@British Don't lose your faith in Qatar Airways. Qatar and American work together on flights out of JFK Terminal 8 via codesharing. So some JFK flights to Doha are Qatar operated crew/metal and some are AA operated crew/metal. My cancel was on an AA operated flight. I think Qatar has not had the same level of issues of the US and European majors and may be more dependable right now, especially important for them in the World Cup year. They probably did not pare staff like others needing to be able to handle World Cup. On the visa issue, Tanzania is a one year multi so no issue. Kenya is an interesting question. The entry would be within 90 days of issuance, but the departure would be a few days beyond the 3 month marker. I was already checking with the embassy to verify whether I need to reapply and/or get an extension.
Moderna does seem to be the one that has more side effects problems. My son is not on the discovery team 😂😂
Gladys, yes concerned. If Singapore gets canceled, I’m definitely heading for London for two weeks and blow my money on the Savoy! We never rescheduled our 2020 Scandinavia tour, maybe in the future….if there is one 🤪
My best advice for plane travel to important events these days is:
Never do a multiple tickets to get to your destination. One PNR, and the airline is obligated to get you all the way there. It may take a while, but if you have separate tickets, and you misconnect, it's a lot more difficult to make things work.
Try to fly as direct as possible, as has been said. Schedule the layovers if you have them to be generous, not razor thin.
Most importantly, have a Plan B already worked out. If things go sidewise with your flights, do not wait for the airlines to sort you out. I can't stress that enough. Get on the phone immediately. Know the flights that will get you there on partner airlines, and ask to be rerouted. The reroute may take you on a different airline, to different connection cities....but waiting for the airline to sort you may have you being scheduled for a day or two later (on the same airline of course). A few years back, we were flying to China through LAX on AA, and our flight to LAX went mechanical. We were going to miss the connection in LAX. The gate agent wanted to put us on the flight the next day. A quick phone call and I was able to book us to Narita, connecting to Beijing on JAL, and we arrived on time. The airlines are not your friend in these situations. If you can tell them what flights work, and they are on partner airlines, you stand a good shot at minimizing your delay. And knowing alternate routings, or at least being able to find them quickly, can work well.
I received an email today from AA saying my departure is moved forward ONE MINUTE! 2nd time change for this flight. You'd think they'd have more to worry about. Maybe if this were Japan... And yes, it's important to look at which airline is actually operating the codeshare, esp. if you have preferences.
BOS to FRA - flight was delayed 50 min. Pilots got us landed with only 25 min delay. They were hoofing it. We breezed through FRA and was at FRA to MUC gate in 30-35 minutes. Perk of being at the front of the plane, and being one of the first flights to land, and the airport still waking up. The flight was delayed a bit while waiting for other passengers on other flights. But in all, we landed 🛬 in MUC only 15 minutes late with all our bags! Woot!!
Like MikeH above, our flight to Oslo tomorrow was cancelled due to the SAS pilot strike. We were rebooked for Thursday but itinerary gave us a connection at Heathrow of only 1hr10 minutes. Too dicey for us. Am on phone with Tauck again. Waiting for help. Patiently - helps to be retired.
Worried about making fligh5 connections is an understatement.We are scheduled in late August to fly from EWR to Berlin;but our local flight on UA will arrive at EWR about 90 mts before international flight.I am trying to change it to an earlier flight.So far this particular flight has been on time but given our luck on the day we are scheduled it will be delayed!On another note Covid-19 cases among travelers are becoming more common with associated trip interruptions and cancellations!It is certainly not a happy time to be going any.
Mike - Are you travelling with Tauck? I love your blogs and can't wait to see the next one. They are inspiring and I have made reservations next year for a few of the trips that you have taken. Thank you!
All you can do is pack your carry-on bag with a change of underwear, and other key pieces (medications, etc). and your patience. Some things are just out of your control and it's no good to get all worked up in advance about it. Be flexible and go with the flow and you won't get as riled up over screwed-up flights, hassles with baggage, or COVID results. Here's hoping everyone has a HEALTHY, safe, and wonderfully fun adventure ahead.
Love your attitude, Packerfan! Stuff happens and Tauck will do their best to not lose any of us as we try to navigate the skies! I care more about my bags arriving than whether we're on time or delayed...
I was so nervous about our bags arriving home yesterday and after three flights, that I insisted we hand carry a small extra nylon bag we keep in a suitcase, with some of the clothes I did not want to lose, my hubby was annoyed with me as he hates carrying more than our backpacks on the plane. We have air tags in our checked luggage and the American Airlines app tracks the bags too, but I still hate them even being delayed. We once had a lost bag. I had just finished all the laundry from the other bag when the lost suitcase arrived on the doorstep and I had to start all over. I can’t really until all the unpacking is done, mail sorted, garden tended etc etc
Comments
@British Don't lose your faith in Qatar Airways. Qatar and American work together on flights out of JFK Terminal 8 via codesharing. So some JFK flights to Doha are Qatar operated crew/metal and some are AA operated crew/metal. My cancel was on an AA operated flight. I think Qatar has not had the same level of issues of the US and European majors and may be more dependable right now, especially important for them in the World Cup year. They probably did not pare staff like others needing to be able to handle World Cup. On the visa issue, Tanzania is a one year multi so no issue. Kenya is an interesting question. The entry would be within 90 days of issuance, but the departure would be a few days beyond the 3 month marker. I was already checking with the embassy to verify whether I need to reapply and/or get an extension.
Moderna does seem to be the one that has more side effects problems. My son is not on the discovery team 😂😂
Gladys, yes concerned. If Singapore gets canceled, I’m definitely heading for London for two weeks and blow my money on the Savoy! We never rescheduled our 2020 Scandinavia tour, maybe in the future….if there is one 🤪
My best advice for plane travel to important events these days is:
Never do a multiple tickets to get to your destination. One PNR, and the airline is obligated to get you all the way there. It may take a while, but if you have separate tickets, and you misconnect, it's a lot more difficult to make things work.
Try to fly as direct as possible, as has been said. Schedule the layovers if you have them to be generous, not razor thin.
Most importantly, have a Plan B already worked out. If things go sidewise with your flights, do not wait for the airlines to sort you out. I can't stress that enough. Get on the phone immediately. Know the flights that will get you there on partner airlines, and ask to be rerouted. The reroute may take you on a different airline, to different connection cities....but waiting for the airline to sort you may have you being scheduled for a day or two later (on the same airline of course). A few years back, we were flying to China through LAX on AA, and our flight to LAX went mechanical. We were going to miss the connection in LAX. The gate agent wanted to put us on the flight the next day. A quick phone call and I was able to book us to Narita, connecting to Beijing on JAL, and we arrived on time. The airlines are not your friend in these situations. If you can tell them what flights work, and they are on partner airlines, you stand a good shot at minimizing your delay. And knowing alternate routings, or at least being able to find them quickly, can work well.
I received an email today from AA saying my departure is moved forward ONE MINUTE! 2nd time change for this flight. You'd think they'd have more to worry about. Maybe if this were Japan... And yes, it's important to look at which airline is actually operating the codeshare, esp. if you have preferences.
MarketArt - you should contact AA and tell them that schedule change is unacceptable
At least it's my first flight, not the one that meets Tauck, so I don't have to adjust my arrival online (again).
We just received notice that SAS pilots went on strike. We have a flight scheduled on them this Wednesday. Time to scramble.
[Update 7/5/2022 - we were re-routed and will be able to travel.]
BOS to FRA - flight was delayed 50 min. Pilots got us landed with only 25 min delay. They were hoofing it. We breezed through FRA and was at FRA to MUC gate in 30-35 minutes. Perk of being at the front of the plane, and being one of the first flights to land, and the airport still waking up. The flight was delayed a bit while waiting for other passengers on other flights. But in all, we landed 🛬 in MUC only 15 minutes late with all our bags! Woot!!
I already had a beer with some sauerkraut!
Like MikeH above, our flight to Oslo tomorrow was cancelled due to the SAS pilot strike. We were rebooked for Thursday but itinerary gave us a connection at Heathrow of only 1hr10 minutes. Too dicey for us. Am on phone with Tauck again. Waiting for help. Patiently - helps to be retired.
Worried about making fligh5 connections is an understatement.We are scheduled in late August to fly from EWR to Berlin;but our local flight on UA will arrive at EWR about 90 mts before international flight.I am trying to change it to an earlier flight.So far this particular flight has been on time but given our luck on the day we are scheduled it will be delayed!On another note Covid-19 cases among travelers are becoming more common with associated trip interruptions and cancellations!It is certainly not a happy time to be going any.
Going anywhere.
Mike - Are you travelling with Tauck? I love your blogs and can't wait to see the next one. They are inspiring and I have made reservations next year for a few of the trips that you have taken. Thank you!
All you can do is pack your carry-on bag with a change of underwear, and other key pieces (medications, etc). and your patience. Some things are just out of your control and it's no good to get all worked up in advance about it. Be flexible and go with the flow and you won't get as riled up over screwed-up flights, hassles with baggage, or COVID results. Here's hoping everyone has a HEALTHY, safe, and wonderfully fun adventure ahead.
Love your attitude, Packerfan! Stuff happens and Tauck will do their best to not lose any of us as we try to navigate the skies! I care more about my bags arriving than whether we're on time or delayed...
I was so nervous about our bags arriving home yesterday and after three flights, that I insisted we hand carry a small extra nylon bag we keep in a suitcase, with some of the clothes I did not want to lose, my hubby was annoyed with me as he hates carrying more than our backpacks on the plane. We have air tags in our checked luggage and the American Airlines app tracks the bags too, but I still hate them even being delayed. We once had a lost bag. I had just finished all the laundry from the other bag when the lost suitcase arrived on the doorstep and I had to start all over. I can’t really until all the unpacking is done, mail sorted, garden tended etc etc