What the heck? Travel agencies surely should know about the 'dangers' of flying to Sydney - I can remember reading that a British couple once flew to the Canadian city of the same name - they booked it on the internet, however.
This is truly hard to believe. When the sailors (participating in the sailing world championship in Australia) had to change planes in SEA the poor guys even wondered if the small prop was a decent sized aircraft for the trans Pacific crossing...
Hope they know more about sailing than travelling...
RedChili From Norway, joined Jul 2005, 1977 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 10593 times:
I remember reading about a Norwegian guy a couple of years ago who made the same mistake when he bought the ticket over the Internet.
When a travel agency makes this mistake, will they take financial responsibility for getting the passengers to the real SYD?
Also, I'm surprised that they got as far as Seattle. When they checked in for their flight in Germany, they should fill out a form with their intended address in the United States. And if they don't have an address in the USA, the airline is supposed to deny them boarding. So, how did they get as far as SEA?
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 10652 posts, RR: 9 Reply 2, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 10542 times:
Two British tourists thought they'd found a very low Internet fare to SYD on AC a few years ago until they wound up in Sydney, Nova Scotia (YQY) after a connection in YHZ.
AirCop From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 10439 times:
When Pan Am purchased National, this was a problem with some of the former National Reservation Agents that couldn't think globally, Melbourne, San Jose, were a couple that they screw up quite a bit.
NWAESC From United States, joined Aug 2007, 1869 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 10323 times:
When I worked at YV, I was suprised at how many people came over from Europe expecting to go to Redmond, Wa., but were instead booked to Redmond, Or. (RDM).... It happened a few times a year...
At NWA, I had a couple of ladies fly SIN-NRT-PDX thinking they were in PWM...
Landingshortly From Austria, joined Jan 2008, 83 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 10312 times:
I head the story of a German guy wanting to buy a last minute at the airport to "Malle" (short for Mallorca in German) ... he ended up flying to the Maledives. That lucky bast....
PanHAM From Germany, joined May 2005, 3752 posts, RR: 14 Reply 7, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 10244 times:
Easy explanation - Rostock , MeckPomm, East Germany, also called "Ossis".
They should sue the travel agency if they made the mistake. That is one of the first things you learn when taking up an appreticeship with a freight forwarder - a good example is Tripoilis Libya and Tripoli Lebanon. - They same precautions should be teached to travel agents.
But it's typical for today's world, these mistakes simply did not happen 2 or 3 decades ago.
Kole Feut un' 'nen steiffen Wind gifft 'nen krusen Buedel un' 'nen luetten Pint
BlueFlyer From United States, joined Jan 2006, 1140 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 10155 times:
Airline employees make the same mistake. An AA employee once denied my parents boarding at DFW for their flight to San Jose, arguing that there was not enough time left to check them and their luggage in. She wouldn't budge despite my parents' increasing protests that they had arrived 90 minutes before departure. A supervisor eventually arrived, he read the confirmation laying on the counter a little more carefully than his subordinate did and checked my parents in without any problem. The original agent had, apparently, been attempting to check my parents in for a flight to San Jose, CA, whereas they were going to San Jose, Costa Rica...
EWRCabincrew From Canada, joined May 2006, 5347 posts, RR: 59 Reply 10, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 10000 times:
Idiots. It was maybe funny the first time, but with the internet and so much information available to all (and the fact you should be proactive in your travel plans), it is their own fault for this to happen.
Sure, it gets a chuckle, but in the end, they are the idiots. That and their inept travel agent.
MaverickM11 From United States, joined Apr 2000, 11861 posts, RR: 51 Reply 11, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 9940 times:
Has Sidney, MT even had service to SEA in the last decade? They must have gone through BIL. That must have been SDY's first PDEW to/from anywhere other than Billings or Glendive
FLY2LIM From United States, joined May 2004, 1160 posts, RR: 13 Reply 12, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 9931 times:
Quoting OORamper (Reply 3): I always hear people wanting to go to Monterrey Mexico and end up in Monterey CA. And vice versa. MTY and MRY.
Quoting AirCop (Reply 4): When Pan Am purchased National, this was a problem with some of the former National Reservation Agents that couldn't think globally, Melbourne, San Jose, were a couple that they screw up quite a bit.
There was a story once about a boy at LAX who boarded a flight to Auckland when his intended destination was Oakland. That was, supposedly, on World Airways.
FlySSC From Lebanon, joined Aug 2003, 6292 posts, RR: 65 Reply 14, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 9919 times:
Quoting RedChili (Reply 1): I remember reading about a Norwegian guy a couple of years ago who made the same mistake when he bought the ticket over the Internet.
This happened about 5 months ago. The 3 Norwegian tourists flew to "Rodez" in the south of France instead of "Rhodos" in Greece ...
MaverickM11 From United States, joined Apr 2000, 11861 posts, RR: 51 Reply 15, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 9869 times:
Quoting FLY2LIM (Reply 12): There was a story once about a boy at LAX who boarded a flight to Auckland when his intended destination was Oakland. That was, supposedly, on World Airways.
Threepoint From Canada, joined Oct 2005, 1603 posts, RR: 8 Reply 16, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 9626 times:
Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 10): Idiots. It was maybe funny the first time, but with the internet and so much information available to all (and the fact you should be proactive in your travel plans), it is their own fault for this to happen.
Sure, it gets a chuckle, but in the end, they are the idiots. That and their inept travel agent.
A bit harsh, aren't we? Have you never made a mistake in transposing or misinterpreting information? It may seem obvious to a person employed in this industry, but I imagine those two German tourists would get a few chuckles if you were dropped into whatever profession they do for a day.
That's more likely. The urban legends abound of hapless travelers snapping up discount bus tours of Athens, Paris and Frankfurt and feeling somewhat dejected when Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky didn't seem as romantic as they had imagined European capitals to be.
postscript added to avoid a lecture on the capital city of Germany
The nice thing about a mistake is the pleasure it gives others.
Not at all. Look at it this way...you are excited and save for a trip to Australia. Wouldn't you be proactive and check the tickets, the airlines you were flying, times of arrival, what you are allowed to bring/pack/carry on?
I'd be looking at the airline's website to see where I am sitting on the plane, the type of aircraft, the terminal the airlione it gets into, etc.. I would not blindly accept what the travel agent does as gospel.
ACDC8 From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 6858 posts, RR: 50 Reply 19, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 9513 times:
Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 17): Not at all. Look at it this way...you are excited and save for a trip to Australia. Wouldn't you be proactive and check the tickets, the airlines you were flying, times of arrival, what you are allowed to bring/pack/carry on?
I'd be looking at the airline's website to see where I am sitting on the plane, the type of aircraft, the terminal the airlione it gets into, etc.. I would not blindly accept what the travel agent does as gospel.
Hard to believe, but there actually are people who can't tell the difference between an Airbus or Boeing, and there are people who actually don't care. They book a trip, and they just want to get there and they don't care how, what airline, what kind of aircraft or a specific seat. In fact, there are people who don't even like to book their own trips, they just want to get there.
You may not blindly accept what the travel agent does as gospel (neither do I), but for the most people do, and there shouldn't be any reason to doubt them.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 10652 posts, RR: 9 Reply 20, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 9491 times:
Quoting Gigneil (Reply 9): I don't hear about the same problems to Paris, generally, and there are a LOT of Paris-es in this world.
But, unless I'm mistaken, the only Paris that appears in airline reservations systems and has scheduled service is the one in France, while quite a few cities do share a name with one or more other cities with the same name and with airline service. Sometimes, as with Sidney, Montana, even the code (SDY) is easy to confuse with SYD.
That reminds of a similar incident a few years ago where a passenger booked and flew CO from EWR to SJO (San Jose, Costa Rica) instead of the intended destination, SJC (San Jose, California). The passenger didn't realize the error until shortly before the flight landed at SJO.
EWRCabincrew From Canada, joined May 2006, 5347 posts, RR: 59 Reply 21, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 9468 times:
Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 19): and there shouldn't be any reason to doubt them.
Then they deserve what they get when they don't get what they wanted or where they wanted. More power to stupidity.
I, too, know there are people who could care less, but then don't bitch, bring to light or let the press know you screwed up on your travel plans. Suck it up and go for plan B. Next time, you'll do the research. Unless of course you were looking for your 15 minutes and did it purposely.
Sunshine79 From United Kingdom (England), joined Jan 2006, 1552 posts, RR: 47 Reply 22, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 9476 times:
This happens a lot in Europe when people want to go to Parma in Italy and they end up being booked on a flight to Palma Mallorca.
RIXrat From United States, joined Nov 2005, 619 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 9469 times:
I almost got my my wife off to Dallas (DWF) instead of Dulles (IAD) on an emergency trip back to the states. Only when I read the baggage handling strap, did I notice the error. It was re-connected post haste and no damage was done. But think of the consequences.
MaverickM11 From United States, joined Apr 2000, 11861 posts, RR: 51 Reply 24, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 9413 times:
Quoting C010T3 (Reply 18): No, the girls from Full House didn't actually want to fly, but they didn't mind once Auckland was announced, because they thought Oakland was meant.
I'm glad, and less embarassed, that someone else remembered that episode and could clear that up
ACDC8 From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 6858 posts, RR: 50 Reply 25, posted (1 year 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 9412 times:
Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 21): Then they deserve what they get when they don't get what they wanted or where they wanted. More power to stupidity.
Why do they deserve not getting to their intended destination because someone else made a mistake? Travel agents are paid profesionals just like you and me, and even though they make mistakes (as we do), you can't blame Joe Blow for not knowing that there are different Sidneys/Sydneys in the world and they may even be spelt differently.
Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 21): I, too, know there are people who could care less, but then don't bitch, bring to light or let the press know you screwed up on your travel plans
Who's bitching? The guys in the article didn't, they brought it to the press and laughed about it, but I don't see how it's their fault because they aren't as travel oriented as you or I.
Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 21): Suck it up and go for plan B. Next time, you'll do the research.
Yet I expect a trained professional (in this case, the travel agent) which I hire to know what they are doing. And if they do make a mistake, they rectify the problem just like a professional in any other field would be required to do.
Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 21): Unless of course you were looking for your 15 minutes and did it purposely.
Uh, yeah, OK.
Quad- and Tri-jets.....the ONLY way to fly!
26 Carmenlu15: What a screwup on the travel agent's part... that's why you always double-check the itinerary with the passenger before issuing the ticket (speaking f
27 Viscount724: "Dull-uhs" with "Dull" pronounced like the word "dull" (opposite of "bright") where the U is like the U in "run" or "cut", not like the U in "bull" o
28 EWRCabincrew: Yes, they are. All the more reason to be thorough. Yes, it does happen. Another reason to be thorough. They are on a national team. You'd think they
29 RP TPA: There's a bunch of similar sounding cities here in N. America. Besides the ones already discussed above, there's Dayton (Ohio)/Daytona Beach (FL).....
30 Kearnet: And lets not forget the poor British chap who while flying home, did end up in the Queen City. The Queen City being MHT instead of MAN!
32 Viscount724: Also (all with scheduled service): Columbus OH (CMH) and Columbus MS (CSG) Columbia SC (CAE) and Columbia MO (COU)
33 BoeingPride800: This happened to me when i was flying SHV-ALB. i had a connection in ATL and was flying DL Connection up to ALB. I was getting near my connection gate
34 GQfluffy: Again, eh? Been there...done that. Twice... At least it sounds as if they might've dodged the bullet in SEA. Usually they'll make it here to BIL. And
35 Zkpilot: Yes but if you are only in transit thru the USA you can put down "Transit" and your flight number and destination instead. So it is easily possible.
36 MrBrightSide: Sorry, but I will disagree with you on this one, because there is a reason for common sense. When you buy a trip via travel agency, most of buyers wi
37 RedChili: On the contrary, they probably don't handle any travel planning themselves at all. It's probably just a secretary in their sports association who mak
38 NorthstarBoy: having dealt a bit with team travel, chances are the sailors involved didn't book their own travel, it was likely booked by a coach or an assistant co
39 Vikinga346: ha, that's funny HBIHtoEZE.. you don't happen to work for BA do you? I read the exact story through some internal BA databases last week... I got a la
40 YVRLTN: I had a customer book (cargo, not themselves...) to Guyana instead of French Guiana. Had a phone call from Cayenne complaining the cargo was in George
41 OORamper: I think with delta if your boarding pass isn't registered with that flight it won't let you on. Or the little scanning machines will make a different
42 GeorgeJetson: They might be paid but they don't make much money. That's why I left the travel agency business nearly 30 years ago and moved on to bigger and better
43 Bok269: Travel is a product. Booking a trip through a travel agent is not all that different than buying a new TV or oven or bed. When a delivery man shows u
44 Dxborbust: i remember reading a few years back about a scottish golfer headed to the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He first flew to AUG in Maine,
45 AA767LOVER: Probably the only time I'll be in agreement with you. Airline codes are very easily found on internet sites. I am honestly appalled that I have to te
46 Zkpilot: But the checkin agent doesn't necessarily know where a 3 digit airport code SDY (vs SYD for Sydney) is located... often the oncarriage is allready lo
47 PiedmontINT: The common theme of this thread seems to be that the pax involved in these horror stories of ending up in some tiny town not even close to their desti
48 EvilForce: Ok, I'll admit it. I once booked a trip to San Jose, CA instead of Costa Rica as I needed. SJC vs. SJO RDU to SJO is not quite 8 hours on CO. RDU to S
49 Rleiro: In an opportunity the suitcases of a relative of mine who was traveling in Iberia to Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) actually were sent to Santiago... de
50 NorthstarBoy: IMO a competent travel agent should not have to look these things up, they should know them off the top of their head, at the very least, city codes
51 PWM2TXLHopper: Columbus, Mississippi's commercial airport is GTR. CSG is for Columbus, Georgia.
52 Ordfrbdl: .... very nice indeed. How about mixing up SLC and SCL next time...? Easy typo right there.
53 Searpqx: It happens to the best of us folks. As a brand spanking new travel agent in 1983, within my first 2 months I'd issued and mailed tickets that were for
54 GQfluffy: That you would. However, there are no B1900s that fly from SEA to SDY. I think they were going on QX...and questioned the Dash 8...
55 TSS: I wonder if Birmingham, Alabama (BHM) and Birmingham, England (BHX) ever get accidentally subbed one for the other, especially since they're both call
56 OORamper: I was just going to mention that...working for CO for a couple months in SLC we got a couple SCL bags. Woops. That's a big no no.
57 FlyingAY: Then they deserve what they get when they don't get what they wanted or where they wanted. More power to stupidity. banghead Why? I mean, the travel
58 Ohsopc: My aunt while travelling with her friends went to Springfield, Missouri instead of Springfield, Illinois. Her friend, who actually lives in Springfiel
59 PanHAM: no, vocational training was better and there was less dependence on computers. People had to use their own brains, which is widely not happening any
60 PWM2TXLHopper: I'll bet it was more common for bags to go to the wrong cities, say 20 years ago or more, before electronically printed bag tags became the norm? I ca
61 PanHAM: Skycaps (only in the USA the porters at curbside issued bag tags) had preprinted tags. DTW or DFW ws printed already and they just put the flight numb
62 LO231: Yes. If you think that way, agent is covered, too. They got to >Sidney, no? I dont think you can say the difference in pronounciation, not in the US
63 Schipholjfk: I will take Monterey, CA over Monterrey, Mex any day. What a beautiful little place the Cali town.
64 TWAL1011727: Try Melbourne FL //MLB// or Melbourne Austrlia //MEL//. In the 20 yrs I've been here in MLB, I've seen it over 20 times. Mainly from Germany KD
65 YULWinterSkies: Well, if they connect to another intl destination through the US, it's a little different as they are not staying overnight. In theory they need an a
66 Carmenlu15: Haha, happens... back in my airline res days, I had a travel agent call me to complain the flights to Santiago de Chile were not available in her sys
67 HAMAD: what! were they blind to not check??? as customers they had responsiblity to it too. here is what happened to me one day. i wanted to fly from dubai t
68 Planesavvy: A few years ago my dad bought tickets for the family from Miami to La Paz, Bolivia. When he told us he was suprised that the flight connected through
69 ACDC8: I don't think that there is much of a price difference to fly from FRA to Sidney, Montana as opposed to FRA to SYD. Neither do I ( ), but they're sti
70 Ssides: I'm just surprised that Sidney, Montana, a town of less than 5,000 people, has commercial air service.
71 OORamper: Me too love that little town. I was sad that they canceled the SLC-MRY flight.
72 Viscount724: Thanks for the correction. At least I know the difference between the 2 Sydneys (Australia and Canada) and 1 Sidney.
73 Bok269: Right, but its unlikely that they would know that they delivered Product B unless you notify them.
74 EGCC777LR: Remember watching a programme here in the UK called Airline that used to follow Easyjet and Britannia Ops. A lady who had booked on the internet didn'
75 Threepoint: There's the difference between you and much of the traveling public: they may not get as excited to travel nor have the time to check websites to fin
76 CPDC10-30: A guest at a wedding I went to a few years ago did just that. As soon as he mentioned he flew on WN I knew what was going on...
77 GQfluffy: The person in charge of Montana's EAS service lives there for one (which goes to explain why there are at least 3 flights a day...), the surrounding
78 AA767LOVER: Jajajajaja, You gotta really laugh at that one! Thanks for bringing that up! I almost forgot that possibility. The only other possibility nowadays is
79 ACDC8: Exactly, but in a case like this, you may not realize there is something amiss until you are already enroute.
80 RedChili: Whether he knows the airport code or not is irrelevant. The check-in agents job is to make sure to type an address into the computer for all passenge
81 LO231: Yes there is if you would travel to Australia via USA... Even if they didnt have a clue, prices start from: Sidney, MT: FRASDY 1 US 323.00R LLE7SU L
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