thebakaronis

I have a similar story. For some reason I thought KEF was the military airport near Reykjavik and hence a short taxi ride to my hotel. So I jauntily walked out of the airport, wondering why there weren't too many people waiting for taxis, sat in one, and felt like I was very efficient getting out of the airport. It was only as the taxi kept driving and driving that I realized KEF is nowhere near the city. There's a good reason why there weren't many people looking to take a taxi from the airport. It's expensive as hell. $120 later, I found out that most people took the bus to the city from the airport. On the way back to the airport, I traveled the smart way: by bus at a fraction of the cost.

redvelvetmartinis

Booked a 6am flight, but kept thinking it was 6pm.

Sauntered to the airport, told by tax refund officers and agents that I was wrong, but still insisting I am right, until the agent asks to see my printed itinerary - at which time I realize to my horror the difference between "A" and "P". Ran to the ticketing counter, coughed up 400 euros for the 6pm flight, and went back to check in, highly embarrassed.

elusive1

Arrived early with my family of five to do Tax Free Refunds before a Wizz flight out of BUD. There is a huge crowd of people overflowing in every direction and my flight is not even listed for check-in yet. I find the young Wizz staffer at the front of this mass of people and ask her if I can check in early, so I can proceed with my luggage to Tax Refund. She tells me I do not need to check in at all, just go wait on the ( very long ) tax refund line before check in. I explain to her that that is not how this works otherwise Hungarians could take their purchases to the tax free booth and refund without flying. She says " I think that is how it works", I ask for a supervisor and and she says " I believe that is how it works. I complain that I do not want to wait an hour in the Tax Free line just to start over at check in. After not getting anywhere I went and waited 45 minutes in the Tax Free line and they processed everything. Felt pretty dumb, going back to check in.

helvetic

Quick thinking there, good job!

COSPILOT

My not well seasoned traveler friends from Maui visited us in Colorado years ago for a week. We took them to the airport for departure, only to find out they had booked for the previous day. Amazingly United took pity on them, re-booked them without any additional charge.

For me, more than once I've thought I had everything booked, and arrive at the hotel to check in, one that I frequent enough they know me by name. But, I never made a reservation.... Thankfully they weren't full and gave me my corporate rate. I kept looking at my Hilton app, and completely ignored the reservation that looked fine was for the following month for the same dates. That was a legit trip booked and I did plan that one, just odd that I did this, more than once.

Now if you ask my wife, it would be a trip we took many years ago to OGG. We arrive with kids, strollers, car seat, and baby in my wife's arms. I went into autopilot mode and put my usual stuff on the x ray belt and walked through security, as I do every week. Thankfully TSA said you might want to go back and help your wife, she doesn't look happy. In that quick moment, I literally forgot I wasn't traveling alone. She still talks about this, and it's been 10 years.

ctporter

Once I too arrived at a hotel I frequent fairly often only to find out I had forgotten to actually make the reservation. They were fully booked so I called the special line and they were able to book me at a nearby hotel at my corporate rate. Years ago I was an elite with National Car and very used to choosing a car out of the elite section instead of having an assigned car. When I got to the gate to check out they noticed I had not actually made a reservation. I had to back up, call the elite line and book a car (for 15 minutes later) got the corporate rate again and all was fine. But now, I check to make sure I made both car and hotel reservations each trip.

RDUdrifter

Last November I got on the wrong train thinking I was going to Manchester Airport. I still don't know what I was thinking, I had taken that same train before. Anyway, I stupidly got onto the train going the opposite direction and didn't realize it until about 35 minutes in when I thought to myself "hmm, this is taking longer than I thought." Then I looked around and saw that no one else on the train had bags. I felt a sudden ball of fear in my chest. I got off at the next stop and they advised me to go back one stop and switch to the express train but I would probably not make it. My flight to CPH was at 10:10 and it was probably 8:45 or so by now. I tried anyway and managed to get to the airport by 9:30 and I thought I still had a chance. I made it to the SAS desk (deserted) and asked "did I miss the 10:10?" and the agent was like, "yes, sorry," and just told me to call their customer service number. Obviously they couldn't do anything, and I ended up going online and booking an EasyJet flight for 1:30pm that luckily still had seats available.

mahlerfan

Leaving my wallet on the counter in the gift shop at Muscat Airport. I didn't realize it until I boarded my plane en route to Dubai. Thanks to the cabin crew from Fly Dubai they radioed their people in the terminal who retrieved it for me with everything intact.

RG1X

I did something similar but with a hire car. Thankfully they put it on one of their shuttle buses to get it back to me.

DutchessPDX

Same here, black glasses case slipped out of bag in the trunk of a rental. Realized it almost a week later, they were in the lost and found at the airport Hertz location. So glad they found them.

jamcoley

It was from ages ago, when I was still trying out if I can do solo trips. I booked an entire travel package from an agency and trusted them on every aspect of my travel: itinerary, flights, hotels, etc. I got a red-eye flight, a cramped transfer service to a hotel which I had to share a room with a stranger--A STRANGER! (Yeah, okay, it was an opportunity to make some friends, but I didn't sign up for a roommate.) The tours were okay, but overall, the trip wasn't even worth half of what I paid for (I think). After the trip I've read about how I can complain legally (Read: Unfair terms in package travel contracts here) but the stupid me didn't fully read what I was signing for. I got no chance whatsoever of getting my money back. Now I just plan all my travels by myself. LOL. It was a huge lesson I've learned the hard way.

GMTmin8

SayItAintSo

Left my passport on the seat next to me on a flight from Denpasar(Bali) to Jogyakarta.
Usually I stick my passport in my backpack after showing it at the gate, but because I was flying business, for some reason when I got on, they asked for identification on board. Soon after ID verification, the flight began to taxi and I put my passport on the seat next to me. During the hour-long service, I was handed newspapers and napkins, which i dutifully placed on the seat next to me.

So of course, upon landing, I glanced down to see if I was leaving anything, and seeing only a pile of napkins and newspapers I left.

As soon as i got off the plane, I realized my error, but by the time I could explain the situation, the plane had taken off.

Indonesian passport officials recommended I contact the nearest consulate (Singapore) to formally request a new passport.. ETA : 6 - 8 weeks (meaning a new plane ticket $2k+) and a new job! LOL

Long story short, a businessman found my passport and delivered to my hotel 2 days later and got back home on time.

k_jupiter

Yes I am a well seasoned traveler but I had one trip that took the cake. I brought my two teen age daughters over to Europe for a ten day vacation. Set the whole thing up ahead of time to save money. First the plane got into Frankfurt 4 hours late so the discount tickets for the ICE train were no good. No problems getting from Aachen to Paris on the Thalys but when we were ready to take the EuroStar from Paris to London, I misread the departure time from Gare du Nord to St. Pancrass
. I was reading the arrival time in London. Missed the correct train by 15 minutes. No sympathy from the French. 1000 Euro later we got on the next train out of Paris. This is also the trip where i set up the tickets to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower ahead of time. Wrong date.They were nice enough to escort me to the front of the line to purchase tickets for this Saturday evening but no refunds. And finally, I found out the hard way you don't walk up to Buckingham Palace and ask to buy tickets to get in, especially not in August. It was still a great trip but I am sure my daughters thought I was a doofus. And maybe I am. t

PhilnLiz