorf-Abu Dhabi. In the first name field, I entered all my first names (something I never do and I regret it, but the site was confusing). Everything is spelled correctly, but the problem is that I just received my new passport and only my first two first names and the first letter of the third appear—there’s no trace of the last one.
I called Etihad, and of course, they tried to charge me $100 USD to remove that last first name. But I’m hesitant because usually, I only put my first first name and not the others, and I’ve never had an issue... So I’m wondering if having that extra first name, which isn’t on my passport, could get me denied at check-in.
Thanks for your feedback!
Hi everyone,
Next January, I’m heading to India.
My outbound flight is with Emirates from Paris to Dubai, then another Emirates flight from Dubai to Calcutta.
Could anyone tell me how the connection works? I’ve heard there’s a dedicated Emirates zone, but how does it actually work in practice—I’ve got a 2-hour layover.
Thanks so much!
Take care.
I’d like to fly to Malta from Lyon.
I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about KM MALTA, especially regarding baggage fees at the airport.
Of course, I don’t want to book through third parties (like SkyScanner, Opodo…).
AIR FRANCE offers tickets to MALTA in partnership, if I understood correctly.
On AIR FRANCE, the tickets include everything (checked baggage, cabin bag, small personal item, seat), whereas with KM MALTA, everything is extra and the final price is almost double!
In this case, is AIR FRANCE considered the same as sites like Opodo or others?
Given the price difference, I’m hesitant…
Have any of you booked with AIR FRANCE for this destination? How did it go?
Thanks,
HERVE
Hi everyone, I’ve unfortunately only just noticed that I booked two flight tickets, but I made a mistake on the second first name. Basically, my computer auto-filled and typed my first name twice, so both tickets are in my first name. Only the last names—mine and my friend’s—are correct.
TAP Portugal refuses to make the change because they consider it a change of passenger, even though it’s clearly a typo (plus, my last name isn’t common).
I’m leaving in 5 days, and buying a new ticket would cost 3 times the original price. Has anyone been in this situation before? I’d like to try negotiating at the airport, but it’s a gamble… Thanks in advance for any advice!
Since it came into force, Regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and Council, which defines air passenger rights, has faced fierce resistance from airlines, backed by IATA (the association representing almost all passenger airlines).
Beyond the airlines' often abusive—and even frequently bad-faith—resistance to passenger rights, IATA has been lobbying EU institutions for years, with the Council paying close attention for a long time.
As a result, the Council and the Commission have been proposing revisions to Regulation 261/2004 for years that are particularly unfavorable to passengers. The latest attempt nearly eliminated the right to compensation for delays of 3 hours or more upon arrival at the final destination.
However, since this is a regulation of both the European Parliament AND the Council, the two bodies had to agree.
But the European Parliament has always stood firm, consistently responding that passenger rights must be preserved.
After 11 years of struggle, it seems likely that we’re finally nearing the end of the match between the European Commission, the Council (the 27 heads of state or government), and the European Parliament.
Indeed, the Commission and the European Parliament have agreed on a text that will be debated again on Monday, July 6, 2026, with a vote scheduled for July 7, 2026. It’s very likely that this text, which would come into force in a year, will be adopted.
The main changes would be as follows:
- Families with children will no longer be forced to pay to sit together on planes;
- A flight will be considered canceled (not just delayed) if it departs more than one hour late;
- Right to compensation for arrival at the final destination if the delay exceeds 3 hours (no longer "3 hours OR more"). The arrival time will be when the plane, having reached its parking spot, engages its parking brakes (no longer when the aircraft door opens);
- Airlines can no longer refuse boarding or charge extra on the return flight for a passenger who didn’t take the outbound flight;
- If a flight is canceled, the airline must, at the same time as informing passengers of the event, offer the choice between a refund and re-routing, and inform them of their rights to assistance and, if applicable, compensation;
- The airline must, without undue delay, inform passengers of the reason;
- In the case of a connecting flight, if the connection is missed and the delay at the final destination entitles the passenger to compensation, the responsible airline will be liable. This is very different from the current situation, where, under the KLM ruling, any airline operating a segment of the flight is liable for compensation. This promises more disputes that the Court of Justice of the European Union will have to resolve if two separate airlines operating segments of a connecting flight are both responsible for the delay. See this case for an example: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2026/04/18/swiss-international-air-lines-la-mauvaise-foi/
Moreover, this case demonstrates in advance another potential dispute: It could be argued that it wasn’t a missed connection since the flight was canceled before the first leg even departed.
- Within 96 hours of a flight that could entitle passengers to compensation, the airline must contact them to inform them of their rights and explain the next steps.
- Passengers must claim their right to compensation within 9 months. This is very different from the current situation, as Regulation 261/2004 sets no time limit. Currently, national law applies—in France, the limit is 5 years. The airline must respond within 30 days. If the airline refuses compensation on the grounds of "extraordinary circumstances," it must specify which type of case it refers to from the list in the annex of the new regulation. If the case isn’t on the list, the airline must explain what the event was, why it qualifies as extraordinary circumstances with "clear, substantial, and concise" explanations, and why it’s directly linked to the reason given. It must also declare what "reasonable measures" were taken to mitigate the issue. This is, of course, a huge change in the regulation, with the clear goal of preventing airlines from declaring just anything as "extraordinary circumstances" to avoid compensation.
- If, within 3 hours of a last-minute canceled or delayed flight, the airline hasn’t offered re-routing under comparable transport conditions and as soon as possible—whether on one of its own flights or another airline’s—the passenger will have the right to arrange their own re-routing and demand a refund for the new ticket, up to 400% of the original ticket price. This is a significant improvement that would have likely prevented the case described here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/reacheminement-catastrophique-droit-indemnisation-meme-circonstances-extraordinaires-2/
- If a flight is canceled due to "extraordinary circumstances," the airline will only be required to offer up to 3 nights in a hotel. This is a major change, as there’s currently no limit. Expect disputes if the extraordinary circumstances end while the passenger hasn’t been re-routed.
- The price of a flight, as first displayed, must obligatorily include a cabin bag. This doesn’t prevent the airline from offering a price reduction if the passenger waives the cabin bag. This will put an end to abnormal practices, such as (just one example) Condor charging extra for a cabin bag on long-haul flights like Frankfurt (Germany)–Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic)–Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic)–Frankfurt.
- Free correction of a passenger’s name if requested 48 hours before departure. Note: This can’t be used to replace one passenger with another—just to correct a typo, e.g., Dupont instead of Dpont.
- Airlines’ websites and apps must include information on how to file a claim.
It’s clear that, despite a few details, these changes are very positive for upholding passenger rights. It remains to be seen whether this text will be definitively adopted on July 7, 2026, as is very likely, and, more importantly, whether IATA will encourage airlines to loyally respect these new rules or persist in their old habits.
I’m planning a trip to Georgia this summer and I’ve been comparing some airlines. I’m not particularly set on flying with Pegasus (though it’s convenient with direct flights from Lyon to Tbilisi), but right off the bat, Pegasus states this:
As of January 1, 2026, all foreign nationals traveling to Georgia for tourism purposes will be required to present valid travel health insurance. Guests who fail to provide the relevant health insurance will not be accepted on our flights to Georgia.
Sincerely,
Pegasus Airlines
In other words, if you don’t show proof of travel health insurance, you’ll be denied boarding.
Personally, my credit card insurance has always been enough for me, and I’d rather not take out extra coverage...
Have any of you run into this issue before? If not, what do you think? Why is Pegasus asking for this proof? Other airlines don’t mention it at all.
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.
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, 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.
We're leaving for Albania on June 18th. When I validated the flight tickets with Wizz Air on Booking, I only put my son's first name but forgot to include his other three first names on the ticket.
On the passport: SURNAME: Dupont, FIRST NAMES: toto titi tutu tata
On the flight ticket: SURNAME: Dupont, FIRST NAME: toto
I can't seem to reach anyone at Wizz Air to get an answer.
Booking and Wizz Air's chat say I need to modify it, but ChatGPT says it should be fine.
I wanted to know if he can fly like this or if I need to change his ticket?
(It costs 140 €, I know I shouldn't have made a mistake🙁)
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!
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.
Hello, some (potentially) good news for Brazil lovers—GOL airline is launching a route to Europe from Rio, starting in September for Lisbon, then Paris at a later date that hasn’t been announced yet.
They’ll be using their new A330-900 neo.
No prices have been announced so far, but hopefully we’ll find direct flights from GIG at a more interesting fare than AF or Latam…
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?
We’re planning a cruise to the UAE/QATAR/OMAN starting from DUBAI, with flights departing from Paris CDG.
Which airlines would you recommend for round-trip flights, with or without a layover?
We need assistance for check-in and boarding/disembarking (my husband is a mobility-impaired traveler who uses a cane and/or a walker).
We’ve done a cruise return from Dubai to Paris CDG before in 2016, with a layover in Istanbul, but we booked the transfer and return flight with COSTA.
For our current plan, it would be with Celestyal, which doesn’t offer round-trip flights from Paris to Dubai.
Should we book very far in advance, or is a few months before departure enough (4/6 months)?
We’re thinking of arriving the day before the ship departs, so we’d need to stay overnight in Dubai—either on the way there or for the return flight, depending on the flight schedules. Could you recommend a hotel not too far from the airport, and how to get to the port from the airport?
Thanks so much for your advice. Have a great Sunday! Mum49
Hi,
It's all in the title—this means nothing's getting through, so no more oil.
In Europe, kerosene reserves are still good, but by the end of April, flights will have to be reduced.
European airports fear running out of kerosene if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened within three weeks
I’m reaching out to ask for your help with a bit of a problem:
I booked a flight to Berlin from Orly for April 15th—it’s coming up fast. But I just made an annoying discovery: my passport expired two weeks ago.
From what I understand, in principle, I can still travel within the Schengen Zone with an expired passport as long as it’s been less than five years. However, EasyJet’s website explicitly requires a valid ID (and just to add to the fun, my national ID card has been expired for a while now).
So, I’d love to know: how strict are EasyJet’s ID checks? Do they enforce validity rules strictly and refuse boarding if the ID isn’t valid? Or is it more of a luck-of-the-draw situation?
Basically, should I just write off this trip now, or should I still try my luck—maybe with a little tearful plea? Has anyone here had a similar experience? I can’t be the only one, right!
I booked a flight with RyanAir for next month, with the priority+ option and two cabin bags. So I can take a 10 kg bag with dimensions 55x40x20 in the cabin (plus another smaller one).
The problem is that the smallest suitcase I have (which is supposed to be designed specifically for cabin size standards, according to the manual) has the following dimensions: 55x37x21, so it's just 1 cm over (wheels included) on one of the measurements.
I wasn’t too worried at first, but I’ve read dozens of stories about people’s misadventures and the hassles they’ve had with RyanAir.
Since I don’t want my suitcase to end up in the hold (that would waste time picking it up when I’m already arriving late and need to get to the city center), nor do I want to pay an extra fee (apparently 50 €) for the outbound and return flights for just 1 centimeter—especially since I paid for the "priority+" option and I’m not exactly rolling in money—I’d love some advice.
Have any of you been in the same situation? I’ve read that with this airline, they check bags in templates (testing them in different positions) and are completely uncompromising. I tried contacting customer service, who, as luck would have it, "don’t handle this kind of request," and a rep I spoke to wasn’t much help.
I know it’s a low-cost airline, and I don’t expect luxury or even kindness, but come on—just 1 cm on a short flight with the + option... I’m a bit overwhelmed by everything I’ve read...
Just to clarify, since I’m going for 8 days, I can’t just take one bag for my stuff. I’ve done that for shorter trips before, and it was a hassle—I even had to buy an extra bag for the return trip... Luckily, the inspector was nice about it!
Thanks so much!
I’m a newbie when it comes to air travel :) Hope I posted this in the right section!
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 there,
I’d like to return to Uzbekistan next April for 10 days with my husband to visit our son who lives there. We went last July and I bought the flight tickets (direct flight from Paris on Uzbekistan Airways) about 2 months in advance at very reasonable prices. I’ve been checking for late April for a few weeks now, and the tickets are much more expensive and keep rising. I can’t figure out if the prices are going up because it’s still a bit too early to buy and they’ll likely drop if the planes aren’t full, or if it’s because the period is actually in high demand. For reference, last year I bought my son’s ticket on May 30th for a departure on June 3rd—just 3 days later—at a very low price that didn’t budge at all.
Just in case, does anyone know the pricing trends for this airline and can advise me? Should I wait or not?
Thanks, and feel free to ask if you need any tips about the country!
My wife bought a flight ticket (Lucky Air) under her Thai maiden name and was issued a Chinese visa on her new Thai passport but with her French married name (due to administrative requirements). She was denied boarding by the airline in Bangkok for the flight to Kunming—resulting in the loss of our round-trip flight tickets, including mine since we were traveling together—despite presenting both passports at the airline counter at the same time.
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
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?
I can't seem to find flights between the Cape Verde islands on the airline's website. No matter the date or route, I always get the same response: "no flights on this date."
See the photo.
Would anyone have an explanation? Surely not all flights are fully booked in July?