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.
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!
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!
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. 🙁
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.
If you can’t afford to pay for your luggage, don’t travel 😡. What’s next? Are they gonna hit the tour guide in Mykonos because the price of the tour went up without warning 🤪?
A heads-up to all EasyJet travelers: baggage checks are more strict than ever!
Hi, 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
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 just booked a round-trip flight from Brussels to Da Nang on eDreams, with a layover in Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific. Does anyone know the check-in procedure for these flights?
1) For flight CX294 BXL-HKG, I’ll need to check in on the Cathay Pacific website,
2) For the next flight CX5552 HKG-DAD, what should I do? I only have a 2h25 layover. Will I need to collect my luggage, go through immigration, and then recheck in at the airport counter, etc.?
I’m pretty worried about this layover—I thought check-in could be done on the airline’s website and that my luggage would be transferred automatically during the layover, like with most other airlines...
Thanks so much for any help from those who’ve been in this situation!
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!
Does anyone have an idea about how flight ticket prices drop for a given destination? (Excluding Ryanair, of course.)
We need to leave for Seville on December 27th.
Generally, airlines launch trips on a specific date with a high price to start filling the plane.
As the departure date gets closer, the airline tries to fill the plane and lowers its prices, so the ticket price becomes reasonable again.
Example: Right now, for a trip in about 10 days, the average round-trip ticket price is usually around 200 €.
Currently, the round-trip ticket price for December 27th is 450 €.
If any of you have more precise info on this topic
(for example, if the price drops 15 days before departure), thanks in advance for your input.
Jean Paul
Hi everyone!
We’re planning a multi-stop trip, starting with Uzbekistan.
Has anyone flown with Qanot Sharq before? We’re looking to take a flight from Tashkent to Guangzhou.
We tried buying a ticket on their website, but they only accept local bank cards since they don’t take foreign currency.
We’ve searched on other sites but can’t find any tickets that include baggage. It’s a bit risky since there’s no info on whether we can buy baggage allowance on their site or how much it’d cost.
If anyone has any tips, we’d love to hear them! 😊 Safe travels!
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’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.
Hi,
I’m torn between a few airlines for late March departing from Paris: Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways. Which one is reliable with a comfortable flight?
Air France’s schedule doesn’t work for me.
Thanks for your feedback!
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!
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?
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.
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....
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!!!
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 everyone, we need your advice to avoid being denied boarding at Paris CDG.
We’re planning a one-month trip to China, which matches the 30-day visa on arrival, but with a return ticket from Vietnam. For example, we’d arrive in Chengdu, then travel via Lao Cai to Vietnam, and fly back to Paris CDG from Hanoi 45 days later. Do you think this could be an issue at boarding?
Second option: arrive in Chengdu (*30-day visa duration*), then fly from Kunming to Hanoi 45 days later (Vietnam visa duration), and return to Paris CDG from Hanoi. Thanks for your input!
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
I can't seem to find flights between the Cape Verde islands on the airline's website. No matter the date or route, I always get the same response: "no flights on this date."
See the photo.
Would anyone have an explanation? Surely not all flights are fully booked in July?
Hi everyone!
It feels really strange to be back on Voyage Forum after such a long time.
A quick question for the pricing experts out here 😉
I’ve been running some simulations for a Singapore Airlines flight, and I found THE perfect one for me!
But here’s the thing: the simulation for 1 passenger is 978 €,
and for 2 passengers, it jumps to 2,208 €.
Where do those extra 252 € come from?
Yeah, I know I could book two separate reservations...
Hi,
I just booked a trip to Vietnam on OPODO. The reservation is confirmed, but I can't figure out if they send an e-ticket and when? The site is pretty unclear, and it's hard to get information. I couldn't find any answers on the forums about e-ticket issuance. The airline used is Turkish Airlines, but it's the travel agency (so OPODO) that issues the tickets and sends them to the customer.
If anyone has any info or has had a recent booking with OPODO, thanks in advance.
Have a good evening
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!
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.
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
I’m starting this thread to ask for your advice on a tricky situation I recently ran into. Maybe you’ve been through something similar?
After booking my tickets for this summer, I realized I never received an email, payment confirmation, or reservation number (well, the number did appear on the page after payment, but I didn’t write it down, assuming I’d get it in the confirmation email that usually arrives right after).
Even though I was charged, I have no other proof of purchase since I don’t have anything to back it up...
At the time, I wasn’t too worried—email delays had happened to me before. Worst case, I’d get it an hour later.
Except after a full day, I still hadn’t received anything, and the reservation still doesn’t show up in my personal account on the airline’s website.
What should I do?
I contacted support via message: still no reply (and they guarantee a response within two hours). I called them, but no one picked up (and on top of that, I was charged 7.5 € for 15 minutes on hold). Now I’m starting to lose my patience...
