Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > TravelBuzz
Reload this Page >

The dumbest travel-related mistake you ever made?

The dumbest travel-related mistake you ever made?

Old Aug 13, 2015, 7:59 pm
  #1096  
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Pulled a dumb one in Montreal today. I wanted to go to a restaurant called Robin Square. So I Googled it and found out where it was. I took the Metro, walked a few blocks to where the dot on my map was and I couldn't find it. I'd read on a TA review that the restaurant was hard to find so I kept walking around. Finally I realized the restaurant is called LE Robin Square and was 3 kM away from where I was (at an intersection called Robin Square).

Oh and to top it all off, by the time I found the restaurant it was closed for a private party
Damian.Atreyu likes this.
CMK10 is offline  
Old Aug 14, 2015, 6:25 pm
  #1097  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Marriott 5+ BadgeAccor Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AS MVPG, DL KM, Bee Six, Bonvoy Plat, Avis PC, Natl Exec, Greyhound Road Rewards Z"L
Posts: 16,511
Originally Posted by CMK10
Pulled a dumb one in Montreal today. I wanted to go to a restaurant called Robin Square. So I Googled it and found out where it was. I took the Metro, walked a few blocks to where the dot on my map was and I couldn't find it. I'd read on a TA review that the restaurant was hard to find so I kept walking around. Finally I realized the restaurant is called LE Robin Square and was 3 kM away from where I was (at an intersection called Robin Square).

Oh and to top it all off, by the time I found the restaurant it was closed for a private party
Reminds me of when I went to Montreal back in April. I misread a street sign and ended up getting a ticket At least I saved a few bucks, thanks to exchange rates!

-J.
GW McLintock is offline  
Old Aug 14, 2015, 9:18 pm
  #1098  
HMO
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 960
I wasn't used with the US convention for streets, like 123 N Broadway Ave. or 45 E Mainstreet.

I was in Las Vegas, and I had programmed the address at the GPS like xxx Las Vegas Blv., without the cardinal reference (it should be xxx S Las Vegas Blv.) I ended up at the speedway track, outside the city...
HMO is offline  
Old Aug 14, 2015, 10:21 pm
  #1099  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,320
Originally Posted by HMO
I wasn't used with the US convention for streets, like 123 N Broadway Ave. or 45 E Mainstreet.

I was in Las Vegas, and I had programmed the address at the GPS like xxx Las Vegas Blv., without the cardinal reference (it should be xxx S Las Vegas Blv.) I ended up at the speedway track, outside the city...
Better than a relative who entered an address on Las Vegas Blvd--and finally turned around when he realized the freeway was taking him out of town. I have no idea what the idiot thing was thinking but it was trying to take him to Texas. Somehow it couldn't see the one right here in town and found another Las Vegas Blvd 3 states away.
Loren Pechtel is offline  
Old Aug 14, 2015, 10:59 pm
  #1100  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,194
Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
Better than a relative who entered an address on Las Vegas Blvd--and finally turned around when he realized the freeway was taking him out of town. I have no idea what the idiot thing was thinking but it was trying to take him to Texas. Somehow it couldn't see the one right here in town and found another Las Vegas Blvd 3 states away.
Pre- GPS days, some of the soon to be Spousal Unit's cousins coming to Grand Rapids for our wedding managed to totally miss something like all 14 exits off US 131 into Grand Rapids proper and only really noticed the overshoot when they got to Cadillac where the highway goes from four lane limited access to two land country road- 90 miles further north than where they wanted to be.
beachmouse is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2015, 7:53 am
  #1101  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Delta Kryptonium
Posts: 1,144
Flew to PHX for 4 days, then rented a car to visit son who had just moved to downtown San Diego. Wife entered address on Front St., but ignored GPS request for a zip code. Followed GPS until it said "turn right" where a sign said "bridge to Mexico" (besides the Front St. in downtown there is also a Front St. in SD at the border). When she entered the address again with the zip code it directed us north to downtown SD.
rubesl is offline  
Old Jul 16, 2017, 2:16 pm
  #1102  
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I had a rough day in New York last week.

- Got to Newark Penn Station later than expected, with only three minutes to catch my train I bought two round trip tickets from NWK to NYC. Two tickets printed out and I grabbed them and my girl friend and I ran for the train. Turned out the machine gives you four One Way tickets, not two Round Trip tickets. So $11 wasted. I hope whomever used the machine after me was able to use them.
- Bought a $16 Metro Card. We ended up only using it once. I got back to the hotel, put it somewhere and couldn't find it the next day. So another $10.50 wasted. Again, I hope someone was able to use it.
Damian.Atreyu likes this.
CMK10 is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 1:01 pm
  #1103  
Suspended
Marriott 25+ BadgeAman Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Not having a full extra visa page in my passport in 2009 when I entered Indonesia. I mistook extra pages for visa pages.

I didn't realize my mistake until I arrived at Denpasar, Bali, and the customs agent asked me into a special security room. I pretended to cry and asked if there were any special "fee" (e.g. bribe) I could pay to just use one of the regular pages. The agent asked me how much I had, and I told him $150 cash (I actually had $300). He said I could pay a special $150 fee. I paid, and he put the full page visa on one of the extra pages--you couldn't even tell it wasn't proper. And into Bali and Indonesia I went without further issue.

Lesson learned.
bhrubin is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 2:26 pm
  #1104  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,476
Originally Posted by bhrubin
Not having a full extra visa page in my passport in 2009 when I entered Indonesia. I mistook extra pages for visa pages.

I didn't realize my mistake until I arrived at Denpasar, Bali, and the customs agent asked me into a special security room. I pretended to cry and asked if there were any special "fee" (e.g. bribe) I could pay to just use one of the regular pages. The agent asked me how much I had, and I told him $150 cash (I actually had $300). He said I could pay a special $150 fee. I paid, and he put the full page visa on one of the extra pages--you couldn't even tell it wasn't proper. And into Bali and Indonesia I went without further issue.

Lesson learned.
A 50k IDR note would have worked back then. $6 at the time. No crying necessary. $150 is a months salary.
Jaimito Cartero is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 2:35 pm
  #1105  
Suspended
Aman Contributor BadgeMarriott 25+ Badge
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
A 50k IDR note would have worked back then. $6 at the time. No crying necessary. $150 is a months salary.
We were staying at 5 Aman hotels for 3 weeks. For me, $150 was a bargain to avoid being barred entry!
bhrubin is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 9:04 pm
  #1106  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,878
Has to be a tie, for me:
  1. 15 years ago, when going somewhere and staying in a hotel were something of a novelty for my wife and I, and during a time when we weren't particularly well off, I planned a long weekend trip to Seattle for my wife's birthday. We wanted to stay someplace nice, but we were definitely on a budget, so I spent weeks researching the best place to stay downtown. This was in the early 2000s, when things like hotel websites and travel portals were in their infancy, so had invested quite a lot of time and effort into securing a good deal. One of the neighborhood kids had sold us one of those "Entertainment" coupon books which got us a rate of around $150/night for one of the luxury hotels downtown.

    The plan was to drive up (from the Portland, OR area) Friday evening after work, and come home Monday evening.

    The day finally comes - and I had to work late, traffic was bad, etc, etc so we didn't get on the road till 7pm for the 3.5 hour drive. We roll up to the Four Seasons, leave the car with the valet and go to the front desk to check in. The clerk says "I'm very sorry Mr Qwkynuf, but I don't have a reservation for you tonight." I'm tired, I'm cranky, it's late, but I hold it together. I say "Excuse me? Of course you do. I made the reservation by phone 2 weeks ago, using a code from the Entertainment book for a $150 per night rate." He says "I really am very sorry, but we don't advertise in the Entertainment book. And we have *never* had a room for $150/night".

    I am boiling now. The only reason I don't lean across the counter and rip his face off is because I don't want to listen to my wife complain about how I ruined the weekend by getting arrested on the first night. I asked if they had any rooms available that night, and he said that they did, but they started at $225. I took the room for $225, mumbling the whole time about bait and switch BS. Told him we would be out of there first thing in the morning. But I never raised my voice.

    Which is a good thing.

    In the elevator, I turned to my wife and said "I just remembered that I have the email confirmation in my laptop. When we get to our room I am going to pull that email up and take it downstairs and shove it into that guy's face!!!"

    So we get to the room, and I pull up the email, and sure enough, I *do* have a confirmed reservation for $150/night. At the Reniassance, 3 blocks away.

    I had driven to, and checked in to...the wrong hotel.

    I called down to the front desk and explained how I had messed up, and told them that we would stay the one night and move to our correct hotel because the extra $75 per night was going to bust our budget. A few minutes later there was a knock at our door. It was a gentleman who described himself as the assistant GM. He spent about 5 minutes apologizing for "the confusion", as if it wasn't my fault, and then asked if there was any special reason for our stay. When we shared that this was our annual "birthday long weekend" trip he said that while he couldn't get to $150, he could discount us to $175/night if we would like to stay the rest of the weekend - he even volunteered to call the other hotel and cancel our reservation. It was an awesome weekend!

  2. Had to be in Denver at noon on a Monday for a weeklong meeting. Bought a ticket on Delta through our corporate portal months in advance. Set my alarm the night before, for a lazy 6am wake up for my 10:10am flight.
    Except... I apparently set my alarm for 6pm... and woke up at 9:55am.

    Completely freaked out, I call Delta (because it was a Delta ticket) to see if there was *any* way they could get me to Denver - today. I didn't have any status then, probably didn't know what status was at that point. Anyway, the agent tells me that the only seat they have available is a first class ticket via MSP. For a $1200 fare difference. And our corporate policy is no reimbursement for first class. Ever.

    So i paid the difference out of my pocket and got to Denver on time. I explained what happened to my boss, and he asked "Why didn't you just buy a one way ticket on another airline? As long as it was coach, the company would have paid for it."

    Um.... crap...
Qwkynuf is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 9:15 pm
  #1107  
Suspended
Aman Contributor BadgeMarriott 25+ Badge
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Originally Posted by Qwkynuf
I had driven to, and checked in to...the wrong hotel.

I called down to the front desk and explained how I had messed up, and told them that we would stay the one night and move to our correct hotel because the extra $75 per night was going to bust our budget. A few minutes later there was a knock at our door. It was a gentleman who described himself as the assistant GM. When we shared that this was our annual "birthday long weekend" trip, he said he could discount us to $175/night if we would like to stay the rest of the weekend. It was an awesome weekend!
Always nice to see a hotel show compassion like that. So glad it turned out so well for you!
bhrubin is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 11:47 pm
  #1108  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,476
Originally Posted by bhrubin
We were staying at 5 Aman hotels for 3 weeks. For me, $150 was a bargain to avoid being barred entry!
It all comes down to experience, I guess.

I stopped in Indonesia from China with some samples for my business in the US. A 2 week stopover. Never had problems before, but did this time at the old Medan airport. They whisk you off to a private office, and the fun begins.

They wanted a $1000 deposit, which was 3x what the samples were worth. I just smiled. Asked to see the law on it. Over the next 15 minutes, it would get halved, every few minutes. Finally, it was down to 200k IDR ($20). I took the money out, and asked for an official receipt. If it's a bribe, or "cigarette money" you don't get a receipt. They gave me a sad look, and just waved me through.
Jaimito Cartero is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 11:50 pm
  #1109  
Suspended
Aman Contributor BadgeMarriott 25+ Badge
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
If it's a bribe, or "cigarette money" you don't get a receipt. They gave me a sad look, and just waved me through.
Absolutely!

You do realize that I actually was bribing the officer, right? I was actually at fault and in violation of customer policy by not having any open visa pages. The bribe allowed that to pass without issue.
bhrubin is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2017, 12:35 am
  #1110  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,476
Originally Posted by bhrubin
Absolutely!

You do realize that I actually was bribing the officer, right? I was actually at fault and in violation of customer policy by not having any open visa pages. The bribe allowed that to pass without issue.
I've been to Indonesia enough times to fill up a passport with their old full sized visa stickers. I'm quite familiar with how things work in the country. Interestingly enough, in the years I've spent here, I've never had to bribe anyone. There have been quite a few attempts, though.
Jaimito Cartero is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.