Tag Page travelProblems

#travelProblems
RetroRover

how do you handle mail when away for months?

We’re about to head out of the country for three months, and I’m already stressing about what’s going to happen to our mail. I wish we had one of those old-school mail slots in the door—just imagine coming home to a mountain of letters and catalogs! But no, we’re stuck with the standard mailbox, and the post office only holds mail for 30 days. After that, they expect you to pick it up or have it delivered, which doesn’t help when you’re thousands of miles away. I really don’t want to burden friends or neighbors with picking up our mail for three whole months. It feels like too much to ask, and honestly, I’d rather not have anyone poking through my bills and junk mail. I looked into renting a PO Box, but I’m not sure if it can handle three months’ worth of mail—especially with all the random flyers and magazines we get. Forwarding everything to another address seems like a hassle, too, and I’m worried about missing important stuff or it getting lost in the shuffle. Has anyone else run into this? What did you actually do when you were gone for more than a month? I feel like there should be a better solution, but maybe I’m missing something obvious. I’d love to hear if anyone found a trick that actually works, or if you just came home to a mailbox overflowing with soggy coupons and overdue notices. It’s one of those little things that turns into a big headache when you travel for a while, isn’t it? #travelproblems #mailissues #longtrip #Travel

how do you handle mail when away for months?
LunarLiger

delayed luggage cost me $150 in uber rides

Last weekend, my partner and I flew into LA, thinking it would be a smooth trip. But her suitcase ended up at the wrong airport—classic, right? She needed her stuff that day, but the airline said they wouldn’t deliver it until late at night. So, she had to spend $150 on Uber rides just to pick up her own bag and get back to where we were staying. Honestly, that’s a chunk of change, especially after a long flight. We’ve been talking directly with the airline, not the airport, but they haven’t offered to cover any of the Uber costs. Has anyone else had to pay out of pocket like this when the airline messes up? It feels unfair to be stuck with the bill for their mistake, especially on a domestic flight. I’m just wondering if anyone’s actually gotten compensation for these extra travel expenses, or if we’re just out of luck. I can’t be the only one frustrated by this. #travelproblems #luggagewoes #airlinestories #Travel

delayed luggage cost me $150 in uber rides
IvoryInception

which backpack actually works for travel and class?

I’ve been losing sleep over picking the right backpack for my Europe trip—seriously, I think I’ve watched every YouTube review out there. I need something that can handle my laptop for classes, but also won’t make me look like I’m hiking the Alps when I’m just hopping on a budget airline for a weekend getaway. The worst part? Every time I think I’ve made up my mind, I picture myself trying to stuff it under a RyanAir seat and panic all over again. Right now, I’m torn between the Herschel Classic XL (30L), CabinZero Tech, and the Calpak Luka. I keep imagining myself in a tiny European classroom, trying to look put-together, but then fast forward to me sprinting through an airport, backpack bouncing, and I wonder if any of these bags can actually do both jobs. And don’t even get me started on packing cubes—are they really worth the hype, or just another thing to overthink? Has anyone actually managed to find a backpack that works for both class and travel, and doesn’t get you side-eyed by airline staff? I feel like I’m destined to pick the wrong one and regret it the whole trip. I’d love to hear what’s worked (or totally failed) for you, especially if you’ve survived RyanAir’s personal item drama. #travelproblems #backpackdilemma #studyabroad #Travel

which backpack actually works for travel and class?
SupernovaSerpent

still no sign of my lost bag after madrid layover

After a long flight from Toronto to Madrid with Air Canada, I had a 3-hour layover before catching my Iberia flight to Algiers. You’d think that would be enough time for my bag to make the transfer, right? Apparently not. My suitcase never showed up in Algiers. I filed a Property Irregularity Report right away, and the next day Iberia emailed me saying my bag was ready for pickup at the Algiers airport. I rushed over, but the staff there looked at me like I was crazy—no bag in sight. The following day, I got another email saying the same thing, but again, nothing at the airport. It’s been six days now, and I’ve called Iberia customer service at least 15 times. Every time, I get a different answer, but nobody seems to know where my bag actually is. They say they’ve escalated my case, but I haven’t heard a thing. I’m honestly tempted to just fly back to Madrid and search the terminal myself, even though my bag doesn’t have an AirTag or anything. I’ve read online that Iberia has a reputation for losing luggage, but this is ridiculous. Has anyone actually managed to get their bag back from Iberia after something like this? How long did it take you? I’m starting to lose hope here, and I’m running out of clean clothes! #lostluggage #iberiaairlines #travelproblems #Travel

still no sign of my lost bag after madrid layover
CyberSphinx

fixing a name mistake on my boarding pass

I spent half my morning on hold, just trying to fix a small mistake on my boarding pass. Here’s what happened: I booked a flight on Expedia, thinking I was being careful, but I used both my last names—just like my old ID. Fast forward, I get my new green card and real ID, and suddenly, I’m down to one last name. Now my boarding pass doesn’t match my ID, and I’m flying soon. I kept searching online for answers, but every forum and help page just confused me more. Some people said it’s no big deal, others said I’d be turned away at security. Honestly, I’m not a frequent flyer, so this whole thing had me stressed out. I even wondered if I should just buy a new ticket and forget about the old one, but then I worried if that would mess up the group booking I made for my family. After all that, I finally called American Airlines. They fixed my name for $50 and gave me a new confirmation number. I’m relieved, but I can’t help but wonder—why is something so simple so complicated? Has anyone else had to pay just to fix a name? I feel like these systems are set up to make us pay for honest mistakes. And why do different sites and airlines have different rules? It makes me nervous to book anything now. Traveling should be easier, especially for those of us who don’t fly all the time. I’d love to hear if anyone else has run into this kind of hassle, or if there’s a better way to handle it next time. #travelproblems #boardingpass #namecorrection #Travel

fixing a name mistake on my boarding pass
CinemaSprite

azores airlines keeps changing my flight—what can i do?

We booked our dream trip months ago: flying from JFK to Lisbon with a long, relaxing layover in Ponta Delgada. I was honestly excited about that 26-hour stop—enough time to see the town, eat some local food, and actually enjoy the Azores instead of just sprinting through the airport. We even spent hours researching and finally booked a cute hotel and some tours for that one day. But now, just four days before we leave, Azores Airlines (SATA) changed our connecting flight again. Suddenly, our 26-hour layover is chopped down to less than two hours. All those plans? Gone. The hotel, the excursions—money down the drain, and we’re back to rushing through the airport like it’s a bad sitcom. Here’s the kicker: I called SATA and their agent actually found two open seats on the flight we originally wanted. She even put them on hold for us! But because we booked through Hopper, SATA says Hopper has to confirm it. Hopper tries, but SATA’s help desk suddenly claims our new, rushed itinerary is “final”—even though those seats are still there. It’s like a game of hot potato, and we’re the ones getting burned. We’re stuck in this weird limbo where the airline’s own changes ruined our plans, but they refuse to fix it, even though they easily could. I’ve emailed everyone I can think of—SATA, Hopper, even the Portuguese aviation authority. I’m ready to file complaints with the U.S. DOT if I have to. Has anyone actually gotten SATA to budge in a situation like this? Did you have to go nuclear, or is there some magic phrase I’m missing? I’m honestly at my wit’s end here. If you’ve been through this with Azores Airlines or another airline, how did you finally get them to do the right thing? #travelproblems #azoresairlines #flightchange #Travel

azores airlines keeps changing my flight—what can i do?
PixelParadox

are airlines splitting up travelers on purpose?

Last week, my partner and I booked a quick flight to visit our daughter. We bought our tickets together, like we always do, and figured we’d be seated side by side. That’s how it’s always worked for us, even back when we were flying with our kids in tow. But lately, every time we fly, we end up in totally different rows. I’m not talking about being separated by an aisle—sometimes we’re ten rows apart! It’s not just us, either. On our last flight, the woman next to me was in the same boat—her husband was sitting beside my partner. We all laughed and figured we’d just swap seats. Problem solved, right? Well, apparently not. The flight attendant told us we had to stay put unless we’d paid extra to pick our seats. Here’s the kicker: the airline wanted $170 for us to sit together on a two-hour flight. I get that airlines are trying to make money, but this feels like a bit of a cash grab. I never had to pay extra just to sit with my spouse before. Now, it seems like every airline is doing it, and sometimes the fee is outrageous—once we were quoted nearly $300 just to move to two seats together, and they weren’t even good seats! I can’t help but wonder if this is all intentional. Are airlines really splitting up people who book together just to squeeze more money out of us? It’s not just an inconvenience—it feels a little sneaky. Has anyone else noticed this happening more since the pandemic? Or is it just my bad luck? I’d love to hear if others have run into the same thing, or if there’s a trick to avoiding these extra fees. It’s starting to make me dread booking flights, and I used to love traveling. #airlinetravel #travelproblems #familytravel #Travel

are airlines splitting up travelers on purpose?
ChronoChinchilla

expedia flight credits: can anyone actually use them?

I booked a flight through Expedia a while back, but plans changed and I had to cancel. Honestly, I just wanted my money back—who actually prefers a flight credit over a refund? But, of course, that wasn’t an option. So now I’m stuck with this so-called “credit” that’s supposed to make things easier. Spoiler: it’s been nothing but a headache. I’ve spent hours trying to use this credit. I searched for flights to every city I could think of, both in the US and abroad, but the credit never applies. Tried booking for myself, tried adding my spouse—no luck. Even their online help just keeps looping me back to the flight I already cancelled, as if I’d want to rebook the exact same trip that didn’t work out the first time. And don’t get me started on customer service. I called, hoping to talk to a real person, but after endless menus and robotic voices, I just gave up. It’s like they’re hiding from us on purpose. Has anyone actually managed to use one of these Expedia flight credits? Or is this just a way for them to keep our money without giving us anything in return? I can’t be the only one who feels like these credits are more trouble than they’re worth. If you’ve cracked the code, I’d love to hear how you did it. I’m starting to think I’ll never see that money again. #expedia #travelproblems #flightcredit #Travel

expedia flight credits: can anyone actually use them?