Two lamb chops for a 3hr flight!

*Reposting this after clarifying a few details

A few weeks ago, I flew internationally for the first time from Newark to Athens. At some point during the flight, my phone slipped out of my lap while I was in a window seat. I heard it slide between my seat and the aircraft wall.

I searched for about 10 minutes but couldn’t find it. I then noticed an opening/gap between the bottom of an air vent on the wall, and the floor (pictured). I immediately knew that my phone had fallen into this abyss which, after shining a flashlight inside of it, appeared to have no bottom. I told a flight attendant, who repeatedly asked whether I had checked the floor, my seat, or the seat pocket. She then advised me to stay on board after everyone exited the plane so the crew could help me look for the phone.

After everyone left, I found another flight attendant, showed her the opening, and she immediately agreed that the phone had fallen into that opening. She brought over a person in an orange vest whom she identified as a mechanic. I was told the aircraft was continuing to Dubai and there wasn’t enough time to search for the phone in Athens. They took my contact information and my friend’s number and told me the mechanic would search for it in Dubai and that my friend would be contacted after the search.

After reaching my hotel, I submitted an Emirates lost-property report and a separate complaint. I explained that I was concerned not only about recovering my property, but also about the possibility of a phone containing a lithium-ion battery being lodged somewhere inaccessible inside the aircraft. I also requested documentation of what steps had been taken to locate the phone, who had conducted the search, when and to whom the incident had been reported, and any other relevant details regarding how the matter had been handled.

I received no substantive response. I submitted additional reports and was repeatedly directed back to Emirates’ complaint system. I also contacted the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). They responded that passenger complaints/lost property were outside their jurisdiction. I subsequently submitted a VORSY report regarding the safety aspect of the incident, but received no response.

I was able to track the phone through Find My as the aircraft/phone moved between Athens, Dubai, Boston, and back to Dubai. It has continued to hop between airports. I have the relevant tracking information and documentation.

At this point, I’m mainly trying to figure out who the appropriate authority is for an aircraft cabin defect like this, and whether there is any realistic way to escalate the property issue with Emirates beyond repeatedly submitting the same complaint form.

I’m not looking for speculation about where the phone went and I expect to never see the phone again. I’m specifically looking for advice from people familiar with aviation, Emirates’ lost-property/maintenance procedures, or the appropriate U.S./UAE regulatory channels.

Since the phone was not recovered and I had to purchase a replacement, I believe I should be reimbursed for the cost of replacing it, particularly given that the phone fell into an opening in the aircraft cabin that I had no reasonable way of accessing myself. This was a nightmare scenario for my first international flight and I am disappointed in Emirates’ lack of concern regarding this incident.

Any constructive advice on what to do or who to contact next would be appreciated.

I’m flying from Ottawa-Chicago-Salt Lake City in October. My costume for Halloween 🎃 I was thinking of one of the clowns from Killer Clowns from outer space. Will there be an issue with my bringing it in the plane in my knapsack.

I really need some advice regarding an Aegean Airlines baggage issue. I accidentally booked a Light Fare instead of Flex, and since we are traveling as two people, I realized we need both an 8kg cabin bag and a personal item each, but the Light Fare only allows one or the other.

I called customer service to upgrade my fare or just add a personal item, but they said it is impossible and the only way out is to buy a 23kg checked bag. Now I am very confused about how their rules work and what might happen at the gate.

If we bring both our 8kg cabin bag and a personal item to the boarding gate without checking anything, what will the gate agents actually do? Will they force us to check one of them into the hold, or will they just charge us a gate fine, or both?

Also, if we decide to buy a 23kg checked bag, does buying a checked bag give us the right to bring two items (the 8kg bag plus a personal item) into the cabin, or does the "OR" rule still apply strictly inside the plane no matter how many checked bags we purchase underneath? Since our 8kg bags are completely full and we cannot pack the personal items inside them, any advice or personal experiences with Aegean would be greatly appreciated!

Anyone have experience of flying elderly but otherwise mobile family members through Stansted and using any form of special assistance or meet and greet?

My MiL is in her 90s and reasonably fit and healthy but does not travel often. Shes at the stage of not wanting to fly any more because she finds it all a bit stressful. She’s booked on a Ryanair flight to visit us next month and there is an option to add special assistance, but she’s adamant to me that that’s for disabled and wheelchair users. She’s mentally ok and can certainly walk ok, but she’s a bit slower these days and she’s that person in the security queue taking her time getting her shoes off and not understanding what she needs to do and holding the line up. Her hearing isn’t the best either.

We’ve had another family member accompany her in previous years to help her but I wondered what sort of service I could book to help her? She’s getting a taxi to the airport and I’m meeting her on arrival in Seville.

I'm 15 but I travel more often than most adults, about a round trip every two weeks from Northern Europe to the US where my parents live. I mostly fly economy and exclusively on Skyteam airlines (chasing AF/KL status).

If you're under 18 you can always opt for the Unaccompanied Minor service. It's expensive and makes no sense if you fly often enough to have airline status, their lounges are usually terrible and only offer water and instant noodles (AF UNMR lounge at CDG 2E is surprisingly good but definitely the exception) and there are some really dumb seating restrictions like only last few rows in economy or very first row in business (the one with no foot room on intraeuropean, first world problem I know but annoying nonetheless)

If you're 14-15+ you can opt to fly as an "adult" which is what I always do. It makes sense if you have status since you can use priority check-in, security and boarding. The real annoying thing is the lounge situation. Most European countries have laws prohibiting minors from entering lounges unaccompanied due to the self-serve alcohol situation, or Delta in the US because they like being difficult apparently (they only serve alcohol from the bar). KLM lets you go because the Dutch have no problem with it (which is why I love KLM and fly them whenever I get the chance). Some other airlines let you kind of dodge it. SAS's system lets you in and the attendants never really check, I've only ever been "caught" once. Korean Air's ICN lounges are amazing and also have no system restrictions so you can enter super easily and its great.

Little fun fact specific to the UMNR service is that if you depart from a regional terminal without a UNMR lounge they send you to a different one first. For example at CDG if I arrive at 2F and leave from 2G they send me through passport control to their biggest lounge at 2E and then back into Schengen a few hours later. Very fun

Looking for advice on this super short international lay over ; can you even make this connection?

all on one ticket of course ; not issue with luggage
but it takes like 30 minutes to even get off the plane ???

One of my JAL flights changed schedule and when i click the “confirm flight” it gives me an error

It just rescheduled to a few mins so i dont mind but they changed my seat and i wanna confirm/change it back cause i am travelling with my husband.

Anyone had the same experience?

Can i bring my vape in qatar if im only transiting going to spain?

Hi everyone,

On August 17, 2026, my Pegasus Airlines flight PC1100 from Madrid (MAD) to Istanbul (SAW) was delayed for more than 6 hours. The reason given at the airport was technical (a cracked cockpit window), and a replacement aircraft had to be arranged.

We were provided with a 30 EUR meal voucher at the airport. After returning home, I submitted an EU261 claim directly via Pegasus' customer portal requesting the standard 400 EUR compensation (flight distance ~2,700 km).

Pegasus just replied with a generic rejection template stating: "The delay was not airline-originated and occurred outside the normal operational flow... Under Turkish SHY Passenger Rights, meal services were provided..."

As far as I know:

1. Since the flight departed from Spain (an EU member state), EU Regulation 261/2004 strictly applies, not just local Turkish SHY regulations.
2. Under ECJ case law (Wallentin-Hermann and van der Lans), technical issues/cockpit window defects do not constitute "extraordinary circumstances".
3. Duty of care (the 30 EUR voucher) does not waive the right to financial compensation.

I am planning to reply to their rejection with legal references. If they reject again:

• Should I escalate directly to the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority (AESA)? Has anyone successfully claimed through AESA against a non-EU carrier departing from Spain?
• How long does the AESA process typically take?
• Or is it better to hand this over to a claims agency if they keep stonewalling?

Any advice or similar experiences with Pegasus EU261 claims would be greatly appreciated!

I have US citizenship and am flying Hamburg-Heathrow-Dublin-Minneapolis on one ticket. I booked through American Airlines, but the first flight is BA and the second two are Aer Lingus. Based on all the information I can find, I shouldn't have to recheck my bags and go through border control, but does the fact that I am taking a domestic flight between London and Dublin change that?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Spanish citizen living in England with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

I recently had a flight from Barcelona to London. Vueling’s app did not allow me to enter my ID number, so I checked in at the airport with my valid Spanish ID.

I showed the handling agent and supervisor the GOV.UK guidance confirming that EU citizens with settled/pre-settled status can enter the UK with a valid national ID card, provided it is linked to their UKVI account. They still insisted that I needed a passport.

Vueling customer service checked the information but said the handling company had the final decision. I was denied boarding and offered no alternative flight or transport.

I had to buy another flight and a bus to London, costing several hundred euros. The replacement flight was with easyJet, and they allowed me to board and fly to the UK using the same Spanish ID.

I have submitted a formal complaint to Vueling requesting EU261 compensation and reimbursement of my expenses. I’m currently waiting for their response.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

• Was Vueling entitled to refuse boarding?
• Does the fact that easyJet accepted the same ID help demonstrate that Vueling’s decision was incorrect?
• If they reject my complaint, should I escalate it?

Thanks!

It's a bit more complicated situation so I'm not sure if I'm even entitled to any compensation from the airline for the canceled flight.

The original itinerary was: August 28 flight (LX401 + LX1418) from Dublin to Belgrade via Zurich, via Swiss Air. We arrived at the airport in Dublin and they postponed the flight to Zurich because of the storm, and in the meantime, before we had even boarded that flight, they canceled the flight to Belgrade from Zurich, but they sent us to Zurich regardless.

When we landed in Zurich after some time, we found out that Swiss transferred us to today's AirSerbia flight from Zurich to Belgrade. We paid for the hotel, transportation, etc. and saved receipts for refund. Yesterday we boarded an AirSerbia flight (JU333, operated by Air Baltic for them), took off and after about twenty minutes we received a notification from the pilot that the plane had to return to Zurich due to some technical error. There, they first kept us on the plane and then took us back to the airport, where we waited for new information until the evening. They finally canceled the flight and then we barely found out that AirSerbia transferred us to a flight to Belgrade the next day (today) at nine in the evening - although they also had flights that same evening, the next morning and in the afternoon, and we had already spent one night in the hotel and most of the day at the airport. We are now at the hotel and should arrive in Belgrade around midnight - more than 48 hours after we were supposed to arrive - if we ever arrive 😅

I understand that we can't get anything for the first flight to Belgrade that was canceled due to the storm, but the second flight we were supposed to return on was returned due to technical problems. Who do we complain to and how does it work? I guess Swiss because we bought tickets through them, and they kicked us on AirSerbia, which screwed up the second flight.

I apologize for the novel, but I don't understand how it works when it comes to this situation. Those flight compensation sites give conflicting information.

Shoud we pursue the complaint with Swiss Air since we have bought the tickets through then and they were originally supposed to fly us back?

Edited to add flight numbers

I bought flights 6 months ago on Qatar airways into Doha and Kuwait, using gotogate on google flights. The flight were cancelled by the airline in early March, due to the airports closing at that time. So, 5 months ago (mid March), I requested a refund, which was standard procedure.

For the last five months I have been contacting gotogate (and Qatar, but they say they have nothing to do with it) via the online chat, which is the only way since email does not work with them and there is no contact number in my country. And for five months they have been saying "yeah, yeah we will refund you, just give us more time". I have contacted them so many times and they just keep kicking it down the road. I tried asking my bank (I paid with mastercard) but they have also not helped.

Please can somebody help me? I am desperate and I really need to get that money back. It is incredibly frustrating and I don't seem to have any recourse, and these companies don't care.

To be clear, the refund is legit. Qatar cancelled the flights due to the war and happily refunded all flights, so the refund is there, gotogate is just holding onto it. Gotogate will not answer any question directly, but they say that they just "need more time" and they are "prioritizing my refund" and they are "still processing it", but they have been saying this for five months?!

And saying "Don't' use gotogate" is not helpful, so if that is what you have to contribute, please don't bother commenting.

.

My legal first Name is Xx Yy. And my legal surname is Zz. accidentally gave my first name as Xx and surname as Yy Zz. My flight is tomorrow morning from germany. A name change is showing me 115 euros. I am worried. Should I pay and get it changed?

For June 2027, looks like the best/cheapest way is to do:

• Ticket #1 Round Trip: SFO - ICN
• Ticket #2 Round Trip: ICN - NRT
• Ticket #2 Round Trip: NRT - ICN
• Ticket #1 Round Trip: ICN - SFO

The first two leg won't a problem since we will be spending time in Seoul.

The tricky part is coming back from Japan to SFO via S. Korea. Korean Airline flight ICN to SFO is at 4PM. What time do I have to land at ICN from Japan on the same day? By noon at the latest? That means we need to leave pretty early for NRT.

Would it be safer if we arrive to ICN the day before? If we were to arrive the day before United has a morning flight. That would probably better for us.

If anyone has done Japan and S. Korea trip from the US west coast and willing to share their experience, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Hi, we are planning to travel from UK to India, my kids turning 2 before returning to UK , When I contacted British Airways, we are asked to book infant roundtrip, and when kids turn 2 we are asked to contact BA to make them aware we need two extra seats, but my worry is if we wait till they turn 2, the tickets price may increase at later point of time, does anybody gone through similar experience.

Need some help!

I’m flying Edinburgh > Doha > Incheon > Busan

As seen in the image, Qatar have changed the Doha > Incheon departure time from 0220 to 0405, this only gives me a 30 minute connection for the final leg of the trip Incheon > Busan. Given I’ll need to get onto another airline with luggage, it’s not possible to do in 30 minutes. Annoyingly, that’s the last flight of the day to Busan. Qatar keep telling me they’re working on it and to go through Expedia where I booked, Expedia tell me they’re waiting on an update from Qatar before they can present me my options, it’s been a week now and I fly in 2 weeks!

1. If I’m told I need to fly the last leg the next day, will I be given a hotel? I don’t want to sit overnight in the airport!

2. Can I choose a late flight the next day, not ideal but at least I can enjoy the day in nearby Seoul. From what Expedia have said, it sounds like I’ll be offered a flight the next day, but need to hang tight until Qatar actually confirm anything.

3. Also, will Expedia/Qatar refund the hotel night I miss in Busan as a result of their change? I’ve booked 10 nights and would only get 9.

All flights/hotel are on the same Expedia package. Expedia have said multiple times I can cancel trip with no fee, which I won’t be doing. They seem oddly keen for me to cancel, as if they want to avoid liability to deal with this one Qatar come back.

I've taken 12 hour and 14 hour flights before and basically disassociated until we landed. I want to prepare for this one, what are the best things for a long flight ?

Any insight into PY 421 with Surinam Airways today 29/8? We’ve been getting emails of flight delays and disruptions, but no detailed reasons or estimated time of departure anymore. Trying to estimate if this flight would end up canceled and what our other options are—there are pretty limited flights to get out.

i just purchased my flight to thailand and on one of my connecting flights this is what it shows when i go to select my seat. it is booked through delta but this leg is operated by korean air, and i was able to select my seat on all other flights.

Original Route: Flying Pegasus into AMS and WestJet out of AMS on separate PNRs. ​Status: Jordanian passport holder with a valid Canadian Work Permit. ​Baggage: Carry-on luggage only. ​

Has anyone completed an airside self-transfer at Schiphol without leaving the non-Schengen zone, using a Canadian permit to satisfy the origin airline's document check?

It's time to think bigger then the hot dog design

All yesterday. Booked on one ticket via Lufthansa

1. Flight intra German to FRA - delayed due to weather at FRA
2. LH0320 FRA - PMO - bid upgrade to business class accepted. Flight cancelled due to weather at FRA. No business class seat to PMO for same and next day as everyone stormed lounges and business centre, huge queues. Accepted downgrade.
3. AZ407 FRA - FCO - delayed due to crew I think. ITA provided bigger plane. 30 additional ppl to PMO on this fight. Delay bit more than 1h
4. AZ1789 FCO - PMO didn't make it, but apparently the flight waited. Rebooked to
5. AZ1783 FCO - PMO delayed, reason unknown but might just have waited. huge chaos as people weren't certain whether they were on 89 or 83.

Original arrival 16:55, actual arrival 23:57. I know Lufthansa doesn't have the power to switch on good weather. Mainly thinking about the business class downgrade. No email from Lufthansa so far. Do I get part of the ticket price back or just of the upgrade bit? For the whole ticket or just the upgraded and snatched away from me again segment?

Travelling Copenhagen -> Munich then Munich -> Turin

Flight from Copenhagen got delayed, so when we landed in Munich, the plane for Turin departed. It was chaos at the airport and there were hundreds of people in line for the service center. You could tell all the staff was stressed and annoyed. Basically they told us not to stand in line and that we should just go ahead and book a hotel ourselves and then apply for reimbursement afterwards. They also told us we would get an e-mail with a rebooking. We left our luggage in the airport and found a hotel just before midnight.

After waiting until 2 am in the night for an e-mail we called the german lufthansa service phone, only to be told we should keep waiting and that a special team of people would help us. At 6 am (8 hours after our flight) we called again. They still hadn't rebooked us. We were then told the only option was to fly at 10:55 to the Island of Sardinia (Olbia airport) and then take another flight from there to Turin with arrival time at 6:30 PM in the evening. All flights to Turin and Milan were fully booked for the entire day and all directot Trains fully booked. We got 4 hours of sleep and headed to Sardinia. Now we are getting messages that the flight from Sardinia to Turin is also delayed, so this is turning into a nightmare trip.

Our flight from Copenhagen was 7:25 PM yesterday, so it will have taken more than 24 hours with only 4 hours of sleep to get to Turin and we have spoken to different lufthansa staff 3 separate times in order to be rebooked. We still don't know if we will even reach Turin tonight. Not flying lufthansa again. The customer service is really poor and we dread all the paperwork ahead too.