Help, Stuck in a foreign country!

[Amateurish]

ILoveMondeo said:

Spot on!

But the tricky bit is the travel agency is in the UK, so still 8:46 for them!

Perhaps I should have been more clear, they will call at 9am UK time!

Which they did, expecting another call shortly!

Flights out of Rome tonight are £1.5k with Alitalia (not £5k).

In these situations, the best approach is always to osrt out alternative arrangements yourself, instead of relying on others. Sort out the mess when you get back home.

You can get back to London for £500 all in if you don't mind a change of planes with Eurowings.

[Amateurish]

Outgoing flight: Rome Fiumicino (FCO) London Stansted (STN)
via Cologne-Bonn (CGN)
Monday, 28/11/2016 3:40 PM - 7:00 PMDuration 04:20h
Rome FiumicinoCologne-Bonn Flight is operated by Germanwings
Cologne-BonnLondon Stansted Flight is operated by Germanwings
Your fare: BASIC
Airfare per adult€69.96
Taxes, fees and charges Details€180.18
Total price outgoing flight€599.94

[ILoveMondeo]

Amateurish said:

Outgoing flight: Rome Fiumicino (FCO) London Stansted (STN)
via Cologne-Bonn (CGN)
Monday, 28/11/2016 3:40 PM - 7:00 PMDuration 04:20h
Rome FiumicinoCologne-Bonn Flight is operated by Germanwings
Cologne-BonnLondon Stansted Flight is operated by Germanwings
Your fare: BASIC
Airfare per adult€69.96
Taxes, fees and charges Details€180.18
Total price outgoing flight€599.94

Thanks, the non direct flights I saw were 20hour missions, but that's a bit more palletable.

Just calling agency back now.

[The Mad Monk]

ILoveMondeo said:

Amateurish said:

Outgoing flight: Rome Fiumicino (FCO) London Stansted (STN)
via Cologne-Bonn (CGN)
Monday, 28/11/2016 3:40 PM - 7:00 PMDuration 04:20h
Rome FiumicinoCologne-Bonn Flight is operated by Germanwings
Cologne-BonnLondon Stansted Flight is operated by Germanwings
Your fare: BASIC
Airfare per adult€69.96
Taxes, fees and charges Details€180.18
Total price outgoing flight€599.94

Thanks, the non direct flights I saw were 20hour missions, but that's a bit more palletable.

Just calling agency back now.

I thought they were calling you?

If you get the engaged tone, that will be the reason.

[Dr Jekyll]

Just hire a Lear jet, you know you want to.

[ILoveMondeo]

All sorted, we're going home via Madrid instead!

Agency is picking up the tab for now, and we will sort out the mess with the original airline, refunds and various insurance policies when we're back.

[ILoveMondeo]

The Mad Monk said:

I thought they were calling you?

If you get the engaged tone, that will be the reason.

Its ok, we both have call waiting, so can sit there with "the other person knows you are waiting" recordings all Morning.

[Byker28i]

Last time i was in Italy the trains broke, power station failure at Verona.
Just for fun whilst waiting (italians are great at giving you no info) I checked out hire cars.
A Porsche Cayenne was £1500 to hire for the one way journey to London, about an 18 hour drive, if we didn't go via Marenello and the Ferrari Museum

[Perik Omo]

I assume this was Ryanair out of Ciampino yesterday? I think that EU261 compensation comes into play although they don't like paying up.

[Blackpuddin]

ILoveMondeo said:

Amateurish said:

Outgoing flight: Rome Fiumicino (FCO) London Stansted (STN)
via Cologne-Bonn (CGN)
Monday, 28/11/2016 3:40 PM - 7:00 PMDuration 04:20h
Rome FiumicinoCologne-Bonn Flight is operated by Germanwings
Cologne-BonnLondon Stansted Flight is operated by Germanwings
Your fare: BASIC
Airfare per adult€69.96
Taxes, fees and charges Details€180.18
Total price outgoing flight€599.94

Thanks, the non direct flights I saw were 20hour missions, but that's a bit more palletable.

Hmm, that's an idea, get the lads to stand together on a pallet, wrap 'em up in clingfilm and bung 'em through as cargo.

[The Mad Monk]

ILoveMondeo said:

All sorted, we're going home via Madrid instead!

Agency is picking up the tab for now, and we will sort out the mess with the original airline, refunds and various insurance policies when we're back.

Good. Good. All sorted.

What could possibly go wrong now?

[cptsideways]

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

Edited by cptsideways on Monday 28th November 15:32

[amancalledrob]

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?

PS sorry if I've answered this in the wrong manner

[The Mad Monk]

Are you home yet?

[AlexC1981]

HoHoHo said:

I expected somewhere difficult, it's only Rome FFS

Hire a car and drive back!

When he gets back to London, what's he supposed to do with the hired Italian car/minibus?

[King Herald]

Dan_1981 said:

You'll get a nice blob of compensation for the cancelled flight that will likely cover the cost of your trip

Enjoy the extra day!

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!

[Trabi601]

Pothole said:

I have nothing more practical to offer, OP. I'm really glad you're not my boss, though.

Absolutely this.

I live in South Wales but was working in Dundee recently. Things over-ran. Missed my flight home.

Once call to Avis saw me in a new C-Class cruising down the largely deserted motorways and home by 4am.

No idea what kind of line manager would turn to an internet forum to solve such a simple problem.

[loughran]

Trabi601 said:

Pothole said:

I have nothing more practical to offer, OP. I'm really glad you're not my boss, though.

Absolutely this.

I live in South Wales but was working in Dundee recently. Things over-ran. Missed my flight home.

Once call to Avis saw me in a new C-Class cruising down the largely deserted motorways and home by 4am.

No idea what kind of line manager would turn to an internet forum to solve such a simple problem.

Drove all the way from Scotland to Wales... on your own !

Well done you.

[CAPP0]

AlexC1981 said:

When he gets back to London, what's he supposed to do with the hired Italian car/minibus?

You can't bring them off the continent, you have to use the ferry as a foot passenger.

[johnwilliams77]

Trabi601 said:

Absolutely this.

I live in South Wales but was working in Dundee recently. Things over-ran. Missed my flight home.

Once call to Avis saw me in a new C-Class cruising down the largely deserted motorways and home by 4am.

No idea what kind of line manager would turn to an internet forum to solve such a simple problem.

A useless one