The dumbest travel-related mistake you ever made?
Jan 11, 2013, 1:47 pm
#751
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
yesterday, i got on the wrong plane in MKE and flew to EWR instead of CLE.
I have flown MKE to CLE on the same flight every week for 8 months. I have absolutely no idea how this happened, and quite frankly, i'm embarassed. I know i'm just as much to blame, but I CAN'T, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, BELIEVE that this can happen in 2013.
i was at my correct gate, the agents had changed the sign to say cleveland, so i made a phone call to my good friend who's father just died. I was very distracted, heard the gate agent start boarding (at the correct time), hung up my phone, and boarded the plane. The MKE terminal DOES NOT scan your ticket, so the agent typed in my sequence number (my boarding pass on my phone) and did not look back at the screen, so i boarded the plane thinking everything is fine.
The flight is full, except my single seat (it was a united express flight) in row A. I fall asleep immediately upon sitting down.
I wake up with about 20 minutes left to go in the flight, look out my window, and I see this massive city, when I KNOW we should have been over Lake Erie. Then,
Pilot: "We are starting our initial descent into Newark, we'll be on the ground in 20 minutes."
Me: "Holy. Sh$@."
Because I was so embarassed, i didn't tell anyone until i got to a United service desk in the terminal. The guy was absolutely INCREDULOUS. completely blown away. Luckily, there was a flight from EWR to CLE about an hour later, so they booked me on that flight and sent me on my way.
Don't get me wrong, I feel as though i'm about 80-90% at fault here, but don't you think this is like, a security threat or something? Aren't there like safeguards in place for completely oblivious people like me?
I have flown MKE to CLE on the same flight every week for 8 months. I have absolutely no idea how this happened, and quite frankly, i'm embarassed. I know i'm just as much to blame, but I CAN'T, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, BELIEVE that this can happen in 2013.
i was at my correct gate, the agents had changed the sign to say cleveland, so i made a phone call to my good friend who's father just died. I was very distracted, heard the gate agent start boarding (at the correct time), hung up my phone, and boarded the plane. The MKE terminal DOES NOT scan your ticket, so the agent typed in my sequence number (my boarding pass on my phone) and did not look back at the screen, so i boarded the plane thinking everything is fine.
The flight is full, except my single seat (it was a united express flight) in row A. I fall asleep immediately upon sitting down.
I wake up with about 20 minutes left to go in the flight, look out my window, and I see this massive city, when I KNOW we should have been over Lake Erie. Then,
Pilot: "We are starting our initial descent into Newark, we'll be on the ground in 20 minutes."
Me: "Holy. Sh$@."
Because I was so embarassed, i didn't tell anyone until i got to a United service desk in the terminal. The guy was absolutely INCREDULOUS. completely blown away. Luckily, there was a flight from EWR to CLE about an hour later, so they booked me on that flight and sent me on my way.
Don't get me wrong, I feel as though i'm about 80-90% at fault here, but don't you think this is like, a security threat or something? Aren't there like safeguards in place for completely oblivious people like me?
Jan 18, 2013, 12:46 pm
#752
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,364
Heard this just now. My sister's partner had invited her parents to stay for the weekend. Her father is picky about the type of bed he sleeps in so he decided that he and his missus would stay in a hotel a few miles away. At 10pm he phoned to say that he needed to leave the hotel because there was a persistent buzzing noise. The manager could not identify it and there were no other rooms free, so they were eventually convinced to drive back across town to stay at the house.
My sister went out to get groceries for the morning and when she came back her partner's father was sitting with his head in his hands at the dining room table refusing to talk to his wife who was saying "it's alright, Darling", and her partner was upstairs laughing uncontrollably into a pillow. It turns out that she had carried the cases to the spare room with her father and then said, "Dad, can you hear a buzzing noise?"
They found the source of the buzzing... It was an electric toothbrush in the case.
My sister went out to get groceries for the morning and when she came back her partner's father was sitting with his head in his hands at the dining room table refusing to talk to his wife who was saying "it's alright, Darling", and her partner was upstairs laughing uncontrollably into a pillow. It turns out that she had carried the cases to the spare room with her father and then said, "Dad, can you hear a buzzing noise?"
They found the source of the buzzing... It was an electric toothbrush in the case.
Jan 19, 2013, 10:01 am
#753
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MDW/ORD and the late lamented Meigs Field...
Programs: UA 1MM Premier 1K, Hilton Gold, Marriott Titanium/ LT
Posts: 1,229
I wonder how often those things go off in the cargo hold...
Jan 19, 2013, 6:30 pm
#754
Join Date: May 2010
Location: LAN/DTW
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, Avis Pref, DL Silver, National EE
Posts: 188
Bought a ticket for a 10pm flight (online) when I actually wanted a 10am flight. Didn't notice until I was past security at DTW. Hustled back to the counter, and with just enough time, changed ticket to 10am, went back through security, and barely made it to the gate on time.
Feb 15, 2013, 12:37 pm
#756
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 403
This must have been pre-cell phone for you and your sister or else a call/text when you arrived would've solved the mystery quickly. I've been languishing without a cell phone for a few days now and have been reminiscing about life before cell phones. I couldn't even find a working pay phone two days ago, at least back then the pay phones usually worked. Your story reminds me of those days.
Oh, I so love the age of cell phone!!!
Feb 15, 2013, 1:09 pm
#757
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 29
Didn't look for my passport until a week before my trip to Asia. Turns out, I couldn't find it! Talk about a desperate week of trying to rush a new passport. Months later, my fiance found it when he was cleaning out his apartment to move in with me. I still don't know why it was at his apartment!
Feb 16, 2013, 8:52 am
#758
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: West hartford, CT
Programs: DL Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 99
My wife and I drove to the airport (30 minutes away) parked in a fly/drive lot and checked bags for our flight. We went to the gate and realized that we left one of my wife's bags at home. I did an OJ (some of you are probably too young to know what that means) and got into a cab which took me home. When I got there, I realized I left my keys in a carry-on bag that was with my wife at the airport. So I broke-into my house thru a side-ground-level window (not sure what the cabby thought) and got the forgotten bag. I left thru the same window as I needed a key to re-lock my front door. I got back into the cab and he sped back to the airport where I got to the gate 10 minutes before the flight left.
We've never forgotten a bag since.
This happened before airport security was so tight - there's no way I would have made it today having to go thru security.
We've never forgotten a bag since.
This happened before airport security was so tight - there's no way I would have made it today having to go thru security.
Feb 16, 2013, 11:04 am
#759
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z_VpVaPLWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W1hnR3kLwo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf46hDT5SQQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OG2HEHQAHg
Feb 16, 2013, 11:17 am
#760
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 739
Story #1:
A trip to NYC, when corp travel said there were no available hotel rooms in
the city.
Left on the trip without having the hotel confirmed. Told my secretary,
"figure something out, I'll call you when I land at EWR."
I landed. I called Denise. The only place she could find was "Joe's Hotel"
(some oddly simple name) in Hoboken, NJ. Said that it had once been a
Sheraton(?) property. Uh, sure, okay.
EWR taxi driver looked at me like I was nuts. Off we go. He drops me off.
This is NOT a good end of town. Inside, the cashier is sitting behind thick
plexi with a rotary pass-thru and intercom.
My typical schtik at the check-in is, "Bond, James. One adult. One night."
Without missing a beat, the cashier replies, "Will that be all night, Hun?"
Uh, yeah. "Do you wants towels?" Of course I want towels. Why would
you even ask me if I want ... Uh, oh.
Story #2:
I was single and living in Chicago. I had been dating a Chicago girl for ~3
months. The prior weekend, she announced that "we" had progressed to
the "exclusive" stage and it was time to "meet the family." We? Exclusive?
Meet who? Three (only 3) months? Um, uh, um .... <Change The Topic>.
I confided in my BFF ... my college GF with whom I was kind'a, sort'a
continuing a too-long-distance, off/on/off/on/off relationship ... that had
gone awry when we graduated and my job took me to ORD, her to CLE.
We were BFF's in the truest sense, but could not make it work. Still are
BFF's. Yes, both our spouses know & approve.
Ms. ORD did NOT know about Ms. CLE - other than a ski trip photo that
she had removed from my fridge - the first time she was in my kitchen.
Ms. CLE knew *ALL* about Ms. ORD and her "exclusive dating" annc.
Ms. CLE was flying into ORD for a long weekend. We were gonna hash out,
once and for all: me, her, us, CLE, ORD, Ms. ORD and Ms. ORD's annc. I
met Ms. CLE's flight, with a single rose and one chocolate covered
strawberry, wearing an I <Heart> Cleveland T-shirt. I was ready to resign
and move to (gasp!) Cleveland ... OH!O ... if she would have me. The GA
thought it was "sweet."
Unknown to me: Ms. ORD had a day-trip to CLE.
Yes, they were on the same flight. Ms. CLE was first off the plane. We
kissed and embraced. Ms. CLE was resisting a bit as I was trying to feed
her the strawberry. The GA commented that we were a lovely couple ...
just as Ms. ORD exited the jet bridge, to find me holding a 2/3rds eaten
strawberry and chocolate smeared on both our faces.
A trip to NYC, when corp travel said there were no available hotel rooms in
the city.
Left on the trip without having the hotel confirmed. Told my secretary,
"figure something out, I'll call you when I land at EWR."
I landed. I called Denise. The only place she could find was "Joe's Hotel"
(some oddly simple name) in Hoboken, NJ. Said that it had once been a
Sheraton(?) property. Uh, sure, okay.
EWR taxi driver looked at me like I was nuts. Off we go. He drops me off.
This is NOT a good end of town. Inside, the cashier is sitting behind thick
plexi with a rotary pass-thru and intercom.
My typical schtik at the check-in is, "Bond, James. One adult. One night."
Without missing a beat, the cashier replies, "Will that be all night, Hun?"
Uh, yeah. "Do you wants towels?" Of course I want towels. Why would
you even ask me if I want ... Uh, oh.
Story #2:
I was single and living in Chicago. I had been dating a Chicago girl for ~3
months. The prior weekend, she announced that "we" had progressed to
the "exclusive" stage and it was time to "meet the family." We? Exclusive?
Meet who? Three (only 3) months? Um, uh, um .... <Change The Topic>.
I confided in my BFF ... my college GF with whom I was kind'a, sort'a
continuing a too-long-distance, off/on/off/on/off relationship ... that had
gone awry when we graduated and my job took me to ORD, her to CLE.
We were BFF's in the truest sense, but could not make it work. Still are
BFF's. Yes, both our spouses know & approve.
Ms. ORD did NOT know about Ms. CLE - other than a ski trip photo that
she had removed from my fridge - the first time she was in my kitchen.
Ms. CLE knew *ALL* about Ms. ORD and her "exclusive dating" annc.
Ms. CLE was flying into ORD for a long weekend. We were gonna hash out,
once and for all: me, her, us, CLE, ORD, Ms. ORD and Ms. ORD's annc. I
met Ms. CLE's flight, with a single rose and one chocolate covered
strawberry, wearing an I <Heart> Cleveland T-shirt. I was ready to resign
and move to (gasp!) Cleveland ... OH!O ... if she would have me. The GA
thought it was "sweet."
Unknown to me: Ms. ORD had a day-trip to CLE.
Yes, they were on the same flight. Ms. CLE was first off the plane. We
kissed and embraced. Ms. CLE was resisting a bit as I was trying to feed
her the strawberry. The GA commented that we were a lovely couple ...
just as Ms. ORD exited the jet bridge, to find me holding a 2/3rds eaten
strawberry and chocolate smeared on both our faces.
Last edited by dranz; Feb 16, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Feb 16, 2013, 11:22 am
#761
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: ALB
Programs: DL Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 89
Unfortunately, my story is no where near as entertaining as some of the others. I was flying from ALB-GSO and my ALB-CLT flight was delayed and late by about 45 minutes. I had about 5 minutes to reach my gate and realized that rather than try and book it, I'd just rent a car and drive from CLT-GSO. Thought I would be there earlier than my flight would have gotten me there. Talked to US Air and they said it was fine since my flight was delayed and just submit and car rental to them and they would reimburse me.
Went to car rental place and found out that there were zero cars to rent. I ended up having to rent a car service which cost $250 and US Air refused to pay for it. Moral of the story, make your flights even if you look like moron running through the airport in a panic.
Oh and on my way back going through GSO-ALB didn't realize that they had two security lines; one for a terminal, and one for the other. Sat in the wrong line for 20 minutes until the TSA agent asked me where I was flying and on what airlines. Everyone got a good chuckle out of my misfortune on that one.
Went to car rental place and found out that there were zero cars to rent. I ended up having to rent a car service which cost $250 and US Air refused to pay for it. Moral of the story, make your flights even if you look like moron running through the airport in a panic.
Oh and on my way back going through GSO-ALB didn't realize that they had two security lines; one for a terminal, and one for the other. Sat in the wrong line for 20 minutes until the TSA agent asked me where I was flying and on what airlines. Everyone got a good chuckle out of my misfortune on that one.
May 4, 2013, 10:33 pm
#762
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,331
I spent the last few weeks reading through this entire thread, a little bit at a time. Awesome stories.
I only have a small one for now. I had gone from SFO to DFW with friend for an event one weekend. The weekend was good, and we returned to DFW for our flights back. We were connecting through DEN.
Unfortunately, having no status at the time, and having booked only a few weeks out, the only two seats we could get together were in the last row of the SFO-DEN flight.
While we were on, I brought out my tablet, and we watched a movie. When they said we were landing, and to stow all electronics, I put it in my seat-back pocket.
15 minutes later, we land. 15 minutes later, I can finally get up to disembark. I had completely forgotten about my tablet by this point.
So we go to grab some food, and we sit, eating and talking, then walk to our gate. Boarding should have started 5 minutes ago. We get there, and there's one GA, and no one else. The whole flight had already boarded. She scans our BPs, mentioning I probably won't be able to to have my bag in an overhead bin near me. So I reach in to grab my tablet...
I run back the few steps to her, and explain the situation. She calls the other gate. The flight I came in on had already left for cleaning. She said she could put me on another flight the next day (she didn't mention whether that would cost me anything), and I could get it in the morning. However, it was a $200 tablet, and I figured a hotel room and the inconvenience wasn't worth it. She told me to fill out a form when I arrived in SFO, and they'd retrieve it for me.
She made it sound like "you will definitely get it back", so I just accepted it, and boarded my flight.
I never saw that tablet again
Needless to say, I'm more careful now.
Or so I thought...
-----------
Very recently, flying in business class, I made sure I was keeping track of my (new) tablet as we landed. So when the seatbelt sign went off, I grabbed it out of the seat pocket, stood up, and lay it on my seat as I pulled down my bag to put it inside.
The gentleman beside me said "Whoa... you should be more careful with that. I almost dropped my bag on it!"
I figured that with a huge center armrest/table thing, there was no way he'd need my seat for anything.
So now I just chain the damn thing to my wrist
I only have a small one for now. I had gone from SFO to DFW with friend for an event one weekend. The weekend was good, and we returned to DFW for our flights back. We were connecting through DEN.
Unfortunately, having no status at the time, and having booked only a few weeks out, the only two seats we could get together were in the last row of the SFO-DEN flight.
While we were on, I brought out my tablet, and we watched a movie. When they said we were landing, and to stow all electronics, I put it in my seat-back pocket.
15 minutes later, we land. 15 minutes later, I can finally get up to disembark. I had completely forgotten about my tablet by this point.
So we go to grab some food, and we sit, eating and talking, then walk to our gate. Boarding should have started 5 minutes ago. We get there, and there's one GA, and no one else. The whole flight had already boarded. She scans our BPs, mentioning I probably won't be able to to have my bag in an overhead bin near me. So I reach in to grab my tablet...
I run back the few steps to her, and explain the situation. She calls the other gate. The flight I came in on had already left for cleaning. She said she could put me on another flight the next day (she didn't mention whether that would cost me anything), and I could get it in the morning. However, it was a $200 tablet, and I figured a hotel room and the inconvenience wasn't worth it. She told me to fill out a form when I arrived in SFO, and they'd retrieve it for me.
She made it sound like "you will definitely get it back", so I just accepted it, and boarded my flight.
I never saw that tablet again
Needless to say, I'm more careful now.
Or so I thought...
-----------
Very recently, flying in business class, I made sure I was keeping track of my (new) tablet as we landed. So when the seatbelt sign went off, I grabbed it out of the seat pocket, stood up, and lay it on my seat as I pulled down my bag to put it inside.
The gentleman beside me said "Whoa... you should be more careful with that. I almost dropped my bag on it!"
I figured that with a huge center armrest/table thing, there was no way he'd need my seat for anything.
So now I just chain the damn thing to my wrist
Jun 1, 2013, 11:40 pm
#763
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 57
When I returned my rental car at the Detroit airport, the attendant mentioned that another car nearby wasn't theirs. The renter had left it and dashed madly for the shuttle bus. If she'd waited for her receipt, she'd have realized she was at the wrong agency.
Jun 2, 2013, 11:38 am
#764
formerly mattking2000
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: DXB
Programs: BA|AC|AZ|SPG|H|FPC
Posts: 1,187
I have a contender...
I was an exchange student in Singapore for the first half of this year. Mid-terms were right before a one-week break, and I wanted to go to Vietnam -- had my hotels, tickets, tours, etc booked. Then, in the midst of studying for midterms and the blistering heat of Singapore, I somehow managed to get a visa for Laos instead (the embassies are nowhere near each other, I checked after the fact). I arrived at the airport to check in, and the agent says I don't have a visa for Vietnam. I was quite frustrated as I had just finished midterms and really needed to get away, so I literally grabbed my passport from the agent's hands and after staring for about 5 minutes realized the blunder. I rushed out of the airport to get an expedited visa for Vietnam. $250-ish for the visa and I forget how much for the change fee, but I still made the last flight to SGN and only missed out on one day.
I was an exchange student in Singapore for the first half of this year. Mid-terms were right before a one-week break, and I wanted to go to Vietnam -- had my hotels, tickets, tours, etc booked. Then, in the midst of studying for midterms and the blistering heat of Singapore, I somehow managed to get a visa for Laos instead (the embassies are nowhere near each other, I checked after the fact). I arrived at the airport to check in, and the agent says I don't have a visa for Vietnam. I was quite frustrated as I had just finished midterms and really needed to get away, so I literally grabbed my passport from the agent's hands and after staring for about 5 minutes realized the blunder. I rushed out of the airport to get an expedited visa for Vietnam. $250-ish for the visa and I forget how much for the change fee, but I still made the last flight to SGN and only missed out on one day.
Feb 2, 2014, 3:59 am
#765
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The Indo Jungle
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,319
Have a few, but really they are pretty much repeats of everyone else.
1) My first vacation on this assignment, we went to Bali for a week. There is a direct flight from our remote location to Bali, and back. The return departs Denpasar at 1:15am. Set alarm for 11:00am instead of PM, and woke up with the sun shining through the window at 6:00am. Ooops. Had to upgrade the entire family to Biz class that evening to get on the flight home. Expensive one.
2) Company keeps all of our passports in a safe at the main HR building so they can process visas etc for us without it being a hassle. Finished packing the night before we were to catch the helicopter at 5am. Realized our passports were in the safe still. Luckily we got someone to meet us at the building early in the morning.
3) Remember that 1am flight departing Bali? Last summer I just happened to check my e-mail as we sat down for dinner and started discussing the plan for the next day when I realized that we were leaving that night! Almost did it again!
4)Last summer, headed home to the US with the whole family on emergency leave to try and get home before my mother passed, landed in SFO in June at 9PM from Hong Kong with no jackets and had to stand outside waiting for a hotel shuttle with my poor kids freezing their butts off.
5) Yesterday, Arranging our trip home to USA for summer this year, and jumping on the travel agent's suggestion of KLM and saving a lot of money over BA, then saying "go ahead" without looking at KLM seat reviews. EEEK! Hope he reads my email saying not to book it before he sees the one where I told him to go ahead!
1) My first vacation on this assignment, we went to Bali for a week. There is a direct flight from our remote location to Bali, and back. The return departs Denpasar at 1:15am. Set alarm for 11:00am instead of PM, and woke up with the sun shining through the window at 6:00am. Ooops. Had to upgrade the entire family to Biz class that evening to get on the flight home. Expensive one.
2) Company keeps all of our passports in a safe at the main HR building so they can process visas etc for us without it being a hassle. Finished packing the night before we were to catch the helicopter at 5am. Realized our passports were in the safe still. Luckily we got someone to meet us at the building early in the morning.
3) Remember that 1am flight departing Bali? Last summer I just happened to check my e-mail as we sat down for dinner and started discussing the plan for the next day when I realized that we were leaving that night! Almost did it again!
4)Last summer, headed home to the US with the whole family on emergency leave to try and get home before my mother passed, landed in SFO in June at 9PM from Hong Kong with no jackets and had to stand outside waiting for a hotel shuttle with my poor kids freezing their butts off.
5) Yesterday, Arranging our trip home to USA for summer this year, and jumping on the travel agent's suggestion of KLM and saving a lot of money over BA, then saying "go ahead" without looking at KLM seat reviews. EEEK! Hope he reads my email saying not to book it before he sees the one where I told him to go ahead!