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.
Your case isn’t straightforward, first because you bought a flight through a third-party site with two airlines that are indeed partners on certain routes but aren’t really closely aligned.
Turkish issued the ticket, put you up when there was a delay on the outbound flight—so far, that seems pretty decent. Then came the issue with the ticket no longer being recognized, right? And you didn’t notice when you checked your booking? I always keep an eye on my reservations like a hawk in these situations. In fact, the Turkish Airlines app usually suggests options for follow-up flights if you miss one and indicates any additional payments required.
Indeed, if the ticket number was changed, they won’t be able to find you, and that’s a serious mistake—not on Turkish’s part, but on Airlink’s. For this kind of destination, it’s often more sensible to book separate flights, allowing for a buffer night on the way there and back—or at least, say, 8 to 10 hours—rather than trying to piece together mismatched connections.
Obviously, I won’t be flying with Turkish Airlines again, as they seem to have a habit of not respecting schedules or customer satisfaction.
Well, you won’t be traveling much at all then.
TK isn’t great with customer service, and as a global airline, their agents struggle to handle the particular and complex cases that come up. We think our situation is the center of the universe, but between misunderstandings, language barriers, and complexity, they really do have a hard time keeping up—and simply understanding requests, just as we struggle to explain them clearly.
Try reaching out on Facebook publicly; often, their customer service will take notice.
But to say they’re more delayed than others is simply untrue. You’d be in for some real disappointments if you switched to, say, Lufthansa, especially with connections in Frankfurt. Personally, I’m probably going to have a tough time getting the 250 € Lot Polish owes me after a cancellation the other day.
As for delays, there are plenty of studies and rankings out there. Here’s one from *La Dépêche*, based on last summer’s data, I think:
https://www.ladepeche.fr/2024/09/05/quelles-compagnies-ont-connu-le-plus-de-retards-et-dannulations-de-vols-cet-ete-12178684.php
The title of your post is a bit misleading: the issue isn’t a “flight delay” but a mishandling of the ticket during the first layover.
Hello and thank you for your reply.
We arrived in Botswana and headed into the bush, where we had no internet access.
The Turkish Airlines agent gave us a sheet with writing we couldn’t understand, which we handed over to the Airlink counter. The agent who managed to get us on the Airlink flight on September 2nd kept that sheet. We left feeling confident, but it still ruined our trip because we had a bad feeling about it.
Maybe there was a change in ticket numbering (we never actually had the tickets in hand!), but Turkish didn’t notify anyone—neither Option Way, Airlink, nor even their own staff.
I should also mention that a few days before our departure, Turkish changed the schedule, and our layover in Johannesburg was reduced by an hour. And it was impossible to change the flight because everything was either fully booked or incompatible.
You’re making me nervous because I’m planning a trip to Namibia for 2025, and our flight plan would be Luxembourg/Frankfurt/Windhoek operated by Lufthansa.
I’ve also seen negative comments about this airline—staff go on strike regularly, which doesn’t reassure me.
It’s true that I’m thinking of booking directly with the airlines instead of using a broker next time.
If you have any advice, I’d love to hear it!
To ensure your trip goes as smoothly as possible, it's best not to dive straight into your full itinerary right after arrival—plan for a 24-hour buffer instead.
Same goes for connections: allow plenty of time! And don’t stack too many of them. One layover is fine, but more than that can quickly turn into a nightmare.
And of course, book directly on the airline’s website.
All airlines face delays or rerouting issues. I’ve had problems with AF, Lufthansa, Iberia, EasyJet...
It’s easier to communicate with Air France, but that doesn’t mean compensation will be paid out any faster...
Traditional airlines generally have better rebooking services. With low-cost carriers, it’s every traveler for themselves...
For Luxembourg to Windhoek, what are you looking at?
There are Cityline, Air Dolomiti flights, and for the long-haul part, I don’t think it’s Lufthansa but Discover.
Then it’s via Frankfurt or Munich; Munich is a better airport, easier, smoother, and in Frankfurt, I’d say you should allow at least 3 hours.
Of course, buy on the airline’s website, but check if it’s cheaper on Lufthansa’s site when the flight is operated by another airline—sometimes it’s less expensive on the other airline’s site. For example, I recently bought an Air Baltic flight and was able to fly business class by booking on Air Baltic’s site for almost the price of an economy ticket on Lufthansa’s site.
Maybe there was a change in ticket numbering (we never actually had the tickets in hand!), but Turkish didn’t notify anyone—neither Option Way, Airlink, nor even their own staff.
From what you’re describing, I think Airlink, not having control over the TK ticket, issued a new one and broke the itinerary, which led to the cancellation of the rest.
You can find the ticket number on your boarding passes.
We’ve already transited through Frankfurt when coming from Luxembourg. Generally, Luxair is on time, and they have several flights a day to Frankfurt. The advantage with Lufthansa is that the Frankfurt/Windhoek flights are direct. From what I remember, check-in at Frankfurt is a bit chaotic, but the connections are quicker.
Luxembourg works well for us. We live in Lorraine. We’d be traveling outside of school holidays, probably in May, so the airports might be less crowded.
Of course, we’re never safe from a surprise strike!
I don’t get the impression there are Luxembourg–Frankfurt flights on Luxair, and on Lufthansa’s site, in May, I did see Luxair connections but with another layover—I think Vienna.
Munich, on the other hand, yes.
There are direct Luxembourg–Frankfurt flights on LH, though.
Frankfurt is always packed, and in terms of delays, it’s probably the worst airport in Europe.
First and foremost: always buy your **flight tickets directly from the airline** using a single booking. And always single booking, even for multi-destination trips.
Does your reservation have a SINGLE PNR number?
Assuming it was indeed a single booking:
- Connecting flight from Mulhouse to Maun. This is considered ONE connecting flight departing from the European Union (multiple stops, as per the Court of Justice of the European Union). Note that the entire airport is in France. The "Swiss zone" of the airport is only a customs and police agreement, so it has no impact on the application of EU Regulation 261/2004. This is important because, while Regulation 261/2004 applies to Switzerland, it does not provide compensation for delays since the right to compensation for "3 hours or more" delays only comes from CJEU case law, not the regulation itself. And CJEU case law does not apply to Switzerland. Since you arrived at your final destination with a delay of "3 hours or more" exceeding 4 hours, you are entitled to 600 € per paying passenger, unless the airline can PROVE (mere claims are not enough) that the issue was due to (quoting) "extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken." See here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/force-majeure-circonstances-exceptionnelles-circonstances-extraordinaires-quest-ce-que-cest-definition-refus-dindemnisation/
"We lost our first day of vacation in Botswana, including the activities that were planned for that day." This has no legal bearing and doesn’t even need to be mentioned. By bringing it up, you’re only showing your lack of legal knowledge, which can only work against you.
Connecting flight on September 11th: Don’t get bogged down in multiple explanations, and even less in assumptions.
Note that this flight is not covered by EU Regulation 261/2004 since it’s a flight departing from a non-EU country operated by a non-European airline.
However, Turkey has adopted a law that is almost a copy of EU Regulation 261/2004. See here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/
First flight segment: Same as before: Don’t get bogged down in multiple explanations or assumptions. File a claim for denied boarding since you had a confirmed reservation and presented yourself at the airport on time. Since this was ONE connecting flight, with one segment operated by Turkish Airlines, the claim must be made to Turkish under Turkish law, not EU Regulation 261/2004. Plus, of course, reimbursement for the ticket you had to rebook.
Regarding the return connecting flight, since neither EU Regulation 261/2004 nor CJEU case law applies, you’ll need to rely on the exact wording of Turkish law to define what constitutes a "connecting flight" and what "final destination" implies.
Finally, while the outbound flight shouldn’t be too difficult to handle (the local court with jurisdiction over Mulhouse Airport is competent), the same isn’t true for the return flight—unless Turkish Airlines is cooperative—since you’d need to take legal action in Turkey.
"For Turkish Airlines, claims can only be made through their website."
An airline (or anyone else) cannot impose conditions that don’t exist in the law for its application.
However, you’ve entrusted your case to one of those agencies that take "25 or 30%" (excluding taxes). All these agencies include in their terms and conditions (which you accept with a single click) that if you eventually get compensation on your own, their commission is still due. Plus, you’d have to be pretty naive to believe that for 25% of 600 €, 400 €, or 250 € (150 €, 100 €, or 62.50 €), the agency will do anything more than send a letter you could’ve sent yourself. We’re light-years away from a lawyer’s fees... unless the agency has gathered a large number of cases for the same flight. If that works, it’s a win, and if not, the investment wasn’t too heavy.
You might face real disappointments if you turn, for example, to Lufthansa, especially with layovers in Frankfurt
That’s exactly what happened to me.
We took a flight from Toulouse to Chennai with a layover in Frankfurt (January 2025).
The Toulouse to Frankfurt flight was canceled with no alternative rebooking offered.
So how were we supposed to get to Frankfurt? 😕
I called them to find a solution. They proposed rebooking the flights for the day after the original date, which—due to the schedule—meant spending a night in Frankfurt.
Not wanting to lose a day of our trip, we asked to leave the day before the originally planned date.
Everything was approved with no extra fees, but we’ll have to pay for the hotel, taxi, meals, etc., out of pocket—even though it’s not our fault.
Do you think it’ll be possible to get reimbursed for these additional expenses?
From what I understand, the airline offered the next day, probably the same route 24 hours later, but Kate asked instead to move the connecting flight forward to the day before, while keeping the long-haul flight.
So it was at the passenger’s request, no extra cost, but also no actual delay in the end.
In spirit, it’s eligible, but what about the letter of the law?
"So it's at the passenger's initiative, free of charge, but also without any final delay."
No. You need to reread:
- Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and more specifically its paragraph 1, "In the event of cancellation of a flight, the passengers concerned" (we are indeed in this situation), then under a (rerouting), and under b (right to care).
Then Articles 8 and 9.
"In spirit, it's eligible, but in the letter of the law?"
The law is about the exact wording, down to the comma. Nothing in the wording of Articles 5, 8, and 9 allows the right to care to be dismissed—quite the opposite. Reread the two links I already shared!
If I understood the story correctly, the airline offered the following day, probably the same route 24 hours later, but Kate asked instead to move the connecting flight forward to the day before, while keeping the long-haul flight.
If I had chosen Lufthansa’s solution, we would have still been forced to spend a night in Frankfurt. The flight to Chennai from Frankfurt is at 10 AM, so you have to arrive the day before. The original early morning flight from Toulouse has been completely canceled every day.
So, whether a day before or a day after, the night in Frankfurt became unavoidable.
(Which adds an extra cost of around 300 € for the four of us: hotel, taxi, meals...)
"You are not entitled to compensation if the airline notifies you of the cancellation under the following conditions:
- At least 2 weeks before departure
- Between 7 days and 2 weeks before departure by offering you a replacement flight departing no earlier than 2 hours before the scheduled departure time and arriving less than 4 hours later than planned
- Less than 7 days before departure by offering you a replacement flight departing no earlier than 1 hour before the scheduled departure time and arriving less than 2 hours later than planned"
In short, if Lufthansa notified you well in advance, you’re not entitled to anything.
I’ve noticed that Lufthansa no longer has the network it used to. I’m planning to go to Thailand from Lyon. Lufthansa was one of the options...
In short, if Lufthansa informed you well in advance, you're not entitled to anything.
Hello,
Here, you're confusing the right to compensation under Article 7 of EU Regulation 261/2004 (250, 400, or 600 € depending on the distance) with the right to re-routing and care under Articles 8 and 9 of the same regulation, within the framework of Articles 5 (cancellations), 4 (denied boarding), or 6 (delays).
As you mentioned, there’s no right to compensation if the passenger is informed more than 14 days in advance.
But this has nothing to do with the right to re-routing and care (Articles 8 and 9), which is available without any prior notice requirement. The same goes for the right to a refund if the passenger chooses that instead of re-routing.
Unless I'm mistaken, if a passenger is notified that their flight is canceled more than 14 days before departure, they're not entitled to anything.
They can accept a re-routing (if the airline offers it) or a refund for their ticket.
If the re-routing causes them to lose or gain days or incur additional expenses, that's on them.
Kate didn’t mention when her flight was canceled. (I think)
When you're not really into legal stuff, it's a bit hard to follow.
So, I’m sharing my recent case.
I had a flight with LOT Polish – Vienna VIE to Warsaw WAW to Riga RIX, to be honest, on October 24th.
On October 17th, LOT announced the cancellation of the VIE-WAW leg and only offered me a rebooking 48 hours later, on the 26th.
I refused and asked for a refund. They did it in less than 7 days, so contract fulfilled.
Am I also entitled to ask them for 250 €? It’s a European flight under 1500 km, right?
I filled out the form to request it, and for now, I’m just waiting to see what happens.
We’re planning a trip to the Seychelles in summer 2027.
We live in Lyon and I’m looking for all possible flight options.
I’m interested in hearing from people who’ve flown from Barcelona with Emirates to Mahé (layover in Dubai).
I’m wondering how easy parking is in Barcelona and how manageable it is to fly from there with two kids aged 10 and 13.
Flights from Barcelona are cheaper than from Lyon or CDG. I’d love to hear from anyone who chose BCN with Emirates.
If you’ve got other suggestions, I’m all ears.
Thanks!
I’ll have a long layover at Beijing Airport (PEK) on December 6, 2026.
I arrive at Terminal 3 around 5:30 AM on Air China and depart at 6:15 PM, also with Air China, for an international flight.
I’d like to stay in the transit zone, without leaving the airport or going through Chinese immigration, if possible.
I’m just looking for a private room for a few hours, ideally 7-8 hours, so I can get some sleep and take a shower.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Jean-Philippe
Hello,
On October 2, 2026, Regulation 2026/2202 of the European Parliament and Council, amending Regulation 261/2004, was published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This new regulation will apply from October 23, 2027. For all flights operated up to that date, Regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and Council, along with all related case law, will continue to apply.
This new regulation introduces numerous improvements and clarifications, particularly by incorporating a large body of case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union. That’s why it expands from 7 pages to 45 pages. Additionally, it adds new rights. However, it remains clear and perfectly understandable, even for non-legal professionals.
But watch out for a new pitfall: passengers will have to file a claim in writing within 9 months of the flight date. If the response is negative or if there’s no response, the passenger "may file a complaint" (the wording is precise!) with the airline, under Article 15 bis of Regulation 2026/2202, within 12 months of the flight date, or within 3 months of the date of the first claim, whichever is later. Failure to meet either of these deadlines will make the claim inadmissible.
Note that Article 15 bis of Regulation 2026/2202 directly conflicts with Article 1 of Decree 2025-772, which requires referring the matter to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman within one year.
The entry into force of this new regulation will render Decree 2025/772 obsolete, which currently requires legal action to bring a case before the court for flights operated before October 23, 2027. Unless this decree is annulled by the Council of State before that date due to ongoing appeals.
Hi there,
I’m planning a winter trip across India. Departing in early December and returning to France in mid-April.
My main concern is finding an airline that offers this round-trip with the fewest hassles regarding cancellations or flight schedule changes. The unstable geopolitical situation in the Middle East isn’t making this search any easier—recent reviews online about airlines from Gulf states describe quite a few struggles over the past few months.
The direct Paris-Delhi round-trip flights offered by Air France or Air India are probably the safest options, but not the cheapest!
Given this uncertainty, I’m still holding off on finalizing my ticket purchase... Maybe some of you India lovers on VoyageForum have tips or experiences to share?
Thanks, and happy travels to all.
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.
Hi,
I’m thinking of heading to Malaysia soon.
I’ve seen some great prices and direct flights from Paris with Malaysia Airlines.
Is it a reliable airline?
Thanks for your feedback!
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 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
I’ve been traveling regularly for over twenty years,
but this is the first time an airline has treated me as poorly as Air France.
Two trips, two problems. The latest:
Trip from Seoul to Rennes. Last leg from Paris CDG to Rennes with Air France.
I arrive in Paris and go straight to Air France to get my boarding pass to Rennes. They assure me my baggage is continuing to Rennes.
Arriving in Rennes, no baggage—same as five other people.
The Air France office is closed, and the airport staff tell me there’s rarely anyone there.
With the help of the airport staff, I file a claim online, and my baggage is almost immediately located. As a result, I’m told I’ll have it the next day.
Four days later, the baggage is still in the same place at CDG—nothing’s moving.
The problem is Air France has no customer service. What they call customer service is a department that takes an hour to answer and just repeats what’s on the online form. No coordination, no way to get things moving. I guess Air France would rather pay the compensation after 21 days than actually do something.
I’ve had lost baggage on other trips, but this is the first time I’ve seen such indifference and lack of professionalism.
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!
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!
