When you're strange...when you're strange...when you're...strrrrrange....

[CaminoDebrita]

When there's a flight-booking error, I always assume it's my fault. It usually is! I have to exercise huge vigilance, which includes talking aloud, double checking, and etc so that I haven't booked a flight to and from Santiago, Chile, for example. This is the kind of mistake you make when you're--a bit older, and, well, strange! Ha ha! As a substitute teacher, I'm always thinking of history, literature, music, and pondering great topics such as "why the sheewee in the graphic appears backward," not to mention pondering why the "sheewee appears so clinical and tidy," and great thanks to @David for that recent offering! Ha!

Anyway, this morning I thought I'd review my itinerary to and from Madrid. Going on to my old lady's site--AARP Expedia--I noticed that one leg of my journey, the one from Paris to Madrid, had gone on walkabout.

An hour and a half later, we are all sorted out. This morning, though, had me speaking to the call center in The Philippines for a long time. I then got bounced to the local AARP office in Texas, where Jennifer assured me that when she "sent [me] back to the Philippines" I had to insist on talking to the supervisor.

Thank goodness for gmail, so I could look back and argue that I HAD booked the flight TO MADRID, not just to Paris. Seriously. Don't delete your e mails, kids.

But you probably don't have these problems. It is probably just me.

Have a great day!

Buen Camino, and I'm flying out on the 15th---TO MADRID!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Flights seem to really be a mess this year, at least for me.
I've already had my flight changed 3 times since December.
And twice, no notification!

 

[Christian Hiriart]

Buen Camino Deb... Take a good look at your ticket, there is a Madrid in Main and also in Alabama... Just saying..

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Buen Camino Deb... Take a good look at your ticket, there is a Madrid in Main and also in Alabama... Just saying..

Ha ha, STOP!!! You're putting me in my target heart range....

 

[Christian Hiriart]

Hope you have a great and uneventful Camino, all the best.

 

[Kanga]

One of our family's "Dad" jokes is to settle into the seat on the plane as the engines start up, and ask in a loud voice "This flight is going to London, isn't it?" - sudden looks of consternation on many faces!

 

[BrienC]

AARP Expedia??? I never knew there was such a thing! Have to check it out.
I too talk it all out loud and double check everything when booking online. And, there really is no reason to delete emails anymore. Gmail and most others provide tons of storage--for FREE and they just delete the oldest stuff when you get to that limit. I have never found the limit to be an issue, it's that big.

 

[BrienC]

One of our family's "Dad" jokes is to settle into the seat on the plane as the engines start up, and ask in a loud voice "This flight is going to London, isn't it?" - sudden looks of consternation on many faces!

My grandfather had a similar story: He was flying LA to Sacramento, when they announced he was on a plane headed to Hawaii. Oops.

 

[koilife]

One of our family's "Dad" jokes is to settle into the seat on the plane as the engines start up, and ask in a loud voice "This flight is going to London, isn't it?" - sudden looks of consternation on many faces!

I was on a flight to Chicago when the pilot announced that the flight was going to Los Angeles. There was dead silence for about two seconds, then an uproar on the plane, and then about five seconds later the pilot came back on and said, "Just kidding folks, but now that we have your attention, please listen to the flight attendants as they explain the safety features of this plane."

 

[VNwalking]

Buen Camino, Deb (assuming you get to Madrid!). Hope to see you all out there someplace!

 

[peregrina2000]

My grandfather had a similar story: He was flying LA to Sacramento, when they announced he was on a plane headed to Hawaii. Oops.

Maybe this is why I've noticed recently that before the doors are closed, the flight attendants get on and say something like "This flight is headed to Chicago, and if you want to get off, this is your last opportunity."

Deb, I know exactly how you feel about clicking on "purchase" when it's a big ticket. It's scarier than walking alone from Llanca to Montserrat. I've made some big mistakes but have been lucky so far that people have taken pity on me. Just recently I booked flights for four family members for the 31st of the month instead of the 30th. I found that being apologetic and pitiful sounding worked wonders -- they waived the change fee, and sent me a refund because the tickets on the 30th were cheaper than the ones I originally bought on the 31st. How lucky is that?!

 

[GreatDane]

I've had 4 flight changes since November including one where they (Delta) had me fly into Atlanta (from Madrid) and out of JFK. Which would have been ok I guess but the flight into ATL arrived 4 hours after the flight out of JFK departed. Every time the computer gives me random bad seats in the back of the plane. Husband's UK trip in May, same thing (4-5 changes). Last one they changed him to a flight into SLC that only had a 23 minute layover before his international flight. And you know they wait for no one!

p.s. And like others have said, no notifications in 3 out of 4 of my changes.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I've had 4 flight changes since November including one where they(Delta) had me fly into Atlanta (from Madrid) and out of JFK. Which would have been ok I guess but the flight into ATL arrived 4 hours after the flight out of JFK departed. Every time the computer gives me random bad seats in the back of the plane. Husband's UK trip in May, same thing (4-5 changes). Last one they changed him to a flight into SLC that only had a 23 minute layover before his international flight. And you know they wait for no one!

Oh yes yes – – Delta that's who I'm using this time around. I got the right price from them, now let's see if they can get me to and from Madrid. I don't care how bad it gets screwed up coming back, as long as I don't end up in dirty Jersey also known as Newark. I would rather pick up toilet paper all along to Camino Trail and spend another night in Newark...

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Maybe this is why I've noticed recently that before the doors are closed, the flight attendants get on and say something like "This flight is headed to Chicago, and if you want to get off, this is your last opportunity."

Deb, I know exactly how you feel about clicking on "purchase" when it's a big ticket. It's scarier than walking alone from Llanca to Montserrat. I've made some big mistakes but have been lucky so far that people have taken pity on me. Just recently I booked flights for four family members for the 31st of the month instead of the 30th. I found that being apologetic and pitiful sounding worked wonders -- they waived the change fee, and sent me a refund because the tickets on the 30th were cheaper than the ones I originally bought on the 31st. How lucky is that?!

You must be very effective as a pitiful sounding person! Well played! And honestly, pushing that confirm button is not always easy.

What's really funny is that for people like us who use computers a lot, and people like us who use computers to purchase items and flights, well… Sometimes we can get a little bit hasty on the confirm button. I've been forcing myself to slow down and think. I've caught myself more than once making mistakes! So consequently, I can correct them before I make them, and then I sit around and give myself a piece of my own mind!

 

[VNwalking]

I've made some huge mistakes--the same kind as Laurie. Once booking a ticket for the wrong month and then I missed the flight, thinking it was the next month. This was on Swiss, and no matter how pathetic I sounded, there was not much sympathy. Of course not!

Buying online is always a little nerve-racking, but the high bar for me is to stay mindful and careful when about to push the 'confirm' when it's a big ticket and I'm either in a rush or tired or both. I've found that right before bedtime in the middle of the night after a long day is a terrible time to book tickets. Then it's adventures in the land of confusion and mistakes.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I missed my flight to Madrid a few years ago. I tend to leave on a long weekend in May and couldn't remember if I was leaving on Sunday or Monday, but only bothered to check my puter at the exact time my flight was leaving. Luckily I was able to book a one way ticket on another airlime for the next day with my points and come back home with my original return flight and only delayes my Camino by one day.

 

[Icacos]

Okay, I'll probably get in trouble for this ....

Quite a while ago, for the first time ever, an all female crew flew a 747 from New York to Los Angeles. The flight went like clockwork and there was much celebrating and congratulating among the crew when they touched down in Los Angeles.

Except they were supposed to go to San Francisco.

 

[Felipe]

There is also a Compostela (formerly "Santiago de Galicia de Compostela") in Mexico.
A "Roncesvalles" and a "Pamplona" in Colombia.
A "Paris" in Texas.
And many "Madrid" accross the American continent.
And yes, it is a bit unnerving to press the final "enter" key when buying a flight.

 

[jirit]

Once while on a business flight leaving San Jose CA, (one of many I did) I discovered the father of a family of five sitting in my seat.

Upon further inspection of his ticket not only was he sitting in the wrong seat, the entire family was sitting in the wrong plane!

To their horror I pointed out that "their plane" was the one across the tarmac taxing away from the gate...

S**T happens

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Faces come out of the rain? Doors fan?

Last year I made my plans on American Airlines, and then confirmed with my sister the dates when I'd leave my dog with her.

Whoops, she'd be in Mexico that first week. So the next day I called AA up, I moved the trip out a week. They changed the flight without question and without fees. I figure it was probably because it was the very next day when I realized my mistake. They were cool.

 

[Lachance]

I don't get how people can be on the wrong flight when your boarding pass is scanned before you're allowed through the gate?

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I knew I'd get some great stories out of you all. You're so amusing to me!


@Damien Reynolds, you clearly caught "The Doors" allusion---

People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven, when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange....

Seriously, a family of five on the wrong flight? a computer checked as the flight departs? An all-woman crew flying to the wrong city? Booking for the wrong month, then missing the flight?

I love knowing that I'm not alone! Well done, amigos!

 

[Damien Reynolds]

@Damien Reynolds, you clearly caught "The Doors" allusion---

Ok, well, to be honest, knowing the Doors has helped me enjoy my camino on occasion. On another thread I talked about a time when a pilot and new wife bought a round of drinks for newfound friends singing in O'cebriero. Well, it just so happens, that night a Spanish kid, packing a guitar while we were at dinner, started to strum 'break on through'. I stood up, walked to his side of the table, and we went through the entire song book.

 

[camino07]

Am I the only one who prefers to book through my favourite travel agent? Three times I have phoned her in Australia from Santiago to change flights home or help a friend change her flight.
Knowing she is on the end of a phone gives me security.

 

[movinmaggie]

I've made some huge mistakes--the same kind as Laurie. Once booking a ticket for the wrong month and then I missed the flight, thinking it was the next month. This was on Swiss, and no matter how pathetic I sounded, there was not much sympathy. Of course not!

Buying online is always a little nerve-racking, but the high bar for me is to stay mindful and careful when about to push the 'confirm' when it's a big ticket and I'm either in a rush or tired or both. I've found that right before bedtime in the middle of the night after a long day is a terrible time to book tickets. Then it's adventures in the land of confusion and mistakes.

So nice to see you back Viranani...

 

[VNwalking]

Thank you, Maggie! It's great to have the space in the day now so that I can come here.
So appreciating this virtual albergue!

 

[mspath]

Viranani,
I echo Maggie in welcoming you back! Looking forward to reading your next posts. Enjoy Santo Domingo de Silos; the site and chants are just fabulous.

Margaret Meredith

 

[Kanga]

I've have two plane stories. The first goes back to about 1978 when husband and I, a newly minted couple, were flying home from London via Athens, on a cheap offshoot of British Airways, plane filled with holiday makers. I was (and still am) scared of flying. My husband is the reverse, and loves planes (later got his pilots license). As a joke, as we scrambled onto the plane he said something like: "Gee this looks old, hope it does not fall apart". Ha ha.

20 minutes into the flight "Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We appear to have left part of our front landing gear on the runway and we will have to dump fuel and return to London. We will go down low so the ground engineers can see what is left. " and then proceeded to tell us about the two planes that had successfully landed with no front landing gear.

Then followed the most frightening couple of hours. After dumping fuel and overflying the runway several times the captain announced that we would be landing - crew rehearsed us all several times in emergency landing, my (young fit) husband was commandeered to help pull people off the emergency shute and get them away from the plane, the captain came on again and explained how he would try to land and said "We are all in this together".

As we came down we could see all the fire fighting and emergency vehicles with lights flashing lined up and racing beside the runway.

Back wheels landed oh so smoothly, somehow the captain kept the front of the plane up, up, up, and when we had slowed right down the front came down so, so gently, and then a tremendous bump, we were stopped and safe. It was the most perfect landing. No need for the emergency shutes.

They did not let us into the terminal (interesting that) but stuck us almost straight away on another plane. "Hello again, free drinks on the house all the way to Athens" - the same captain! My hero. A lot of very, very drunk people (including me) staggered off that flight.

My second story is short. If you don't want to miss the plane from Bangkok to Sydney (as I did) do not rely on the genuine Piaget watch, with diamonds, you purchased in Patpong Road market for $12.

 

[Rob the Slob]

Some years ago I went to the States with a couple of friends and drove round the Southwest. I was going home from the Grand Canyon after two weeks while they continued to Las Vegas and San Francisco. The ticket I had booked was from Grand Canyon to Phoenix to Chicago to Amsterdam. The day before I was supposed to leave, we arranged a flight in a small plane across the Grand Canyon, so I decided to take the opportunity to see where I had to be for my 7am flight the following morning.

"Sorry sir, we only have sightseeing flights here, nothing down to Phoenix." I doublechecked my ticket, and the airport named as "Grand Canyon" was in fact Flagstaff.

 

[VNwalking]

I've had 3 very close shaves in the last few years, missing or nearly missing transit connections when there was actually a lot of time. This happened twice in Sydney, actually, one of which was a missed connection.
So word to the wise: If you have some hours and are sitting at the departure gate, it pays to periodically check the monitors for gate assignment changes. There may not be an announcement that you can hear--but if the gate lounge remains suspiciously empty of people close to the time of boarding, best check to see what's up ASAP. If you don't, it could be the beginning of one of life's small nightmares.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Other than the flight I made my own reservations online. I ended up remaking them to spend an extra day in Barcelona because just after reserving the train tickets to Pamplona I noticed that I had picked the wrong day to leave, going Monday instead of Sunday. It was just easier to get the extra day in Barcelona.

Take my warning. Later I figured out why there was a mess up. I wanted to leave on Sunday, the first day of the week. The Renfe website presented me with a calendar to pick the departure date. I picked the first day of the week. Some of you are saying uh-oh to yourself. Yes, in Spain, the first day of the week on calendars is Monday.

Be careful.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Oh, and I almost missed my last flight to Spain. I got to the airport in plenty of time, but for some reason did not sit in the right departure door waiting room but one a few doors down and proceeded to download books to read on the Primitivo. Never heard the boarding calls until the gery last one! And I have flown since birth! No excuse for these mistakes.

 

[BrienC]

Maybe this is why I've noticed recently that before the doors are closed, the flight attendants get on and say something like "This flight is headed to Chicago, and if you want to get off, this is your last opportunity."

Deb, I know exactly how you feel about clicking on "purchase" when it's a big ticket. It's scarier than walking alone from Llanca to Montserrat. I've made some big mistakes but have been lucky so far that people have taken pity on me. Just recently I booked flights for four family members for the 31st of the month instead of the 30th. I found that being apologetic and pitiful sounding worked wonders -- they waived the change fee, and sent me a refund because the tickets on the 30th were cheaper than the ones I originally bought on the 31st. How lucky is that?!

There is a little known “24-hour Reservation Requirement” that U.S. and foreign air carriers must follow: The customer service rule requires carriers to hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment or allow a reservation to be cancelled within 24 hours without penalty (the “24- hour reservation requirement”). The 24-hour reservation requirement is mandated by the Department of Transportation’s consumer rule “Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections” (14 CFR 259.5(b)(4), 76 Fed. Reg. 23110, 23166, Apr. 25, 2011) and applies to all reservations made seven days or more prior to the flight’s scheduled departure time.

Paraphased from: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/Notice_24hour_hold_final20130530.pdf

Even when you call to change or cancel in the 24-hour window they won't necessarily tell you about this. The consumer needs to know. Each airline is required to have their reservation requirement plan available on their website. But who reads all that?

 

[movinmaggie]

This goes goes back enough years to a time when passengers had to que up at the counter before checking in. It was a flight from Los Angeles to London Heathrow. There was one man (I could no way call him a gentleman) who first started muttering to himself about the line moving so slow and the more he complained the louder he became. Soon he was raising his voice so loud, it was drawing attention from the lady agent at the counter. I could almost tell that she was preparing herself for his onslought. Sure enough, by the time he reached the counter, still ranting about anything having to do with service and airlines in general, this gracious lady totally kept her cool, smiling the whole time. When the gentleman behind our culprit approached the counter, he regailed the agent with compliments on how well she handled the situation. She never lost her smile. In fact it seemed her smile grew even wider as she responded softly (I was next in line and heard "Oh thank you, but not to worry, that gentleman is on his way to London, but his bag is on its way to New York".

 

[grayland]

We missed our flight from Istanbul to Seattle last week on Turkish Airlines.

We simply misread the time on the itinerary. We had flown from Santiago 6 days earlier and that flight was on the same airline itinerary in the top line.
I looked at the departure time of that flight instead of the proper one.
We left for the airport extra early using the wrong time and arrived at check in 10 minutes late for check-in for the real flight time. Prior to leaving for the airport, we were sitting around the hotel waiting for time to leave.

The tickets were made through United who has no offices in Turkey. I had no phone or SIM card for Turkey.
No help in changing from Turkish Airlines...just told me I had to talk to United. I did find an office who let me use phone to contact United and make changes. $130. change fees each for next day flight plus hotel stay.

We have each flown nearly a million miles around the world over the years so we had no excuse for the foolish error. It was the first time we had ever missed a flight due to our own mistake.
It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking you always have it under control.

This was just last week.

 

[movinmaggie]

So sorry you had to go through that Grayland. I'm sure it was nice to see Seattle. Still one of my favourite cities.

 

[BShea]

On a recent flight, the agent told me to race to the gate as the flight was boarding. I was totally confused. According to the itinerary sent automatically to my calendar at the time of booking I had over an hour before take off. It wasn't until I sat breathlessly in my seat that I realized that the times sent to your devices are NOT in local time but the time of the city where you made the booking. How ridiculous is that? I just booked a 16:20 flight from Biarritz to Lyon that showed up 10:20 a.m. A cool feature, but since the first incident, I double check the entry and adjust to local time. Gotta love technology!

 

[GreatDane]

A few years ago I was sitting out a snow delay in the Minneapolis airport. Late evening they started loading a few planes for flights heading west. I somehow was the last in line. In front of me was an older couple and lets just say the husband was being a *&%$ to everyone and the wife not much better. They were put on the list to my destination and then me. My name was finally called and I boarded. And guess what? I had an empty seat next to me while the couple stood in the airport window finding out it was the last flight out for the night.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

1994, Cambodia. I was married to a guy who loved politics, sniffing the wind, "sussing" out the reality of danger versus cultural differences.

We had been posted in Sihanoukville, Cambodia--Kampong Som--after five western foreigners had been killed in two different situations by the Khmer Rouge. In one situation, a couple who had owned a nice little cafe at the beach town of Sihanoukville (named for the king) had started driving up Route 4 to get some flour for their cinnamon rolls.

Partway up, the car was pulled over by the Khmer Rouge and things went bad. In the second situation, three young men--as I recall, a French, a Canadian, and perhaps a British fellow--had decided to ride Ghandi-Style on the top of the Route 4 train, all the way to the beach. This was still not a good way to avoid the Khmer Rouge who terrorized the Route 4 area. The train was pulled over, people were robbed, and the three young men were taken off the train and secreted away to Phnom Vour--a mountain. I feel that I am remembering the mountain's name incorrectly, and will check later. The three young men were later killed.

Right around the time we entered Cambodia was when all of this was taking place. Long story short, we found ourselves with our hands up when asked for volunteers to teach at the Sihanoukville school. The warning: stay OFF Route 4. This was a warning that we both took very seriously. In fact, it terrified me to even have to drive Route 4 the five or six miles up the road to get to the small airport, which we used to fly back and forth between "the big smoke" (Phnom Penh) and the tiny beach town of Sihanoukville.

One morning, we got into a taxi to take our first flight back to the city. The taxi driver did not understand one word of our English, and my Khmer skills were emerging, at best. Suddenly we realized he had overshot the runway, so to speak, and was taking us to "'Nom Peng" to fly to the USA, or to our home country....."Ot Te, Ot Te--no!," I was shouting, suddenly realizing we were ON ROUTE 4, and I was going to spend my last moments on earth in the grips of someone wearing a red and white checkered krama (scarf)!

The driver stopped and turned the car around, with my ex husband chiding me for having a panic attack, and trying to be the one in control of the situation--he had pulled out some information and was pointing at maps and such. The Khmer guy was grunting and starting to drive fast back the way we had come. He pulled in to a little airport, with cows meandering around in the patchy yellow grass and a small plane beginning to taxi. Some Khmer workers ran out to the airfield and signaled the pilot to stop, stop!

When we got there and started to board, and I am talking a small Russian plane with round windows, some of the French passengers were snickering and making remarks about "the Americans," which we had to ignore.

After all, we were teachers in Sihanoukville, and we were now on a week-long break!

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I've have two plane stories. The first goes back to about 1978 when husband and I, a newly minted couple, were flying home from London via Athens, on a cheap offshoot of British Airways, plane filled with holiday makers. I was (and still am) scared of flying. My husband is the reverse, and loves planes (later got his pilots license). As a joke, as we scrambled onto the plane he said something like: "Gee this looks old, hope it does not fall apart". Ha ha.

20 minutes into the flight "Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We appear to have left part of our front landing gear on the runway and we will have to dump fuel and return to London. We will go down low so the ground engineers can see what is left. " and then proceeded to tell us about the two planes that had successfully landed with no front landing gear.

Then followed the most frightening couple of hours. After dumping fuel and overflying the runway several times the captain announced that we would be landing - crew rehearsed us all several times in emergency landing, my (young fit) husband was commandeered to help pull people off the emergency shute and get them away from the plane, the captain came on again and explained how he would try to land and said "We are all in this together".

As we came down we could see all the fire fighting and emergency vehicles with lights flashing lined up and racing beside the runway.

Back wheels landed oh so smoothly, somehow the captain kept the front of the plane up, up, up, and when we had slowed right down the front came down so, so gently, and then a tremendous bump, we were stopped and safe. It was the most perfect landing. No need for the emergency shutes.

They did not let us into the terminal (interesting that) but stuck us almost straight away on another plane. "Hello again, free drinks on the house all the way to Athens" - the same captain! My hero. A lot of very, very drunk people (including me) staggered off that flight.

My second story is short. If you don't want to miss the plane from Bangkok to Sydney (as I did) do not rely on the genuine Piaget watch, with diamonds, you purchased in Patpong Road market for $12.

All of these stories are great fun, but your story is terrifyingly so! Really frightening experience, and I am amazed at the strength and technical skill of the pilot--and then, he said hello again, and free drinks! Talk about nerves of steel....

Great story.

 

[MaryLynn]

Am I the only one who prefers to book through my favourite travel agent? Three times I have phoned her in Australia from Santiago to change flights home or help a friend change her flight.
Knowing she is on the end of a phone gives me security.

Yes, I was just going to say that I love my travel agent, and I would never book a trip on my own, not just to ensure accuracy or to feel secure, but he always finds me the best price and routing. Apparently if there is a problem and passengers have a layover and/or have to be re-routed, those who booked through agents are given priority. I've never had to test it out, luckily, but I love my agent!

 

[Icacos]

A few years ago I was sitting out a snow delay in the Minneapolis airport. Late evening they started loading a few planes for flights heading west. I somehow was the last in line. In front of me was an older couple and lets just say the husband was being a *&%$ to everyone and the wife not much better. They were put on the list to my destination and then me. My name was finally called and I boarded. And guess what? I had an empty seat next to me while the couple stood in the airport window finding out it was the last flight out for the night.

Apparently the hotel industry also engages in this brand of hospitality. I've just read Heads in Beds, by Jacob Tomsky.

 

[Kanga]

Great stories.

Apart from the time I trusted the Patpong Road watch I've never actually missed a flight. But @greyland is right - even after years of travelling I can still make stupid mistakes. My daughter and I came close on the way back from the Camino via Hong Kong. We just made the flight. Everyone knows that 2000 hours is 10pm, right?

 

[VNwalking]

Great stories, everyone, thank you. Smart people sometimes makes idiotic mistakes; it's a comfort to know I'm not the only one.
(I don't usually laugh out loud but some of these are wonderfully human. Kanga, I particularly like your watch story. Hong Kong's pretty good too--the kind of thing I would do.)

 

[Christian Hiriart]

Love your story

I've have two plane stories. The first goes back to about 1978 when......

Then followed the most frightening couple of hours. After dumping fuel and overflying the runway several times the captain announced that we would be landing - crew rehearsed us all several times in emergency landing, my (young fit) husband was commandeered to help pull people off the emergency shute and get them away from the plane, the captain came on again and explained how he would try to land and said "We are all in this together".

As we came down we could see all the fire fighting and emergency vehicles with lights flashing lined up and racing beside the runway.

Love the story, interesting enough I have the same thing happened to me in Caracas, Venezuela on my way to Colombia. Only this time and engine was on fire and for that reason we had and emergency landing. The most interesting thing is that it was the same year as you, 1978. What are the odds? Interesting that out of those passengers, about 80 (small plane) only 10 of us boarded the replacement plane... We were treated like kings and by the time we landed in Bogota we were all half in a bag (drunk).

Chris

 

[Icacos]

Recently I was on a small aircraft on the tarmac in Trinidad, all set to fly to Barbados, when the pilot announced that there was something wrong with the aircraft, and we were going to be transfered to another plane. After a lengthy delay, much of which was spent in stifling heat, we were transported to another plane. I had two bottles of duty free rum with me and I suggested to the flight attendant that we pour everyone a shot - just to revive our drooping spirits (hmmm, there's a pun there). Unfortunately, she said they were not allowed to serve liquor on board.

 

[grayland]

This has become a classic thread...great stories.

 

[jirit]

I knew I'd get some great stories out of you all. You're so amusing to me!


@Damien Reynolds, you clearly caught "The Doors" allusion---

People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven, when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange....

Seriously, a family of five on the wrong flight? a computer checked as the flight departs? An all-woman crew flying to the wrong city? Booking for the wrong month, then missing the flight?

I love knowing that I'm not alone! Well done, amigos!

This was pre 9/11 and it was a situation whereby passengers were taken out to the tarmac and then walked to their respective planes.

And all the planes were from the same airline

There were three planes on the tarmac all boarding at the same time and I guess the family walked over to the incorrect plane and boarded this plane

 

[Rob the Slob]

Last year my wife was flying from Aruba to St. Maarten by way of Curacao and she almost missed her connection, even though it's a 20-minute flight and she had a four-hour stopover. Apparently people had too much in the way of carryon luggage, so the pilot told them to pile it up in the toilet (this being a miniature 12-seat plane or something of the kind). A lady in the front row protested, and said that for safety reasons that wasn't allowed. The pilot announced that he was the pilot, he was in charge and he decided what was safe. Whereupon the lady pulled out her airline safety inspector's badge and told him no, he didn't. So they spent hours arguing, with this tiny plane standing in the full Caribbean sun for hours. In the end everyone was moved to another plane, with another pilot (and presumably more space for the luggage).

 

[jirit]

A quote for those that fly or use to fly often

"When you fly in a twin-engined aircraft and one engine cuts out, take comfort that the other engine will carry you to the scene of the crash.”

i have yet had the test it out (came close a few times though) to see if there is any truth to it

 

[CaminoDebrita]

@jirit , ha ha! the twin-engine remark made my heart speed up.

Seriously!

 

[VNwalking]

Another (extremely over the top stupid) mistake. Don't ever do this...
Traveling with a friend from Cork to Zurich via Amsterdam, we had a very tight connection--only about 55 minutes. We asked the agent at check-in for assistance (my friend has a prosthesis and can't run so we ordered one of those carts). As she was arranging this, the agent reassured us that there was no passport control, so the connection should not be too tight.

So after a short delay at take-off, we duly arrived at Schipol Airport, and were greeted at the gate by the cart but there were already 2 other passengers, and no room for me. So thrust my book-heavy computer bag into my friend's lap and took off running, saying 'See you at the gate!' It was a ways, and finally coming around the corner, there was the correct concourse.

And passport control.
Trouble was all I had was the boarding pass...my passport and debit card and phone were with my computer.
And no sign of any cart--it turned out that the carts used a special entrance.

After trying not to be too frantic (the flight would now be taking off in about 20 minutes with my friend and all my documentation), I ran back around to the passport control door, told my story again--and fortunately there was an immigration office nearby. They were polite enough but seemed by then to be moving in slo-mo--but eventually one of the officers agreed to came to the gate with me. And there was my friend and the gate agents--everyone else was on the plane.

I asked for my passport, and she said........ "We just sent it back to the information booth near passport control with the guy who drove the cart!" (she had correctly surmised what had happened when I didn't show...)
After a few phone calls and what felt like an eternity, the cart finally came back with my passport and after a stern lecture from the officer I was allowed to shamefully slink onto the plane.
But the gate agents were laughing--they said this kind of thing happens all the time. And worse.
It does? The mind boggles.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Another (extremely over the top stupid) mistake. Don't ever do this...
Traveling with a friend from Cork to Zurich via Amsterdam, we had a very tight connection--only about 55 minutes. We asked the agent at check-in for assistance (my friend has a prosthesis and can't run so we ordered one of those carts). As she was arranging this, the agent reassured us that there was no passport control, so the connection should not be too tight.

So after a short delay at take-off, we duly arrived at Schipol Airport, and were greeted at the gate by the cart but there were already 2 other passengers, and no room for me. So thrust my book-heavy computer bag into my friend's lap and took off running, saying 'See you at the gate!' It was a ways, and finally coming around the corner, there was the correct concourse.

And passport control.
Trouble was all I had was the boarding pass...my passport and debit card and phone were with my computer.
And no sign of any cart--it turned out that the carts used a special entrance.

After trying not to be too frantic (the flight would now be taking off in about 20 minutes with my friend and all my documentation), I ran back around to the passport control door, told my story again--and fortunately there was an immigration office nearby. They were polite enough but seemed by then to be moving in slo-mo--but eventually one of the officers agreed to came to the gate with me. And there was my friend and the gate agents--everyone else was on the plane.

I asked for my passport, and she said........ "We just sent it back to the information booth near passport control with the guy who drove the cart!" (she had correctly surmised what had happened when I didn't show...)
After a few phone calls and what felt like an eternity, the cart finally came back with my passport and after a stern lecture from the officer I was allowed to shamefully slink onto the plane.
But the gate agents were laughing--they said this kind of thing happens all the time. And worse.
It does? The mind boggles.

Just reading this story once again rose my heart rate! Very well written, and the stress of it, and the slapsticks moves and etc----wow!!

My only other offerings include...
1. waiting for my friend to take me to the airport. She showed up at 4:30 am (I had a 6 am flight) and was clearly in no state to take me to the airport, but she had the car---so I drove, and then gave her money for an airport hotel. I RAN and fast, too....and just got to my gate on time.

2. in Bangkok, I arrived at the airport with a great taxi driver (for the hotel I always stayed at) when I realized I had left all my jewelry in their safe. I was in the process of moving back from years overseas, and I had a cool collection of precious and semi precious gemstones. I had the taxi driver race back, get my stuff, and bring it to me--and he got a very big tip!

3. I too have made the 20:00 is 10:00 AM mistake...deep sigh. I always arrive more than two hours early though, so I just squeaked through. Another Bangkok event.

4. My Khmer pilot, who used to usher me up to sit near him and the Russian co-pilot, who knew I was afraid of flying, so he would joke around the whole time he was flying and practice his English with me---and afforded me a bird's eye view. This was after he played the mean trick of nearly sideways flying and an extended long and low flight over the ocean, in response to my Dutch friend's lecture to him: "do not fly low! this is NOT a trick plane!"

 

[VNwalking]

Eeeeek, Deb, now it's my heartrate...I know those planes all too well, and would have been there with white knuckles, imagining the rivets popping from the stress.

Another tale of woe: a few years ago, someone who was coming from Switzerland to stay with us didn't make her flight. She had arrived at the check-in desk at the Zurich airport only to discover that she had left her passport in the copy machine in her home office...in Bern.

Well, if something untoward happens in your travels, take comfort in knowing you are not alone.

 

[jirit]

Eeeeek, Deb, now it's my heartrate...I know those planes all too well, and would have been there with white knuckles, imagining the rivets popping from the stress.

Another tale of woe: a few years ago, someone who was coming from Switzerland to stay with us didn't make her flight. She had arrived at the check-in desk at the Zurich airport only to discover that she had left her passport in the copy machine in her home office...in Bern.

Well, if something untoward happens in your travels, take comfort in knowing you are not alone.

I know of somebody that managed to lose their passport between the initial X-ray security check point and customs.

Never found it and they were unable to clear exit customs and catch their flight

 

[Icacos]

I know of somebody that managed to lose their passport between the initial X-ray security check point and customs.

Never found it and they were unable to clear exit customs and catch their flight

That's a bummer. A friend told me she never lets her passport out of her hand - never puts it in the tub that goes through the scanner - and, since then, I've been more careful myself.

I'm also working on the habit, every time I vacate a seat or move from one place to another, of looking back to ensure I haven't left anything behind. Recently at an airport, I got up to move to the security area. I glanced back as I started to walk away and what did I see on the seat I had just vacated?........my passport and boarding pass.

 

[SusieQ2]

Doors song. First thought that went through my mind.
You are obviously a seasoned traveler and know how to handle these situations. I'm sure you've imagined the scenario if you had not caught the error. I'm a rather independent person, but travel is my hubby's forte and he'll be making my arrangements. He flies somewhere almost every month (twice this month) and can always manage to get where he needs to be and usually on time even when things go wrong. He's quick to pick up on travel errors which would no doubt go unnoticed by me. We have one understanding, that I don't fly on prop planes, although I've had to do that in the past and have had to eat my words, "never again". I'm sure the passengers on the last one he booked me on still remember me.

Once, I left my expense camera at a security check when returning home from a very emotional visit with my ill father. I had almost missed my flight for which I was severely and rudely reprimanded and told I couldn't make it... but they eventually held the plane and let me board. I didn't realize I left the camera until I had boarded. I cried the entire flight thinking about the pics, camera and my father. I probably would have held it together had I not been sleep deprived and at a breaking point. I was approached by the flight attendant who ask if I was OK. I thought she was going to kick me off but she was actually helpful. I did manage to get my camera back. Most aren't so lucky.

 

[SusieQ2]

I have so many but I just remembered my dumbest. I got off of a plane which I had to reboard; the same plane was my connecting flight so I left my carry-on on board. I also left my boarding pass.

 

[Rob the Slob]

I was at Schiphol once to fly back to England for a short hiking trip by myself, when I heard the announcement, "Mr Slob, airport information desk please!" Turned out that I'd handed my passport over at passport control and wandered off without waiting to get it back. (I later almost missed my flight because of an unannounced gate change -- luckily I noticed it was very quiet at the gate and doublechecked the monitors.)

 

[Lachance]

Reminds me of an old and probably apocryphal story of someone taking an internal flight in China many years ago. There was no safety briefing. When he asked the attendant why, she looked him in the eye and said: "We clash, you die".

 

[Icacos]

..... "We clash, you die".

And that reminds me of a woman I met who had volunteered as a nurse during WWII, and was shipped out on a merchant vessel. After some time on the Atlantic she asked why they had not received any evacuation training, and received no answer. It was only after that that she learned the ship was packed to the rafters with explosives.

 

[GettingThere]

....to shamefully slink onto the plane.

Ah yes, the "walk of shame"! Sooo embarrassing, especially when it isn't the biggest of planes and it's very obvious you're the last one down the aisle, trying to ignore the glares of waiting passengers!

A few years ago the powers-that-be at Auckland International Airport, presumably exasperated by people keeping planes waiting, changed the wording of their "Mr X, please board your plane" announcements (which they still have - I know some airports don't have any announcements). Now they say: "Mr X, please proceed to departure gate Y immediately. Your aircraft is ready to depart and ALL. OTHER. PASSENGERS. ARE. WAITING. FOR. YOU!" I always feel sorry for Mr X when I hear this, as I am sure in most cases people don't deliberately dawdle!

 

[zzotte]

On a recent flight, the agent told me to race to the gate as the flight was boarding. I was totally confused. According to the itinerary sent automatically to my calendar at the time of booking I had over an hour before take off. It wasn't until I sat breathlessly in my seat that I realized that the times sent to your devices are NOT in local time but the time of the city where you made the booking. How ridiculous is that? I just booked a 16:20 flight from Biarritz to Lyon that showed up 10:20 a.m. A cool feature, but since the first incident, I double check the entry and adjust to local time. Gotta love technology!

With the iPhone you can change that in settings

zzotte

 

[Kanga]

Groan @jirit - that is just the sort of terrifying joke my husband would love.

 

[jirit]

Groan @jirit - that is just the sort of terrifying joke my husband would love.

It's my dry Aussie sense of humour - you can also imagine a typical Aussie pilot making such an announcement shortly after one of the engines flames out

 

[Kanga]

It's my dry Aussie sense of humour - you can also imagine a typical Aussie pilot making such an announcement shortly after one of the engines flames out

Like the Aussie pilot in the little 6 seater plane I was climbing aboard at Dubbo who responded to my remark "This is my first time on one of these" with:
"Yes, me too".

 

[Lachance]

Your aircraft is ready to depart and ALL. OTHER. PASSENGERS. ARE. WAITING. FOR. YOU!" I always feel sorry for Mr X when I hear this, as I am sure in most cases people don't deliberately dawdle!

Well you're much kinder than me. I always sit there fuming, convinced the miscreants are partying in the airport bar, oblivious to boarding calls. On domestic flights that is. They only hold the plane for passengers who've checked in luggage, as I understand it. It's possible of course that some heartrending emergency has intervened between checking in the bags and boarding. But judging from the frequency, I reckon it's usually the bar.

 

[VNwalking]

But judging from the frequency, I reckon it's usually the bar.

Not in my case in Sydney, Deb...
My missed flight there was because of a gate change that was not announced.
This year on the same connection (I was flying from Auckland to Bangkok), it almost happened again to several of us--me and some Thai ladies. But this time I knew to check, and sure enough: our boarding cards said one gate but the flight left from another. No kind announcement like the ones you hear in Auckland.......
So everyone from Enzed be warned: if you are transiting through Sydney, don't be complacent or you may be stranded.

 

[Lachance]

Not in my case in Sydney, Deb...
My missed flight there was because of a gate change that was not announced.
This year on the same connection (I was flying from Auckland to Bangkok), it almost happened again to several of us--me and some Thai ladies. But this time I knew to check, and sure enough: our boarding cards said one gate but the flight left from another. No kind announcement like the ones you hear in Auckland.......
So everyone from Enzed be warned: if you are transiting through Sydney, don't be complacent or you may be stranded.

If they were paging Viranani, I would never suspect misbehaviour. And international is different. At Sydney domestic, especially T2 (every airline except QANTAS), the airwaves are awash with plaintive calls for pax to board. Almost always 2 or more, with different surnames. Prosecution rests. But I do agree you can't rely on procedures at your home airport to apply anywhere else.

 

[VNwalking]

If they were paging Viranani, I would never suspect misbehaviour

Ha! Thank you, Deb, but I'm all too human. Maybe I wouldn't be carousing or shopping, but zoning out is a sad possibility.
I can easily imagine meditating, reading, or writing--or (hee hee) hanging out here--and totally losing track of time.
What happened to @Anemone del Camino is a cautionary tale!
...And aha. Both times it was a Quantas codeshare flight. Perhaps this is simply company policy?

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

When there's a flight-booking error, I always assume it's my fault. It usually is! I have to exercise huge vigilance, which includes talking aloud, double checking, and etc so that I haven't booked a flight to and from Santiago, Chile, for example. This is the kind of mistake you make when you're--a bit older, and, well, strange! Ha ha! As a substitute teacher, I'm always thinking of history, literature, music, and pondering great topics such as "why the sheewee in the graphic appears backward," not to mention pondering why the "sheewee appears so clinical and tidy," and great thanks to @David for that recent offering! Ha!

Anyway, this morning I thought I'd review my itinerary to and from Madrid. Going on to my old lady's site--AARP Expedia--I noticed that one leg of my journey, the one from Paris to Madrid, had gone on walkabout.

An hour and a half later, we are all sorted out. This morning, though, had me speaking to the call center in The Philippines for a long time. I then got bounced to the local AARP office in Texas, where Jennifer assured me that when she "sent [me] back to the Philippines" I had to insist on talking to the supervisor.

Thank goodness for gmail, so I could look back and argue that I HAD booked the flight TO MADRID, not just to Paris. Seriously. Don't delete your e mails, kids.

But you probably don't have these problems. It is probably just me.

Have a great day!

Buen Camino, and I'm flying out on the 15th---TO MADRID!

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

What's a Sheewee? Oh, never mind.

 

[Bumpa]

A number of years ago, I took my 84 yr old Dad to Belfast to visit the graves of our ancestors. We flew into and out of Dublin and then rented a car. On the way home we lifted off in Dublin and set down about 45 minutes later to clean the plane. I guess they were trying to keep Shannon airport open At any rate, we had an hour layover and just before getting back on the plane, I went to get a magazine and told Dad to start onto the plane if I was not back. Big mistake!!

I came back and there was no sign of him and the last passengers were heading down the tunnel to the plane. I followed and when I got on the plane there was no sign of Dad. As I attempted to get off the plane there was a lot of resistance until I told them rather forcefully that I was not heading home and leaving an 84 yr old man wandering around Ireland. I ran into stiffer resistance at the end of the ramp into the terminal. Just then Dad saunters out of the toilet, with his shirt sticking out his partially closed zipper in his pants. He was quite irate that I was yelling at him to get moving. He said "there is still 10 minutes before the plane leaves"

The matter was made worse, as we hustled him down the ramp to the plane, when every second person said " oh you found him, you really must listen to your son" When we got on the plane, our seats happened to be to the rear of the plane. After walking through the front section of the plane, my father says "I thought we were flying back to Canada, not walking there" He got such a large laugh that he repeated it again in the back half of the plane. I guess it wasn't such a big deal as we went back to Ireland together each of the next two years. Although, I did insist he wear a bell

 

[CaminoDebrita]

A number of years ago, I took my 84 yr old Dad to Belfast to visit the graves of our ancestors. We flew into and out of Dublin and then rented a car. On the way home we lifted off in Dublin and set down about 45 minutes later to clean the plane. I guess they were trying to keep Shannon airport open At any rate, we had an hour layover and just before getting back on the plane, I went to get a magazine and told Dad to start onto the plane if I was not back. Big mistake!!

I came back and there was no sign of him and the last passengers were heading down the tunnel to the plane. I followed and when I got on the plane there was no sign of Dad. As I attempted to get off the plane there was a lot of resistance until I told them rather forcefully that I was not heading home and leaving an 84 yr old man wandering around Ireland. I ran into stiffer resistance at the end of the ramp into the terminal. Just then Dad saunters out of the toilet, with his shirt sticking out his partially closed zipper in his pants. He was quite irate that I was yelling at him to get moving. He said "there is still 10 minutes before the plane leaves"

The matter was made worse, as we hustled him down the ramp to the plane, when every second person said " oh you found him, you really must listen to your son" When we got on the plane, our seats happened to be to the rear of the plane. After walking through the front section of the plane, my father says "I thought we were flying back to Canada, not walking there" He got such a large laugh that he repeated it again in the back half of the plane. I guess it wasn't such a big deal as we went back to Ireland together each of the next two years. Although, I did insist he wear a bell

What a great story!!

He sounds a lot like my dad. My dad loved to travel, and despite being really handicapped, was always happy to have me pack him and take him to Mexico or Hawaii. I'll never forget the last few trips, with Dad begrudgingly handing over his pocket knife, 12-ounce tubes of fancy shower gel, and having to lock the wheelchair so they could then run the wand over his poor little body (100 kilos--not that little). He loved to go and do, and was one of those rare individuals whom others wanted to help as he went and did.

 

[Bumpa]

I was reluctant at first but the three trips to Ireland with Dad were priceless. Two weeks, 24/7, with each other set up moments when I wanted to say"be quiet and go and sit over there or so help me I'm going to stick a finger in your eye" I am positive he had those moments as well. However, we discussed Father and Son things that we would ever have broached in the run of the mill visits with each other.
Changed our whole relationship with each other, mainly for the better

We were in a pub in Galway when a wee man who looked as if he was from one of those black and white Barry Fitzgerald movies came in. Flannel shirt, tightly knotted tie, vest and tweed coat. The ensemble looked as if everything came off over his head at the same time when he undressed and went back on the same way the next morning. He asked my Dad if it was true that it was a seven hour flight to Canada but only six and a half hours from Canada to Ireland. My Dad told him absolutely. It is down hill from Canada and up hill from Ireland. He further said "if you don't believe me go out to the airport. All planes from Canada are going up and the ones from Canada are coming down" The wee man said: "that's very Irish of ye"

As I said priceless trips in many ways

 

[Bumpa]

that should be to Canada are going up...........

 

[ksam]

, as long as I don't end up in dirty Jersey also known as Newark. I would rather pick up toilet paper all along to Camino Trail and spend another night in Newark...

Ehhh careful there! I will concede...certain sections of the northern part of the Garden State have a...well, shall we say rather industrial feel to them?!!! And a night in an airport kinda sucks no matter where you are! BUT...the rest of Jersey...kinda green, rather open and full of farms!! Next time your stuck.....give a holler and I'd be happy to help out and show you what the state is really like! Including the fact that like your lovely green state of Oregon, we too do not have to pump our own gas!!! Smart folks, Jersey Girls and Oregonians!!

 

[J F Gregory]

My wife flies a lot with her job. We leave Thursday morning via Paris to SJPDP to start our walk on the 19th. We get good rates because of air miles earned. Since booking with the air miles the airlines have changed our itinerary 4 times. Even different airlines. I am happy my wife is able to keep track of this. It confuses me.