Unimpressed with KLM.
I was double checking our flight times and I went into "manage bookings" on the KLM website yesterday morning. I happened to notice that the first leg of our flights from Dar es Salaam to Amsterdam was showing as "Cancelled".
Hmph. I hadn't received any email from KLM telling me they had cancelled my flights. I wonder when I would have found out if I hadn't been checking for something else.
So I contacted their customer support through Facebook. Sure enough, our flights had been cancelled. In fact, I was told that they have cancelled all flights out of DAR, despite the fact that some of them are still showing as available on their website!
Fortunately, they are refunding in full.
Then, as this is all being sorted out, I actually do get an email from them... telling me that they have rebooked our flight to Dusseldorf to March 21st. This was for a flight we had cancelled and already received credit for on February 21st! They are truly messed up!
Anyhow, then I tried to book with Qatar Airways and they were having some kind of website glitch. The fares would come up, but then when I went to book they would disappear.
This morning, everything seemed to be working.
We booked DAR to FCO (Rome) departing on March 14th and connecting in DOH. Then in Rome, we had to book a totally separate flight with Alitalia to Tirana, Albania.
The total cost was only slightly higher than it had been with KLM. And, we are quite happy to be flying with Qatar Airways again. And, we arrive in Albania a few days earlier this way, and we are quite happy with that as well.
Then, I booked another Airbnb for 6 nights in Dar es Salaam. Didn't really want to stay in the big city for that long, but we would have had to have been there at least three days in advance of our flight in order to get the PCR tests done.
Anyhow, there is that mess sorted out. For now. Qatar Airways had been one of the more stable airlines flying during Covid, so we are pretty confident that it won't be cancelled.
We didn't leave the house yesterday! Speaking of the house, let me show you some pictures of where we are staying. It's a big 3 bedroom bungalow!
Just a thought and it could be wrong. Maybe flying into some European countries from Tanzania directly is banned due to the refusal of the country to carry out Covid testing, where's as flying into Doha first may get you into Europe? Any ban may be time limited too so possible to book a few days later?
ReplyDeleteJust a possibilty...
There was a full article about Tanzania and Covid in The Guardian newspaper a few days ago if you didn't see it.
In general Europe is a little edgy at the moment due to new variants, hope this helps.
Your theory is wrong, because KLM flights are still leaving from Zanzibar to Amsterdam. They are quite a lot more money though. Yes, I saw the Guardian article. They sure are guessing a lot, since they have no numbers to go by.
DeleteEveryone is guessing in Tanzania aren't they.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's correct.
DeleteWow, I admire your ability to schedule, research and reschedule.
ReplyDeleteWe moved to Penticton on Friday. SinceI am supposedly computer literate I booked and retraced EVERYTHING! My brain is fried! Movers just arrived, TELUS- cable and internet, comes tomorrow, then only pick counter tops, a few other things, and unpacking, which will take us to the end of April, I’m guessing.
Then camping! And star gazing!
It’s a good thing everything is less than 10 mins away!
Lol, what else could we do but to do more research and rebook! It is all part of travel at the moment and we are totally aware that anything can change at any time so we have to be prepared for that and be flexible, without getting upset. :-)
DeleteGlad to hear that your move went well, and yes when you are moving there is a lot to remember and to book. We hope that you will enjoy your new place and that it will be nice to have everything close by.
Ooops! SPELLCHEK!
ReplyDelete*Researched.
It could have just a ploy for the Airline to add to the bottom line.
ReplyDeleteNice house for a reasonable price.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
We don't quite get how canceling a flight can add to their bottom line?
DeleteThe price is great for a place of this size. :-)
That is odd that no windows in the house. Looks like it's a nice place, and big! I'm sure you will sleep soundly. Again it's just me, my wife, and Peanut Joy!
ReplyDeleteThere really is no need for the glass because the weather is so warm and there is a porch both on the front and the back of the house that when it rains the rain can't get in. There are also pretty decorative bars on all the windows so it would be hard for anyone to break in as well.
DeleteWe stayed in places in Belize with no glass on the windows too. A bit surprising to us, but in a hot country, it's really not needed. Screens are a must due to bugs, though! Your bed is interesting, looks like it is made of pallets? Is the mattress comfortable? No top sheet? A bit of a different set up, but the house looks decent, especially for the price!
ReplyDeleteYes, screens are definitely a must here!
DeleteThe fame is indeed made of pallets and the mattress is fairly comfortable, better than at the last place where it was super firm/hard! The top sheets are both folded up at the bottom of the bed. The house is definitely decent and we think the price is great. :-)