Hi there, I’m facing a rather unusual issue with SAUDI AIRLINES. I booked a flight to Jakarta with a layover in Jeddah for July directly on their website on February 25th, paying for our three tickets via PAYPAL. I quickly received confirmation that my flight was booked and our e-tickets were issued. However, after several days, I noticed we were never charged for the tickets, and I saw on our PayPal account that the payment authorization was still pending.

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

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

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

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

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

I hope you can shed some light on this?

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Hi everyone, I have to leave for Canada and I’ve got a layover at Paris CDG. A friend of mine will be at the airport to see me. What are the options for us to meet up? Can she access my terminal (T2E), or can I leave the international zone?

Hello, We’re planning to fly from Paris to Bangkok at the end of June with my wife, our daughter, and the baby who’ll be 4 months old by then. The baby won’t be born for another 2 months, and I was wondering if it’s possible to book the 3 flight tickets now and add the baby after the birth? I read that a ticket isn’t necessary for babies. Can you confirm this for me? Is there a risk that in 2 months they’ll tell me the flight is full and we can’t add our baby? Finally, is it possible to reserve a seat in the first row (where there’s the most space) right now? Thanks so much for your help

Hi, I know this topic has already been discussed, but in a rush, I booked a flight ticket with my married name (on my passport it’s noted as "married name X"). I’m flying with Oman Air, but since I booked through Expedia, they refuse to change it to my maiden name. Can I still travel? I’m really panicking!

Hi everyone,

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

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

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

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

Hi there,

Lately, when I check Skyscanner (sorted by price low to high 😛), I don’t see Gulf airlines at the top of the list anymore. Instead, Air India dominates (I flew with them a few years ago, and my experience was pretty mixed). After that, there’s Royal Jordanian… and the first Gulf Air, Etihad, and others only show up at 7XX € or more (with endless layovers). What’s going on with these airlines? Did they change their target market? I really like these routes for Southeast Asia trips because they give you a perfect midway break.

We bought round-trip tickets from Mulhouse/Basel to Maun (Botswana) in January 2023 through Option Way.

Turkish Airlines issued the entire round-trip tickets. The flight plan was:

31 August 2023: TK 926 from Basel/Mulhouse to Istanbul and TK38 from Istanbul to Johannesburg 1 September 2023: Airlink (4Z)300 from Johannesburg to Maun. 11 September 2023: Airlink (4Z)301 from Maun to Johannesburg and TK43 from Johannesburg to Istanbul 12 September 2023: TK1923 from Istanbul to Basel/Mulhouse.

On 1 September, on the outbound trip, Turkish Airlines flight TK38 from Istanbul to Johannesburg arrived 1 hour and 30 minutes late due to airport congestion. As a result, we missed our connection with Airlink flight (4Z) 300 from Johannesburg to Botswana (even though the initial layover time was sufficient for the connection). Upon arrival at Johannesburg Airport, a Turkish Airlines agent greeted us, booked us a room near the airport, and rebooked us on the same flight for the following day, 2 September. On 2 September, after numerous difficulties checking in at the Airlink counter in Johannesburg, we finally reached our final destination with a 24-hour delay. We lost our first day of vacation in Botswana, including the activities that were planned for that day. On 11 September, during our return trip and almost certainly due to the rescheduling of the outbound flight, the Airlink check-in counter in Maun did not recognize our tickets issued by Turkish Airlines. After many searches and phone calls, we had to buy new tickets for the Maun/Johannesburg flight 4Z301. This cost us 9,306 Botswana pula (643 €). Upon arrival in Johannesburg, the Turkish Airlines check-in counter again had trouble identifying us for flight TK43 from Johannesburg to Istanbul. It’s clear that the root of our check-in problems stemmed from the renumbering of our tickets when the Turkish Airlines representative rebooked us on the Airlink (4Z)300 flight for 2 September. During this process, all subsequent flight tickets must have been canceled. Since our return, I’ve requested the following from Turkish Airlines: · Compensation under the European Regulation EC 261/2004 of 11 February 2004 for flight delays, amounting to 600 € per passenger. We meet all the conditions: departure from a Franco/Swiss airport, arrival at the final destination more than 4 hours late, and a distance greater than 3,500 kilometers. Turkish Airlines has not provided evidence that they did everything possible to avoid this delay. · Reimbursement for the Airlink Maun/Johannesburg tickets on 11 September, which we had to pay again to Airlink even though we had already paid for them through our agent, Option Way. Turkish Airlines refuses compensation on the grounds that they complied with all regulations. Turkish Airlines and Airlink are passing the buck when it comes to reimbursing the tickets we paid for twice. For Turkish Airlines, claims can only be made through their website, and each time a different agent responds. I’ve contacted our insurance, legal protection, the travel ombudsman... without success. Currently, the case is with a lawyer working for "Air Indemnité," but I have little hope. Obviously, I won’t be flying with Turkish Airlines again—they seem to have a habit of not respecting schedules or customer satisfaction. A good lesson for planning very long layovers.

Hi there,

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

Hi there,

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

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

Thanks so much for your help! :)

Hi there🙂, I’ve applied to renew my Austrian passport but I have to wait 3 weeks. I found some really interesting flights to Fès, but unfortunately I don’t have a passport number because I assume the old one isn’t valid anymore?

Is it possible to book with the old number and provide the new one later? Or any other solution? The airlines are Air Arabia Maroc and Ryanair. Thanks for your help!

Hi there,

When I run searches on Skyscanner, I see that only Lufthansa has flights to Seoul with just one stop. Air France doesn’t show up, even though I thought the French airline served Seoul? I can’t even log into the Air France website—it keeps glitching.

The couple involved refused to pay the extra fee demanded by the flight coordination company. Things quickly escalated. It got so bad that the man ended up physically fighting with an airport agent, even rolling on the ground.

https://www.nicematin.com/faits-divers/il-refuse-de-payer-un-supplement-bagages-le-litige-se-termine-en-bagarre-a-l-aeroport-de-nice-999711

If you can’t afford to pay for your luggage, don’t travel 😡. What’s next? Are they gonna hit the tour guide in Mykonos because the price of the tour went up without warning 🤪?

A heads-up to all EasyJet travelers: baggage checks are more strict than ever!

Good evening. I hope you're all doing well. Sorry in advance—my message will be a bit long, and sorry for any spelling mistakes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m completely lost and pretty upset, so if you have any answers to my questions, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Hi there, I bought a flight ticket with Air India departing from Paris and arriving in Bangkok with a layover in Delhi. I didn’t include my third given name when booking, but it’s on my passport. Could this cause a problem at boarding?

Also, with an 8-hour layover in Delhi—no need to recheck bags or leave the international zone—do I need an Indian transit visa?

Thanks for your help!

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

Hi, I booked a ticket on January 2nd for a round trip from Lyon to Amman from August 13th to 27th. I received an email on March 27th informing me that my departure and arrival airport would no longer be Lyon but Paris. I contacted them to say I refused this change, since it’s 400 km between the two airports. They replied that I could cancel my flight with cancellation fees of 130 € and a non-refundable tax of 29.82 €. Or I could change the dates and still face a 130 € penalty. I find this unbelievable—the airport change isn’t my fault, but theirs. They told me Royal Jordanian no longer flies out of Lyon. What should I do?

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

Hi 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!

Hi, We’re planning to go to Bohol from El Nido (Airswift flight from El Nido to Cebu, then ferry to Bohol). I can’t find any info about the checked baggage price for the flight. The airfare to Cebu includes a 7 kg carry-on. Does anyone know about checked luggage? Thanks in advance

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

Hi,

Right now, with the war raging in Iran and affecting all the neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf, many airports are completely closed to all traffic.

Several airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, and others have almost completely halted their operations.

Whether in the Middle East or Africa, many travelers are stranded—maybe for a long time... A heartfelt thought for them and the struggles this will cause.

Four months ago, I was in Kenya with a flight booked through Qatar Airways... I can’t even imagine how I’d react if I were stuck there now. ??

Wishing all these travelers courage, patience, and success in making it back home.

...

Doha Airport on October 21, 2025:



...

Hi! 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. 🙁

Hi everyone,

I have a Ryanair flight scheduled for 10/14 (outbound, returning on the 16th) from Charleroi in Belgium. A strike is confirmed, and the airport will be closed on the 14th. But Ryanair is still saying the flight is confirmed. I get that they’re trying to make us change and pay extra fees rather than wait for the free compensation.

If I make a new booking, can I still claim a refund for the first one?

Thanks in advance for your help—this is the first time I’ve faced this situation.

Hi, 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

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.)

Hi, So glad the site’s back up—I’ve always found great off-the-beaten-path tips here! This time, we’re planning a trip to Uzbekistan. Since time is a bit tight, we wanted to fly from Tashkent to Urgench, but we can’t find any direct flights between the two. Do we need to book from France, and if so, which site should we use? We’re thinking of going around mid-April. Thanks in advance for your help! Céline

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to warn you all after my disastrous trip back on February 28th because of Emirates airline. Please note that if you need to file a complaint with this airline, wait until you're back home in France or your country of origin. Here’s what happened to me. I had booked and paid for seats on the plane for my outbound flight on February 10th from Lyon to Dubai, then Dubai to Bangkok. Despite our reservation, these seats weren’t assigned to us. I spoke to a flight attendant who told me she’d inform Emirates management and advised me to file a complaint once I was at my hotel. So, I did that on the Emirates website to request a refund for the paid seats that weren’t assigned, totaling 34 €. On February 26th, I tried to check in online for the next day, which was supposed to be my return flight. To my surprise, my husband still had his return ticket, but mine was no longer scheduled. I contacted the airline via chat, and an advisor told me, "Ma’am, you canceled your return flight." I responded, of course, that I hadn’t, and as proof, my husband still had his return ticket. The advisor ended the conversation by insisting I had canceled my flight. I was devastated and in tears, and like most tourists, I only had data and no way to call except via WhatsApp and Messenger. I had to contact my daughters so they could call Emirates to understand and resolve the situation. But nothing worked—they insisted that when I filed my complaint, it was indicated that all my future tickets were canceled. The flight on February 27th was fully booked, so either my husband returns to France alone, or we return together on February 28th, but we’d have to pay 2300 € for both of us. Despite multiple explanations to Emirates—including that I’m disabled and can’t be alone—they refused to listen or understand. We had to pay 2300 € to get home on February 28th. We also had to extend our hotel stay in Bangkok by one night and change our train for the return on the 28th, totaling 2565 € to get back home. I’ve since filed requests with Emirates for a refund of the return flight tickets and with my Visa card, but I have little hope of recovering anything. If anyone here has experienced this situation or has any ideas for a solution, I’d really appreciate your help. Thanks so much for your valuable support. Most importantly, remember: DO NOT FILE A COMPLAINT WITH EMIRATES BEFORE RETURNING FROM YOUR TRIP.

Hi, my current question: which airline to pick—the cheapest one and also the one that takes the least time from TOULOUSE? Thanks for your help

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

Now, onto the topic :)

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

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

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

Since then:

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

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

We’re flexible:

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

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

Thanks so much for your help! 😊

Hi there,

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

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

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

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

Thanks! !