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There was a well documented story back in 2002 about a British couple who booked their flights to Sydney online.Good idea to check this, for flights and other arrangements, not just in Spain. I know someone who booked a hairdresser for her wedding 3000 km away!
See. Its a thing.There was a well documented story back in 2002 about a British couple who booked their flights to Sydney online.
They were most surprised to end up in Sydney, Canada rather than Sydney Australia.
Apparently the locals showed them a wonderful time so they probably ended up better off!
Ironically, whilst the first time, it's not the only time this has happened to the tiny little town in Nova Scotia. It's happened several times since then!
I know of at least one occasion when a professional (or at least they claimed to be a professional) travel agent made this mistake. The travellers double checked to the hotel booking and were surprised to have a person with a Canadian accent answer the phone. Obviously there was a very quick adjustment to their flights (not to mention the additional costs).There was a well documented story back in 2002 about a British couple who booked their flights to Sydney online.
They were most surprised to end up in Sydney, Canada rather than Sydney Australia.
Apparently the locals showed them a wonderful time so they probably ended up better off!
Ironically, whilst the first time, it's not the only time this has happened to the tiny little town in Nova Scotia. It's happened several times since then!
Then there always the difference in date format USA v Europe. 5/7/24 or 7/5/24!!Let me add another way to mess up bookings. As a USAer I'm used to calendar weeks starting on Sundays. In Spain they start on Mondays. I made a train reservation based on the (incorrect for Spain) location of the day in the calendar instead of the date. Changes were said to be difficult so I just added another night to our lodging. It was in Barcelona so that actually worked out better for us.
As for city names my best man got instructions from the AAA auto club to Owego, New York (this was before the World Wide Web). He gave a ride to a friend of Peg's that lived in Boston but had lived in Peg's home town and so my best man was correctly steered to Oswego NY.
True. Has caught me several times, especially when the website concerned is based in Europe but they're using an American program.Then there always the difference in date format USA v Europe. 5/7/24 or 7/5/24!!
Yes that’s the one to be careful of - still a clean bill of health on that one though been a few close shaves!!True. Has caught me several times, especially when the website concerned is based in Europe but they're using an American program.
As for city names my best man got instructions from the AAA auto club to Owego, New York (this was before the World Wide Web). He gave a ride to a friend of Peg's that lived in Boston but had lived in Peg's home town and so my best man was correctly steered to Oswego NY.
I didn’t even know there was a Palma in Tenerife, but I met a couple who got mixed up between Palma, Mallorca, and La Palma in the Canary Island, so the potential is there. I think they managed to get it sorted out!A few years ago, a family friend managed to book a flight from the UK to Palma - to Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea and not to Palma on the island of Tenerife in the Atlantic Ocean where the rest of the holiday bookings had been made. The mistake was noticed very quickly but the cost of the flight was not reimbursed. It is a good idea to pay attention to the whole place name and not just parts of it.
As to O Pedrouzo being also Arca and O Pino ... well that's easy, isn't it? O Pedrouzo é un lugar da parroquia de Arca no concello coruñés do Pino, na comarca de Arzúa. O Pedrouzo is a hamlet in the parish of Arca in the municipality of Pino.
What complicated things a little is the fact that a place name can denote both a single village on its own or the same village plus four or five or more neighbouring hamlets altogether in Spanish regions. But that's not unusual, is it? I know these combinations in my country of residence and in my country of origin. It's a result of numerous administrative reforms and postal reforms, and there seems no end to it ...
So many Spanish islands ... let it me rephrase my earlier description: they wanted to go on holiday on Tenerife and needed to book a flight to get there.I didn’t even know there was a Palma in Tenerife, but I met a couple who got mixed up between Palma, Mallorca, and La Palma in the Canary Island, so the potential is there.
I recently walked the Camino on Gran Canaria. I was very careful to choose "Las Palmas" and not Palma when searching on Kayak...Let it me rephrase my earlier description: they wanted to go on holiday on Tenerife and needed to book a flight to get there.
We found it difficult on Bookings to cancel or change reservations using our cell phone. Open Bookings map to see locations and if possible cross reference your Camino Guide. Bookings is unresponsive to any phone link, we had to eat fees for paid reservations . We had one albergue leave a critic note on their door when they were not open after 2So like in Spain, a lot of the towns have multiple names. I think it has to do with local traditional language vs. the national one.
Some examples: On the norte San Sebastián is also Donastia.
On the Frances, O Pedrouzo is also Arca, and O'pino. Or at least that is how it seems to me.
And sometimes there are two very similar location names. Once I was walking along the Norte and decided I wanted to book a place to stay (if available) in La Arena (it's a nice beach outside of Portugalete). I go into booking.com and find what I think is a fabulous beachfront hotel for a very reasonable price. I was stoked. I booked it. No refunds.
Then I plugged the address into google maps for walking directions and it said, "there are no walking routes to this destination" or at least something like that.
I realized, looking at the map, that I just booked a hotel on Tenerife! I mean I'm a good walker, but walking on water is not in my skillset!
Luckily I immediately noticed the error and messaged the hotel through booking. Happily, they refunded my purchase, understanding my confusion.
Sadly, this happens to me every once in a while when I think I know what I'm doing. Too confident maybe. Now I always double check before hitting buy now... I mean, unless it's a place I've stayed before.
Another occasion when a professional made a mistake- we were supposed to fly from Charleston, WV to Tulsa, OK. Arrived at the airport and they had no clue about our flight- until someone noticed that the booking was for Charleston, SC.!!I know of at least one occasion when a professional (or at least they claimed to be a professional) travel agent made this mistake. The travellers double checked to the hotel booking and were surprised to have a person with a Canadian accent answer the phone. Obviously there was a very quick adjustment to their flights (not to mention the additional costs).
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