Jan on his way to Thailand (readers' entry)
Finally the time has come, house sold and a few days in a Dutch hotel to finish some business. Long dreamed of going to live in Thailand with my girlfriend at the age of 65 in a small village 25 km below Udon Thani.
Flights booked one way Udon Thani. With a disposable ticket Bangkok – Cambodia, because I'm going to arrange my Non immigrant O visa in Thailand, that's a bit easier. Amsterdam – Frankfurt with Lufthansa, Frankfurt – Bangkok with THAI Airways, Bangkok – Udon with VietJet Air. What could possibly go wrong now, would you think? Within a day you are in Thailand.
Well, the adventure begins at Schiphol, checking in the suitcase and labeling it did not work, so on to the check-in desk. The lady there couldn't do it either, so that meant I had to check in again in Frankfurt and with a transfer time of an hour and 15 minutes that would be tight. Shortly before departure, the plane turned out to be almost an hour late. In Frankfurt the wait for the suitcase took half an hour, so you guessed it, check-in desk closed and plane missed. What now? It was chaos there with thousands of stranded travelers due to the weather and many World Cup travelers. Long queues in front of the counters because people had to rebook and arrange a hotel stay.
After standing in line for an hour I had to go to another line with hundreds of people. Halfway through the queue, the many counters were closed at 23:00 PM, the lights went out and the employees went home. Open again tomorrow morning at 6 am. The police had to calm the angry mob. After walking around I found a counter with last minute tickets. There was not a hotel bed available for miles around. But it was already after midnight. I only had two choices for a ticket for the next day there. One with Turkish Airlines business class for 6.000 euros and an economy class with Etihad for 3.000 euros. So I bought the last one and I had to be there at 8 o'clock.
All food and beverage outlets were closed. And every 5 meters in the corridors someone was sitting or lying on the floor. Chairs, benches and even airport trains were occupied. I found a free place on the cold tile floor in front of a closed shop. That marble floor was hard and very cold, but I still had to bridge 6 hours.
Checked into Etihad that morning with a layover in Abu Dhabi. In Abu Dhabi, my connecting flight would leave that evening and the boarding pass would be issued at the gate. Everyone was already on board but my boarding pass could not be printed because the flight was overbooked and everyone had turned up. But I was escorted to a counter where I was kindly helped. I got a new ticket for the following evening and a taxi took me to a 5 star hotel with all meals included, all at Etihad's expense.
Those Arabs have done it well because 5 stars is really 5 stars. What luxury and splendor, priceless for a simple soul like me. The room was mine until the evening. With the free taxi back to the airport and from there took the flight to Bangkok with a stopover in Phuket. From Phuket with a Boeing with 3 passengers and 10 flight attendants to Bangkok.
Bought a ticket in Bangkok and that evening with Thai-Smile to Udon Thani where I was met by a happy family. All in all a journey of 4 full days with obstacles. This was an expensive trip and I can claim 600 euros back from the additional claim insurance I purchased. This was my story of how a simple trip to Thailand can go. I am an experienced traveler and I could not have imagined this in advance.
Ps my muscles still hurt from sleeping on the cold tiles.
Submitted by Jan
It's the journey Jan, not the destination !
Cheap is not always good.
Book eva-air, now around 900 euros, (in September 650 euros)
Non-stop, 46 kilos of luggage and no hassle.
Ultimately, the misery is due to the much too short transfer time. Wasn't that foreseeable in advance?
I myself assume a transfer time of at least 2,5 hours, but I don't find 3-4 hours a problem and even more relaxed.
I am also always at the airport 3,5 hours in advance for an international flight and 2,5 hours for a domestic one. So many things can go wrong: stuck traffic, taxi driver who loses his way.
Rather an hour of pacing at the airport than at home or in the hotel. Because you do polar bears for the journey that is to come.
At first I thought that man is not allowed to travel to Thailand. If that's not an omen, what is. But on closer inspection, you are not made for a little one. Then it will also work in Thailand. Good luck and health and make something beautiful out of it.
Wow, and then I thought I had already had it bad this year
An hour delay KLM, because a hat could not find its way to the plane in time.
As a result, transfer time shortened for further travel with Thaivietair.
So I didn't make it either, but no problem at TVA, just went on the next flight a little later.
Too bad it was delayed by 2 hours.
During a check in Thailand, my bottle of Baileys for the woman was also confiscated. Not in plastic bag.
They don't seem to do anything at Schiphol anymore? Didn't realize it at that time and therefore gone as a present in Thailand. So make sure you get that bag! 2 years ago that was still an automatic thing, but now?
Had contact with Schiphol about this whether protocol had been changed. They couldn't tell, had to ask the store? Contact on receipt, which I no longer had. On the store's site, they give to Schiphol and then we start all over again? OK, nevermind.
Just a few days in Thailand, I read mail that my return flight had been changed and that was only in 6 months. Did they already know how to change (early November).
Sorry for the inconvenience and your understanding, as a comfort. You can claim.
But admittedly Jan, your situation was even worse, then I still feel lucky.
Have a nice life in Thailand with the wife, Jan!
Still, two pressing questions.
1. “Well, the adventure begins at Schiphol, checking in and labeling the suitcase did not work, so we went to the check-in desk. The lady there couldn't do it either, (…)”
What was the reason why the check-in of the suitcase failed twice? May be important for travelers with suitcases, which most are.
2. Wouldn't it have been wiser to leave that suitcase in Frankfurt? Now you have lost an extra 3000 euros. Was there that much in that suitcase? Usually some clothes and stuff. Perhaps that suitcase could have been sent for a fee.
If you know everything in advance, life becomes very easy. I expected that the bag would be labeled through as before, and that I would not have to check in again. For me this entry was not to complain but simply to post my findings here. You would only be very old or disabled or traveling with small children and then experience something like this. I don't blame myself and I'm another experience richer. The schedule of an hour and 15 minutes transfer was so planned by the travel agency and should be sufficient if your suitcase can be labeled.
Hello Jan, why didn't you opt for a direct flight with EVA or KLM? Doesn't that save a lot of hassle?
I was unable to book until late and this was the only trip available at the time. I always book as many right streets as possible, but a transfer in Frankfurt was no problem at the time. But afterwards there are always people who say, "I always do this or that, or you have to do this or that." It could have gone well, you never know.
John Nice story.
But could be worse, really.
scheduled Tuesday 19:15 pm departure from Schiphol to Heathrow (BA)
departure from home at 13.00. arrival at Schiphol at 15.00.
Checked in there at 15:15 straight to the gate (priority)
At 18:30 flight was announced canceled. Flight next morning at 07:20.
Desk staff at the gate tells me to wait, they will come and get me??
At 19:30 no one was seen so back to the counter at the gate. sorry something went wrong but it's settled.
Wait again. At 20:00 I see all the gate staff leaving. I report that still waiting. Yes one is on the way (BA).
Tried calling BA in Amsterdam and or London a few times but no answer due to too much traffic on the line.
At 21:00 an employee of internal transport sees me and asks what are you waiting for. I put it onion. They call. Took me to the Schiphol information desk to tell my story there.
Trying everything but nothing works. So hotel arranged at Schiphol.
Next morning at 5:30 am at the counter.
Sorry but the flight has been cancelled. Everything has already been rebooked for you to tonight (Wednesday)
You wouldn't guess it, but indeed the evening is almost a copy of Tuesday, with this difference. I was able to leave rotterdam on thursday morning at 7:20
By taxi at BA cost to Rotterdam. there hotel with animal and breakfast at 5:00 am right next to the airport.
Boarded at 7:00 am, the plane turned out not to go to heathrow but to city.
At 7;20 in City was told I had to get to heatrhrow at my own expense as I had now flown with BA local and not BA international?
So after swearing and threatening in his Dutch, we took a taxi to Heathrow.
You won't guess the air canceled at 11.30 to Bkk.
I arranged a ticket there via Bamboo air to Hanoi. for 900 euros single and a ticket viet air hanoi Bkk.
Arrival Bkk Friday local time 14:00 PM
So people for my never measure BA
Jan,
I am convinced that the misery will soon be forgotten now that you are facing a new future in the oh so beautiful Thailand.
I would say welcome and enjoy it to the fullest!
Dear Jan,
Wow what a story man, glad you arrived here.
In any case, welcome here and enjoy.
Rudolf
Moderator: Visa questions always go through the editors, so we don't post in a comment.
John it's like that everywhere now. A friend of ours had the same experience with EVA Air recently.
I received a warning from Opodo that flights will no longer be reimbursed, but in the best case scenario will receive a credit voucher and that insurance will no longer pay anything because of Force Majeure, a method of simply not paying anything anymore.
And then the prices as Jan experienced! On average about 250% higher and high extra costs for seating and babysitting, especially luggage.
Then there are cheaper flights with, for example, Indigo, Air India, Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific, etc. Then you should check out the passenger reviews at Skytrax!
The 'good' airlines such as Qatar have therefore increased considerably, but you will not be bothered by the delays and cancellations. Recently there was a report about Thai Airways in TB not being allowed to leave Brussels with the comment of someone who knew they had not paid the kerosene bill. A flight with TA now only costs 2335 euros pp.
I tried to book a flight to Bangkok and at the last minute my booking was interrupted at the time payment was made and I was notified of additional charges of 22 Euros per seat, so shuffled. because 'the booking cannot be completed', start again! When I checked that, it turned out that my flight had increased by 200 euros at that time! They must have panicked at Opodo because that would have resulted in a loss! In the meantime, I've found Edreams to have a hold of the market because whatever agent's site you're looking on, it's all the same and coming from them. That's called Market Control! Incidentally, most of them now fly around empty, that has also proven to me!
Mi it's only a matter of time before quite a few go bankrupt.
Air travel has become a horror.