Summary

The author's travel plans were disrupted when they discovered their return flight had not been booked due to an oversight by their travel agent, leading to a stressful scramble to secure a new flight home.

Abstract

The author, who had been in New Zealand caring for their terminally ill father, faced a significant travel mishap when they received an email from their travel agent admitting that neither of them had booked the author's return flight to the UK. This error was particularly distressing as the author had changed their flight dates twice to accommodate their father's deteriorating health and had received email confirmations for these changes. Despite their efforts to verify the booking, the author was informed of the non-existent booking just a week before the intended return date. The mix-up occurred amidst the emotional and logistical challenges of dealing with their father's passing, including arranging the funeral and settling affairs. The travel agent's assurance of "don't worry" did little to alleviate the author's anxiety, especially when placed on a waitlist and eventually offered a flight a day later with an alternative airline. The author expressed frustration and disbelief at the situation, especially since they had taken steps to confirm their booking, and highlighted the importance of persistence in verifying travel details.

Opinions

The author is understandably upset and frustrated by the travel agent's oversight and the subsequent stress it caused.
There is a sense of disbelief and betrayal, as the author had received confirmations and had even double-checked with the agent.
The author is critical of the travel agent's handling of the situation, particularly the use of reassuring phrases like "don't worry" in the face of a significant error.
The author acknowledges the impact of the pandemic on air travel but still holds the travel agent accountable for the mistake.
Despite the stress, the author tries to find a silver lining by considering how much worse the situation could have been if not discovered in advance.
The author emphasizes the emotional toll of the situation, compounded by the recent loss of their father and the responsibilities that followed.
The author appreciates the support from readers and believes in the power of positive energy and visualization in resolving the issue.

Travel | It Happened to Me

Don’t You Hate It When Travel Goes Wrong?

First, there was a return ticket and then there wasn’t

Can I have one of those seats please? - © image by author

What would you do if you woke up to a message like this?

A few days ago I received this email message, along these lines, from my travel agent:-

“Sorry, but there has been an oversight on your booking. I thought my colleague had booked your return flight and he thought I had booked your return flight; therefore no one has booked your return flight which you are due to take next week. The problem is there are no other flights for another two weeks, and the one that you were due to take is now fully booked”.

This was the last thing I wanted to hear. If you have followed my journey, then you will know that in March 2022, I had to travel to New Zealand to care for my terminally ill dad.

As his illness progressed, I changed my flight bookings accordingly.

I changed them twice to be precise.

The first time, I called up the travel agent. The dates were changed. I received the email confirmation. No problem.

Then I needed to change the date once again. Dad was deteriorating and I knew that I needed to stay longer.

I did exactly the same thing. I called up. Spoke to the agent. He confirmed that he would change them. I received an email confirmation.

All great right?

Something Bothered Me, Even Then

I don’t know why but even then, there was a niggle in my stomach that I couldn’t quite work out. So, I had emailed the agent, just to make sure, and asked if they could check that the booking was all confirmed.

I received a return email saying the return flight is all confirmed, there is nothing more I need to do.

So I did nothing further.

Why I Needed To Change My Flight Dates

The last flight change meant that I was due to return to the UK on the 27th of June. It was also on the same flight as my sister, so we were looking forward to traveling back together and completing this last stage of this journey together.

My dad passed away in May 2022, and my sister and I have been busy tying up his affairs together.

Planning the service.

Interring his ashes.

Arranging a stone.

Deciding on the words for the stone engraving.

Clearing up a full house of stuff.

Dealing with legal paperwork.

Sorting out bank accounts and paying bills.

My head was spinning most days.

We only had four weeks to get everything sorted before returning home. I had been away from home, for three months, so by now, I was counting down the days to getting back into my own space.

It has been an emotional and stressful time.

How did I Discover The Non-existent Booking?

Sorting through dad’s stuff there were items that I wanted to take back with me.

With only a 23kg baggage allowance, I went to the airline website to try to book an additional bag.

I entered my booking reference.

It said booking does not exist.

What the hell!

I tried again as you do, just in case I typed in the wrong digits.

Still nothing.

I tried to enter my e-ticket details instead.

Nothing but big bold red stating ‘Booking Does Not Exist’.

What Panic Feels Like

Panicked by now I contact the agent to ask if there is an updated booking reference. You have to admire my optimism in the face of panic.

After all, I had the previous email confirmation from the agent, saying my return flight is all confirmed.

He comes back saying he will check if there is an updated booking reference and will let me know.

I wait.

And wait.

Nothing.

I realize by this silence, that something is not right.

I email him and ask if I am confirmed on that flight.

That’s when I get the email telling me that the ticket that was booked was not actually booked and that with a week to go I haven’t got a return flight back to the UK.

He then has the audacity to tell me not to worry!

He is going to contact the airline and see if he can get me onto the flight, in the meantime, I am waitlisted.

Waitlisted.

Don’t worry.

Words that don’t go down well in my already spinning head.

It’s Not Good Enough, Is It?

I say that is not good enough. I know that the pandemic has changed air travel and all and that there aren’t as many flights going as yet, but I desperately need to get home after being away for almost three months now and all the emotional trauma I have been through. And it was not my mistake.

I need to go home. I said it over and over. Hoping that this will register in his brain.

He tells me he will hold some flights with an alternative airline, but it means re-routing and I will have to leave a day later.

He says they accept full responsibility and will get me home, so don’t worry.

Those words again.

Don’t worry.

How the hell am I not supposed to worry?

I have tried to place a positive spin on what has happened.

Just imagine if I had turned up at the airport on the 27th of June, I would have been told that there was no booking for me.

My sister would have had to take her flight without me, and I would have been stranded in New Zealand on my own.

I cannot imagine what that would have felt like.

I know that I would have just cried inconsolably until the tears could flow no more.

Then I would have got angry, and mad.

How could this have happened when I checked.

I even double-checked.

Thank goodness for technology and email, as there was a trail confirming this.

How many times do you need to check your flight details before you fly?

Anyway, the saga continues, I am due to fly on the 27th of June and I am visualizing myself on that flight.

I have sent out every wish, hope, and positive energy to the universe to get me on that original flight. Wish me luck.

UPDATE 30.6.2022

To all those who checked up on me thank you 💗 really appreciate your support. All that visualization must have worked. I was able to get a flight home a day later than originally planned. You can read about how it unfolded below.

Air Travel Is Changing So Fast, It Can Be Hard to Keep Up Sometimes.

If you are planning to travel, then you might be wondering what it is like to take to the skies again, let me share my…

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