Discussions similar to: Modifier billet retour Iberia
FR
Turkish Airlines flight delay and refusal to compensate
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.
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Connection time in Abu Dhabi
Hi, I’m planning a trip to Australia—Paris to Melbourne. I’m flying with Etihad and have a 1-hour connection in Abu Dhabi. Does that seem doable to you? Thanks for your feedback and experiences!
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Lufthansa: Court Case and Refund
Hi, Lufthansa is really pushing it:

Cancellation of two flights with no rebooking options offered, even though rebooking is possible on the same dates with comparable travel times. Yet Lufthansa claims no rebooking is possible;

To get a refund for a flight canceled by the airline (well after the Covid crisis), you have to take legal action! A refund request was properly submitted, but Lufthansa hasn’t responded.

Lufthansa’s lawyer admitted in court that the refund request is valid and that the airline is willing to refund. But over a year later, the refund still hasn’t been issued! Clearly, Lufthansa prefers to wait for a court ruling, which is a sure thing given their own lawyer’s statement;

After a phone call initiated by the passenger, rebooking was agreed upon by both parties—only for Lufthansa to cancel it immediately without offering any alternative rebooking.

In a follow-up call initiated by the passenger, Lufthansa proposed a rebooking with a travel time of 31 hours instead of 21, even though faster rebooking options with comparable travel times exist.

The proposed 31-hour rebooking includes a nighttime layover of over 12 hours with no hotel or transportation coverage;

For the first rebooking that both parties agreed on (but Lufthansa immediately canceled), they refused to cover ground transportation from the arrival airport to the originally planned airport;

Refusal of other "prompt" rebooking options, even though they were available and proposed by the passenger;

Ongoing legal case: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2024/10/23/lufthansa-championne-du-refus-des-droits-des-passagers/ 2 Best regards,

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

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

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

Despite a complaint, no reaction from Air Austral—they’re clearly in big trouble...
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Wrong date on return flight ticket
Good evening. I hope you're all doing well. Sorry in advance—my message will be a bit long, and sorry for any spelling mistakes.

So, here's the thing: I booked a flight ticket through an intermediary to go to Réunion from November 29th to December 16th. This evening, I was checking the dates and times of my flight, and—WHAT A NASTY SURPRISE!!

My outbound ticket is correct—no issues, the day and time match perfectly. But there’s NO flight at the time listed on my return ticket!!! I thought it must be a glitch. I refreshed the page several times, cleared my history, and even searched on other sites and in private browsing.

But it’s still the same—no flight on December 16th leaves at the time shown on my ticket. I went back to the intermediary’s site, then checked the airline’s website, and I had the idea to try December 15th for the departure—and BINGO! The return flight time, the airline, the type of plane—everything matches.

I realized then that the site that sold me the ticket made a mistake on the return date. I don’t know what to do because I can’t get anyone on the phone.

Since the error is on their end, are they obligated to change my flight to December 15th, or do I have to pay for a new ticket?

If I ask them to put me on another flight on the 16th, will I have to pay fees or not?

I’m completely lost and pretty upset, so if you have any answers to my questions, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
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Layover canceled 4 months before the flight by Lufthansa
Hi, I’m traveling to New Zealand in January 2026 with Lufthansa. To check the allowed baggage dimensions, I went to my "booking" account on the Lufthansa website. And that’s when I discovered that my last layover, the Zurich-Bordeaux flight operated by Swiffairlines, was canceled. I never received an email, and even worse, it’s not even noted on my booking. So I contacted Lufthansa. They told me that for now, there are no other flights but that there will be by the time I leave. They advised me to call them every week to get a flight. What do you think of their response? Has this ever happened to you? Emilie
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Connecting in Santiago: how much transit time?
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! :)
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Air Mauritius ghost flight
Hi,

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

Nothing about the connection in France...

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

I asked for an explanation by email.

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

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

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

They suggested I change it by paying!!!

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

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

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

(The Air Mauritius flight is no longer for sale on Google Flights. The replacement flight isn’t either... Yet it still appears on the Air Mauritius site as the replacement flight.)
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Modification insurance with Edreams
Supposedly modification insurance = big scam, let me explain:Hello,

I’ve been an Edreams customer for decades, spending tens of thousands of euros with them. For this latest trip, we knew our departure date but weren’t sure about the exact return date. So, we booked tickets supposedly "Modifiable sans frais" (fee-free modifiable).

We left on September 3rd, and a week before the initially booked return date, we finalized our schedule. I went to my booking to make the change. And then... I found out that if you’ve already taken your outbound flight, you can no longer modify the return flight!!!!!!!

Like most people, I didn’t read the long, complicated, and tedious fine print in the terms and conditions—which I later took the time to go through. Here’s an excerpt: "Flexible Name Guarantee Our Superflex fare includes a Flexible Name Guarantee that allows customers to change the full name of one of the passengers on their flight tickets. This contractual guarantee takes effect at the time of booking and expires 24 hours before the start of the trip, determined by the date and time of departure of the first flight included in the booking."

In short, I paid an extra 500 € for this insurance (for 4 tickets) that’s absolutely useless.

In my opinion, when I book a modifiable ticket, it’s PRECISELY BECAUSE I KNEW I’D NEED TO CHANGE MY DATE ONCE I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION.

But I learned that this insurance stops 24 hours before departure.

So, if you’re thinking of changing your return dates after you’ve already taken your outbound flight, well, this insurance won’t work—and they make sure not to clearly explain that to you.

So, dear EDREAMS, thank you for being my booking portal for 15 years. I’ve traveled all over the world (74 countries visited—who can top that?), spent a fortune on your site, and I’m saying "Adios". On top of that, I’ll take care of your online reputation since it’s my job (digital marketing).

Hasta la vista
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Qatar Airways: cancellation and incomplete rescheduling
So, even before starting my explanation, I’d like to introduce myself since this is my first post on the forum :) I’m Jérôme, a huge Asia enthusiast, and I’m currently in the process of moving to Japan with my family in 2028.

Now, onto the topic :)

We’re a family of four traveling together to Seoul, with two separate bookings.

Our original itinerary was: Madrid → Doha → Seoul (March 23–24)

The issue is that our entire outbound flight was canceled, and the airline simply rescheduled the Madrid → Doha leg. Now we’re left with an incomplete journey, with no solution to reach our final destination (Seoul).

Since then:

- Can’t modify flights online (technical error every time) - Can’t get help via chat or WhatsApp - Phone support is unreachable, and the usual French number isn’t working right now

We don’t want a refund. We just want to be rerouted to Seoul, as our original ticket promised.

We’re flexible:

- On dates (we can leave on March 21 or 22 instead of the 23rd) - On the itinerary (different layovers if needed)

Have any of you dealt with this before? Do you know how to unlock a booking in this case or get a rerouting? We’re considering going straight to the airport to resolve it at the Qatar Airways counter....

Thanks so much for your help! 😊
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Issue with flights to Cambodia with a layover in Bangkok
we have flights with Swiss and Lufthansa for January; our flights are still in our booking file. But after reading that the Cambodian ambassador in Paris advised against transiting through Bangkok (which is our case), I reached out to the airlines to potentially change our ticket via Singapore. However, both companies have canceled all flights to Cambodia, regardless of the day or airport. We’ll have our contact on the ground call us on Monday to figure out what to do, especially since no insurance covers war, conflict, etc. If anyone else is in the same situation with an upcoming departure, we can exchange tips
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Issue with Name on Air France Booking via Lastminute
Hi, I need your help because I’m stuck. I booked 6 flight tickets to Palermo on August 6th through the Lastminute site. The flight is operated by Air France, and I just realized my name is wrong. I immediately contacted Air France, who told me it’s up to Lastminute to make the change, but they say it’s Air France’s responsibility. I’m really anxious because I’m traveling with my two kids. Can you help me? Thanks
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Payment Issue with Saudi Airlines
Hi there, I’m facing a rather unusual issue with SAUDI AIRLINES. I booked a flight to Jakarta with a layover in Jeddah for July directly on their website on February 25th, paying for our three tickets via PAYPAL. I quickly received confirmation that my flight was booked and our e-tickets were issued. However, after several days, I noticed we were never charged for the tickets, and I saw on our PayPal account that the payment authorization was still pending.

At first, I chalked it up to cross-border or banking delays… but since I use PayPal often and the debit from my bank account is usually almost immediate, I called PayPal. They told me that neither they nor I had anything more to do: when a transaction is paid using their solution, the payment is systematically validated by the seller before the transaction (an automated process, I imagine). However, PayPal confirmed that SAUDI hadn’t done this and that they had a month to do so, otherwise the transaction would be canceled by PAYPAL and SAUDI wouldn’t receive the funds. There must have been a technical glitch because normally, I shouldn’t have received the tickets until they had received the payment.

Given the reviews I’ve read about their customer service, I’m worried they might cancel our tickets without notice once they realize their mistake—or that they’ll ask us to pay the amount at that point (since the closer we get to the date, the higher the price goes).

So, I’ve been trying to contact them nonstop via their app (I’ve submitted about 10 tickets), I’ve called them, messaged them on Messenger and Instagram, and so far, I haven’t gotten any response. Either they don’t read my message to the end and just reply that the flight is confirmed + resend the tickets, or more recently, they tell me the issue is being handled by another department. We tried calling them again on Saturday, but no luck—the French-speaking agents were always busy. On Messenger, they keep asking for the secret code sent by SMS at the start of the conversation, but of course, I never receive anything even though my number is correctly registered in my SAUDI account.

I don’t know what else to do, and I’m not sure if I’m right to worry they might cancel our tickets.

I’m afraid this could jeopardize our dream trip, for which I’ve already booked hotels and activities… and we were really looking forward to it.

I hope you can shed some light on this?

Thanks for taking the time to read this
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Missing maiden name on Turkish Airlines flight ticket
Hi, I booked flight tickets with Turkish Airlines 15 days ago for a round-trip for 4 people to Thailand in August 2026. On my reservation, I only included my married name, but on my passport, my maiden name appears along with my married name. I only noted one first name—I didn’t include my second or third first name. For my husband and children, I only included their first first name. I called Turkish Airlines a few days ago as a precaution, and they were very helpful, guiding me through the process of adding a comment to request the modification with scanned passports. They confirmed it would be free of charge. Today, I received a response from TK saying I need to buy new tickets with the required changes and then provide them with the new reservation details to be reimbursed for the initially purchased tickets. I called Turkish Airlines again, and they advised me to file a complaint using the initial comment I made. I did that tonight, explaining that I made these requests as a precaution—I fly every year and have never included my maiden name or other first names on my reservations, and it’s never been an issue. Plus, I can’t afford to pay for new tickets since prices have skyrocketed (+1000 € for 4 people). I’m really worried and anxious about this situation. We’ve been saving for a while to afford this trip, and I hope it gets resolved favorably. Have any of you experienced similar issues or situations like this? If so, how did it go at the airport? Thanks in advance for your help
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Flight Change by Kuwait Airways - Booked via Trip
Hey everyone, We bought a ticket a month ago on Trip. It was supposed to be a flight leaving at 2:30 AM to arrive in Kuwait at 4:30 AM to catch a connecting flight with the same airline (Kuwait Airways) at 8:30 AM the same day, arriving in Paris at 12:45 PM. But Trip just informed us that KA "modified" the first flight to depart at 1:20 PM, which means we’ll miss the second leg of the journey. No alternative offered for that portion. After checking, the only solution is to take the flight the next day—so more than 17 hours of layover. We have to go back to work the next day, even though we’d planned a rest day. Trip’s only options are to cancel or accept the change!!! We asked them to propose an alternative flight, but their response was to contact the airline. We did, and their answer? Wait a bit longer for the final schedule!!! From my research, this counts as a cancellation or at least a delay of over 3 hours, so the airline is obligated to find us an alternative flight and compensate us. Has anyone had this experience with this airline or another? Any advice? Thanks in advance
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Flight canceled due to strike with Ryanair: wait or rebook?
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.
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Question about name matching between flight ticket and passport
Hi there,

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🙁)

Thanks for your feedback.
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Flight ticket never received (eDreams)
Hi there,

Hi, I just bought a flight ticket on eDreams. My account was debited, but I haven’t received the tickets. I checked my spam folder, but no luck. Could you provide me with a contact number or a link to their site so I can file a complaint? Alternatively, if anyone has a solution, I’d be interested in getting a refund. I contacted my bank, but since the amount has already been debited, what can they do? Thanks in advance!

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Court Ruling on Compensation for Delays of "3 Hours or More" by Airlines
Hi, On October 30, 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its ruling in case C-558/24 Corendon.

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

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

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

The ruling states:

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

Full ruling here:

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

Best regards
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Layover in Miami of 2h05: is it enough?
Hi there!

In August, I’m planning a flight with a layover between Las Vegas and Pointe-à-Pitre. Departure from Las Vegas at 11:50 PM – Arrival in Miami at 7:50 AM Layover from 7:50 AM to 9:55 AM Departure from Miami at 9:55 AM, arrival in PTP at 1:10 PM

I’m a bit stressed about the 2h05 layover. What do you think? Is that enough time?

Thanks for your replies! Marc
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Error with middle name on Air Mauritius ticket
Booked an Air Mauritius ticket via a flight operated by Air France, but my middle name was shortened to just an initial with "Ms" attached instead of being written as Lalina Alexandra Fernandez. On the ticket, it shows as Lalina Ams Fernandez, even though I booked with the correct name. Apparently, no one can modify the ticket. Do you think this will cause problems?
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Typo in the name on my Mauritius ticket – Go to Gate / Air Mauritius
Hi there, I bought a ticket for a flight from Toulouse to Mauritius through the Go to Gate agency. The flight leaves Toulouse with Air France, then has a layover in Paris before continuing to Mauritius with Air Mauritius. Unfortunately, I made a typo in my partner’s name. The travel agency won’t correct it, even though Air Mauritius doesn’t see a problem—but they won’t send an email to authorize the change either. They say it’s up to Go to Gate to handle it. Just so you know, the airline can’t modify the name themselves; according to them, it’s Go to Gate’s responsibility to make the change.

What should I do? Thanks so much!
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First and last name swapped on my flight ticket
Hi,

I swapped my first and last name when I made my reservation. I’d like to know if this could cause any issues for boarding or not? I have a layover in Istanbul on my way to Dubai.

Could you please point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance
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Preferred name instead of family name on Oman Air ticket
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!
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Scam: Cathay Pacific Refuses to Comply with European Law
On February 19, 2025, we traveled on Cathay Pacific flight CX702, which was supposed to take us from Bangkok to Paris Charles de Gaulle, with a transfer via their Hong Kong hub.

The departure from Bangkok was scheduled for 7:15 PM, with an arrival in Hong Kong at 11:05 PM local time.

The layover was supposed to last 1 hour and 10 minutes, and we were due to take off for Paris on flight CX261 at 12:15 AM, with a scheduled arrival at CDG at 7:35 AM local time.

From Bangkok, flight CX702 took off over an hour late. The scraps of information provided didn’t give us any real idea of the reason for the delay or whether we’d make our connection in Hong Kong on flight CX261.

Then, on the plane, the CX702 crew couldn’t tell us anything about the connection or confirm that our luggage would be transferred to Paris (we were pretty worried, as our bags contained research materials and results).

Upon arrival in Hong Kong, we were immediately told—without any explanation—that we wouldn’t be taking flight CX261!

The staff then rushed us through the airport corridors, past Chinese police checks, after handing us two non-regulation flight tickets for CX289 to Frankfurt instead of Paris.

These tickets were scribbled in ballpoint pen, with a departure time that had already passed and no gate information.

The plane took off on February 20, 2025, well after the scheduled 12:15 AM departure. We landed in Frankfurt around 7:00 AM local time.

From there, after going through additional security checks and completely exhausted from the journey, we had to walk through Frankfurt Airport’s endless corridors—only to find out we’d been dropped off at the opposite end from the gate for flights to CDG.

Not to mention, when we reached gate A01, we were told we had to backtrack to gate A24. And as if that wasn’t enough after 15 hours of travel, the gate changed again without any announcement or email.

You’d think Cathay Pacific’s management would know how long these walks are...

In the end, we arrived at Paris CDG at 1:30 PM—six hours later than scheduled, with an extra layover in Frankfurt.

Discussion: Cathay Pacific informed us via email on February 19—while we were already in the air—that our connection had been canceled for "commercial and operational reasons."

Yet, the plane for flight CX289 was full of passengers, so there was no reason the original flight CX261 couldn’t have been delayed. We concluded we were victims of overbooking—without being told!

Especially since the rerouting to Frankfurt seemed well-rehearsed...

Regarding the overbooking, our tickets were flexible, and we paid an extra 220 € for that.

We should *never* have been overbooked!!!

I also want to let other travelers know that Cathay Pacific initially told us via email that our delayed arrival in Paris would be at 10:30 AM instead of 7:35 AM.

We immediately arranged for colleagues in Paris to pick us up at that time.

Except the arrival time was changed *again* to 1:30 PM. And by then, we couldn’t get home before the evening of February 21, with all the extra costs that entailed.

Back in Frankfurt, we were stuck waiting from 7:00 AM to 12:15 PM on some of the most uncomfortable seats, with no refreshments, snacks, or assistance—right in the middle of the constant flow of travelers heading for short- and medium-haul flights. The least they could’ve done was let us into the international lounge, which would’ve been far more suitable for exhausted, freezing travelers. Right?

On this point, European law states that if an airline fails in its obligations, passengers can claim full compensation for material and moral damages without a cap. Moral damages can also be compensated (CJEU, October 13, 2011, case C-83/10).

And whether Cathay Pacific’s management likes it or not, commercial or technical issues causing flight cancellations or delays *do not* count as "extraordinary circumstances" that would exempt the airline from liability (CJEU ruling, November 19, 2009).

Most importantly, due to the over 6-hour delay and the distance between the departure airport and CDG, we should have been compensated at least 600 € per passenger under European law (Article 7 of Regulation (EC) 261/2004).

But that’s not possible because Cathay Pacific refuses to comply with European legislation guaranteeing compensation for travelers affected by such delays.

To bypass passenger rights, Cathay Pacific evades responsibility by claiming that, as a Chinese company headquartered in Hong Kong, it isn’t bound by European laws.

Yet that doesn’t stop them from enjoying commercial advantages by operating a French subsidiary for passenger transport, registered in the trade register and based in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

So it *is* subject to European law!!!

Air travelers are thus victims of Cathay Pacific’s strategies to circumvent European law...

In our case, we had to endure the cancellation of our access to flight CX261, an imposed layover in Frankfurt, no minimal assistance during the 5-hour wait in Germany, a delay of over 6 hours upon arrival, and the costs of an extra day to get home.

And as if that weren’t enough, we also suffered moral and financial damages due to the airline’s blatant disregard for its customers!

The fact is, Cathay Pacific and its executives subjected us to these damages because of an overbooking policy hidden from customers. We weren’t informed of our rights, the reasons for the delay or rerouting, or given any assistance during the imposed layover. We weren’t even refunded the extra we paid for flexible tickets—what was the point of that when overbooking was clearly planned?

And on top of it all, they excluded us from European law, which would’ve allowed us to be compensated 600 € each for the delay—totaling 1,200 €.

We wrote three times by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt to Cathay Pacific’s Group CEO, the France Regional Director, and the head of the French-registered subsidiary.

No response—except an email refusing to comply with European legislation!

Given this policy of circumventing European law and passenger protections, Cathay Pacific’s online and in-agency flight offers *must* clearly inform customers that in case of delays, cancellations, or rerouting, they won’t be compensated by the Chinese airline!!!
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Upcoming Jet Fuel Shortage in Vietnam and Sri Lanka
Hi! Sri Lanka has announced it could run out of fuel in the coming weeks if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. The government has implemented a mandatory four-day workweek to save oil, and there are long lines at gas stations due to fears of an early shortage. In Vietnam, the government has warned all airlines that flights will need to be reduced due to a lack of kerosene. The country imports two-thirds of its jet fuel from China and Thailand, but both countries have now banned exports out of fear of domestic shortages. The state is asking airlines to plan ahead and park aircraft to drastically reduce operations, starting with domestic flights and then international ones. International carriers will also need to cut back on their rotations. This will begin in the coming days. 🙁
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Incomplete name on Ryanair flight
hi, I forgot the first of my partner’s 2 last names on the Ryanair booking (for example, his name is Durand Dupond but I only put Dupond). Do you think I need to change the reservation? It costs 110 €, so I’d rather avoid it—we’re traveling in Europe and leaving in 2 days. Thanks so much!
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