Help, Stuck in a foreign country!
Discussion
johnwilliams77 said:
amancalledrob said:
I don't think he's useless, or resorting to a forum as the first resort, I think he was just bored and fancied a bit of a chat
He is, he though £500 x 6 was 5k! Then said 'I am not in commercial' 
Alive and tired.
Madrid airport it pretty impressive.
Thanks to those with constructive advice.
Got back to heathrow quite late, taxi to gatwick to fetch the car, taxi driver kept falling asleep at the wheel. Home about 1:30am after slow journey through M25 1 lane restrictions and closed M4.
It's strange really, I look back at the original post, I see a short brain dump of what happened, and a question about who should be fixing it, airline or agency.
It then goes fairly rapidly to "you're a
, glad I dont work for you, I'm better than you because I would sort this out in about 3 minutes flat", and nit picking because I was vague and inaccurate about the cost of the flights (and to be fair they changed every time I looked). they were expensive... I at that point I had not considered non-direct options.
I showed the group I was with a lot of the stuff, they thought it was pretty funny, "you got trolled" and they thought you were internet mentals. They knew I was doing everything I could to sort it, and that's not a lot at midnight in a fleapit motel with barely working wifi when the airline wont change your flights and the UK agency is closed until 9am UK time (10 am local time to avoid any confusion).
As it was, once I'd spoken with the agency we were sorted with a travel plan within an hour or so and everyone was very grateful for getting it fixed.
Never having had a flight cancelled like this before, I now know precisely what to do, get online and book the next available and affordable flights the SECOND you hear of the cancellation. I delayed as I didn't know what the situation was with "who should be fixing this"... I had assumed, incorrectly, that the airline would get us on a flight the next day, what a fool I was! Now I know, a very tiring learning experience.
Madrid airport it pretty impressive.
Thanks to those with constructive advice.
Got back to heathrow quite late, taxi to gatwick to fetch the car, taxi driver kept falling asleep at the wheel. Home about 1:30am after slow journey through M25 1 lane restrictions and closed M4.
It's strange really, I look back at the original post, I see a short brain dump of what happened, and a question about who should be fixing it, airline or agency.
It then goes fairly rapidly to "you're a
, glad I dont work for you, I'm better than you because I would sort this out in about 3 minutes flat", and nit picking because I was vague and inaccurate about the cost of the flights (and to be fair they changed every time I looked). they were expensive... I at that point I had not considered non-direct options.I showed the group I was with a lot of the stuff, they thought it was pretty funny, "you got trolled" and they thought you were internet mentals. They knew I was doing everything I could to sort it, and that's not a lot at midnight in a fleapit motel with barely working wifi when the airline wont change your flights and the UK agency is closed until 9am UK time (10 am local time to avoid any confusion).
As it was, once I'd spoken with the agency we were sorted with a travel plan within an hour or so and everyone was very grateful for getting it fixed.
Never having had a flight cancelled like this before, I now know precisely what to do, get online and book the next available and affordable flights the SECOND you hear of the cancellation. I delayed as I didn't know what the situation was with "who should be fixing this"... I had assumed, incorrectly, that the airline would get us on a flight the next day, what a fool I was! Now I know, a very tiring learning experience.
Edited by ILoveMondeo on Tuesday 29th November 09:37
cptsideways said:
Buy a classic/barge Alfa/Fiat & drive it home
Update that: Boom
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C733822
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C790841
This looks like a right laugh, might need a bobble hat though
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C630330
Best suggestion by far! Update that: Boom
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C733822
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C790841
This looks like a right laugh, might need a bobble hat though
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C630330
Edited by cptsideways on Monday 28th November 15:32
King Herald said:
In your dreams! I was stuck in London for 30 hours due to Cathay Pathetic having problems, 300 passengers treated like cattle, dumped into a hotel, no information, minimal updates, then flown home eventually.
The only way I knew the flight had been rebooked was by checking their website, in my boredom, sat in the hotel, and seeing the date on my booking had changed! They never actually told us!
I tried to get some sort of compensation, even just an apology, an admission they had treated us appallingly, but nada, nothing. There are rules and laws in place, but the company I used to handle the case said most airlines just ignore the rules and refuse to pay?
After several emails to complaints department Cathay Pathetic awarded me 5000 air miles. Enough to buy a sandwich with I think!
Seems to be standard stuff, tell the passengers nothing, dump them in a flea pit 30 miles from the airport, after a night of scratchy sheets and a cold shower in the morning and zero info from the airline that vast majority will have fThe only way I knew the flight had been rebooked was by checking their website, in my boredom, sat in the hotel, and seeing the date on my booking had changed! They never actually told us!
I tried to get some sort of compensation, even just an apology, an admission they had treated us appallingly, but nada, nothing. There are rules and laws in place, but the company I used to handle the case said most airlines just ignore the rules and refuse to pay?
After several emails to complaints department Cathay Pathetic awarded me 5000 air miles. Enough to buy a sandwich with I think!
ked off home under their own steam, vastly reducing the amount of work and rescheduling the airline needs to do.To be fair, you did give a bit back with you debating the speed limitations of a mini bus, so don't say you didn't enjoy it.
Don't you have a phone data connection where you were? That would have been good enough for re-booking flights. No 24hr emergency number with your travel agent? Big companies agents do have.
Don't you have a phone data connection where you were? That would have been good enough for re-booking flights. No 24hr emergency number with your travel agent? Big companies agents do have.
ILoveMondeo said:
Alive and tired.
Madrid airport it pretty impressive.
Thanks to those with constructive advice.
Got back to heathrow quite late, taxi to gatwick to fetch the car, taxi driver kept falling asleep at the wheel. Home about 1:30am after slow journey through M25 1 lane restrictions and closed M4.
It's strange really, I look back at the original post, I see a short brain dump of what happened, and a question about who should be fixing it, airline or agency.
It then goes fairly rapidly to "you're a, glad I dont work for you, I'm better than you because I would sort this out in about 3 minutes flat", and nit picking because I was vague and inaccurate about the cost of the flights (and to be fair they changed every time I looked). they were expensive... I at that point I had not considered non-direct options.
I showed the group I was with a lot of the stuff, they thought it was pretty funny, "you got trolled" and they thought you were internet mentals. They knew I was doing everything I could to sort it, and that's not a lot at midnight in a fleapit motel with barely working wifi when the airline wont change your flights and the UK agency is closed until 9am UK time (10 am local time to avoid any confusion).
As it was, once I'd spoken with the agency we were sorted with a travel plan within an hour or so and everyone was very grateful for getting it fixed.
Never having had a flight cancelled like this before, I now know precisely what to do, get online and book the next available and affordable flights the SECOND you hear of the cancellation. I delayed as I didn't know what the situation was with "who should be fixing this"... I had assumed, incorrectly, that the airline would get us on a flight the next day, what a fool I was! Now I know, a very tiring learning experience.
Glad you are back safely.Madrid airport it pretty impressive.
Thanks to those with constructive advice.
Got back to heathrow quite late, taxi to gatwick to fetch the car, taxi driver kept falling asleep at the wheel. Home about 1:30am after slow journey through M25 1 lane restrictions and closed M4.
It's strange really, I look back at the original post, I see a short brain dump of what happened, and a question about who should be fixing it, airline or agency.
It then goes fairly rapidly to "you're a
, glad I dont work for you, I'm better than you because I would sort this out in about 3 minutes flat", and nit picking because I was vague and inaccurate about the cost of the flights (and to be fair they changed every time I looked). they were expensive... I at that point I had not considered non-direct options.I showed the group I was with a lot of the stuff, they thought it was pretty funny, "you got trolled" and they thought you were internet mentals. They knew I was doing everything I could to sort it, and that's not a lot at midnight in a fleapit motel with barely working wifi when the airline wont change your flights and the UK agency is closed until 9am UK time (10 am local time to avoid any confusion).
As it was, once I'd spoken with the agency we were sorted with a travel plan within an hour or so and everyone was very grateful for getting it fixed.
Never having had a flight cancelled like this before, I now know precisely what to do, get online and book the next available and affordable flights the SECOND you hear of the cancellation. I delayed as I didn't know what the situation was with "who should be fixing this"... I had assumed, incorrectly, that the airline would get us on a flight the next day, what a fool I was! Now I know, a very tiring learning experience.
Edited by ILoveMondeo on Tuesday 29th November 09:37
To be fair it's always easier to comment on someone else dire situation when you are in the comfort of your own surroundings with Wi-Fi, coffee and feeling fully compos mentis ; even easier if you are well travelled or have been through this once before.
I'm sure OP will be dishing out the advice next time someone gets stuck and asks a similar thing!
I'm sure OP will be dishing out the advice next time someone gets stuck and asks a similar thing!
johnwilliams77 said:
To be fair, you did give a bit back with you debating the speed limitations of a mini bus, so don't say you didn't enjoy it.
Don't you have a phone data connection where you were? That would have been good enough for re-booking flights. No 24hr emergency number with your travel agent? Big companies agents do have.
Fair enough. I didnt intend to sound short or sharp about that, I felt it was a pretty impractical choice (but a valid route home though), being tired and irritable the prospect of a 20hr drive didnt seem nice.Don't you have a phone data connection where you were? That would have been good enough for re-booking flights. No 24hr emergency number with your travel agent? Big companies agents do have.
Another thing I learned this trip... since my last time on the continent, data used to be very expensive and you'd have to keep sending text messages to get topped up. Which was fine.
These days they've done some mega EU deal where you can only be charged a couple of quid a day, also fine!
however... they've also introduced some pretty stingy "fair use" clauses and bandwidth throttling, use over 50-100MB in a day (which if f
k all for web browsing, email and all the rest, I sync my email and it can be a good chunk of that for a few hours) and they throttle your bandwidth to a complete snails pace. Plenty of talk about it on the O2 forums about the same as I discovered. Very frustrating.ILoveMondeo said:
however... they've also introduced some pretty stingy "fair use" clauses and bandwidth throttling, use over 50-100MB in a day (which if fk all for web browsing, email and all the rest, I sync my email and it can be a good chunk of that for a few hours) and they throttle your bandwidth to a complete snails pace. Plenty of talk about it on the O2 forums about the same as I discovered. Very frustrating.
Has this in Malta earlier this year..k all for web browsing, email and all the rest, I sync my email and it can be a good chunk of that for a few hours) and they throttle your bandwidth to a complete snails pace. Plenty of talk about it on the O2 forums about the same as I discovered. Very frustrating.ILoveMondeo said:
Fair enough. I didnt intend to sound short or sharp about that, I felt it was a pretty impractical choice (but a valid route home though), being tired and irritable the prospect of a 20hr drive didnt seem nice.
Another thing I learned this trip... since my last time on the continent, data used to be very expensive and you'd have to keep sending text messages to get topped up. Which was fine.
These days they've done some mega EU deal where you can only be charged a couple of quid a day, also fine!
however... they've also introduced some pretty stingy "fair use" clauses and bandwidth throttling, use over 50-100MB in a day (which if fk all for web browsing, email and all the rest, I sync my email and it can be a good chunk of that for a few hours) and they throttle your bandwidth to a complete snails pace. Plenty of talk about it on the O2 forums about the same as I discovered. Very frustrating.
I may of had the same issue when I was abroad on O2. However, it would still be enough data to book a flight.Another thing I learned this trip... since my last time on the continent, data used to be very expensive and you'd have to keep sending text messages to get topped up. Which was fine.
These days they've done some mega EU deal where you can only be charged a couple of quid a day, also fine!
however... they've also introduced some pretty stingy "fair use" clauses and bandwidth throttling, use over 50-100MB in a day (which if f
k all for web browsing, email and all the rest, I sync my email and it can be a good chunk of that for a few hours) and they throttle your bandwidth to a complete snails pace. Plenty of talk about it on the O2 forums about the same as I discovered. Very frustrating.amancalledrob said:
The Moose said:
Oh how I wish you were my boss!!!!
6 people and £500 per head per flight would be £3,000. You're saying it'll cost £5,000. I'd like my salary rounded up in the same manor please!
Seriously though, how much is it going to cost in terms of lost productivity?
Can I round your salary up in this manor please?6 people and £500 per head per flight would be £3,000. You're saying it'll cost £5,000. I'd like my salary rounded up in the same manor please!
Seriously though, how much is it going to cost in terms of lost productivity?
PS sorry if I've answered this in the wrong manner
Sorry - that's my dyslexia at play!
Im curious which airline this is? I always thought that at T-24 hours the ticket is now under airline control, and is fully their responsibility so for them to be claiming they can't do anything because its an agency ticket is a bit odd. However I'm not particularly familiar with corporate travel, so not sue if it applies here, though I've never heard of it not applying.
My first step would be to find a new travel agency though, one that offers 24/7. The best ones will be calling you up the second the cancellation has happened and be telling you which flights they've pro-actively re-booked you on.
Secondly whats your travel insurance like? Something like delays and cancellations can be pretty easily covered, you would be temporarily out of pocket, but then at least the insurance co would be chasing up who's responsible and be re-imbursing you
My first step would be to find a new travel agency though, one that offers 24/7. The best ones will be calling you up the second the cancellation has happened and be telling you which flights they've pro-actively re-booked you on.
Secondly whats your travel insurance like? Something like delays and cancellations can be pretty easily covered, you would be temporarily out of pocket, but then at least the insurance co would be chasing up who's responsible and be re-imbursing you
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