Long Trip - Day 20 Auckland - going back to Europe
The following day brought an email from British Airways. They informed me that my flight from Hong Kong to London was cancelled because of typhoon Utagi. I decided to go asap to airport to get any information about my flight to Hong Kong.
This flight was with Cathay Pacific as a first leg of the whole booking with BA, one ticket.
I was there at 10 am and my flight was due to around 1pm. Three hours before the departure Cathay oppened check-in. They informed me that today I would not go because of typhoon and they couldn't provide any accommodation or support as the flight is cancelled due to weather condition. I was informed that was rebooked automatically for the same flat the following day.
I asked them to allow me to have a call to BA to deal with them. They tried to help me but they couldn't make any calls overseas. It was Sunday night in UK so I could call only 24h help line.
This call is quite expensive and I tried to use Cathay phones.
After 1 hour spent with them one of their suppervisor informed me that I would not be allowed to board on the same flight the following day as I wouldn't have any onward connection - BA wouldn't have their planes there yet back from UK.
As the typhoon is out of control so I would have to stay in Auckland without any help for 2 nights.
I went to Qantas office as they are still in alliance with BA. One really nice lady did her best to send me to Barcelona asap. I had luck as Qantas is also in a separate alliance with Emirates.
When I informed her about my final destination and showed a separate ticket with Luthansa from Barcelona to Duesseldorf she found me a direct connection.
My new itinetary was 6:30 pm from Auckland to Sydney with Qantas, 1 hour in Sydney for connection to another flight with Emirates to Dubai. 3 hours in Dubai and the next day at 1:35 pm in Duesslerdorf.
It was perfect.
Unfortunately, she couldn't reserve seats for me with Emirates but I had my e-ticket printed so I was happy. As Emirates office is there too I went to ask for booking me any window seats.
They told me that I wasn't in the system yet and I needed to wait a little bit. After 3 hours I still wasn't in the system but there was and option that once I check in I should have appear on the list.
I checked in my baggage to Duesseldorf and I got a boarding card to Sydney only.I was assured I will get boarding passes in Sydney with no problems.
I am Polish citizen and in Australia they allow only 8 hours transit for me. But they told me that I will got my bording card in Sydney without any problem.
Before I went to the gate Emirates confirmed all seats for me so I was more than happy that I will be on time in Germany.
Just in case, I asked again at check in to print bording cards for me for Emirates flights but they told me that this is not nessesary.
I arrived at 8:10 pm in Sydney and went through security check. After 10 or 15 minutes I was in the transit zone at the place where I should have collected my bording passes.
There was information that I should have gone to the gate. So after 5 minutes I was there and asked Emirates crew for my bording passes. And here started my adventure once more.
They told me that it was too late to issue a bording card for me and I needed to contact Qantas but they would not take me on this plane.
I lost some time to exchange cash and made a call to Emirates as adviced by them to change the reservation. At the end, they told me that they would check what happended with my baggage and try to help with a visa for me.
I was stuck in Sydney.......
Once more, I told my story to immigration officer this time and after 30 minutes I got a 3 days visa. Emirates crew told me that they found my laguagge so there was nothing to worry and as I was Qantas customer they left me alone.
I tried to find Qantas office but they closed on Sundays at 9:30 pm. By chance, I managed to get someone from Emirates office and they staff told me that I needed to wait till the morning - next flight was at 6 am and they couldn't help me.
In the meantime they said that it was my fault as I was too late. One of the Emirates staff told me that they closed issuing bording passes at 8:10pm, the same time my plane from Auckland was due to land. I had no chance.
I spent some time at the airport and before midnight I spoted people from Qantas. That was my chance to speak to them.
They told me that on the plane to Tokyo they found a deadly snake and the procedure were to check the plane so they had to make sure all passangers got acommodation.That's why they were atill at the airport. The lady rebooked my ticket and offered me an room hotel too.
The following day brought an email from British Airways. They informed me that my flight from Hong Kong to London was cancelled because of typhoon Utagi. I decided to go asap to airport to get any information about my flight to Hong Kong.
This flight was with Cathay Pacific as a first leg of the whole booking with BA, one ticket.
I was there at 10 am and my flight was due to around 1pm. Three hours before the departure Cathay oppened check-in. They informed me that today I would not go because of typhoon and they couldn't provide any accommodation or support as the flight is cancelled due to weather condition. I was informed that was rebooked automatically for the same flat the following day.
I asked them to allow me to have a call to BA to deal with them. They tried to help me but they couldn't make any calls overseas. It was Sunday night in UK so I could call only 24h help line.
This call is quite expensive and I tried to use Cathay phones.
After 1 hour spent with them one of their suppervisor informed me that I would not be allowed to board on the same flight the following day as I wouldn't have any onward connection - BA wouldn't have their planes there yet back from UK.
As the typhoon is out of control so I would have to stay in Auckland without any help for 2 nights.
I went to Qantas office as they are still in alliance with BA. One really nice lady did her best to send me to Barcelona asap. I had luck as Qantas is also in a separate alliance with Emirates.
When I informed her about my final destination and showed a separate ticket with Luthansa from Barcelona to Duesseldorf she found me a direct connection.
My new itinetary was 6:30 pm from Auckland to Sydney with Qantas, 1 hour in Sydney for connection to another flight with Emirates to Dubai. 3 hours in Dubai and the next day at 1:35 pm in Duesslerdorf.
It was perfect.
Unfortunately, she couldn't reserve seats for me with Emirates but I had my e-ticket printed so I was happy. As Emirates office is there too I went to ask for booking me any window seats.
They told me that I wasn't in the system yet and I needed to wait a little bit. After 3 hours I still wasn't in the system but there was and option that once I check in I should have appear on the list.
I checked in my baggage to Duesseldorf and I got a boarding card to Sydney only.I was assured I will get boarding passes in Sydney with no problems.
I am Polish citizen and in Australia they allow only 8 hours transit for me. But they told me that I will got my bording card in Sydney without any problem.
Before I went to the gate Emirates confirmed all seats for me so I was more than happy that I will be on time in Germany.
Just in case, I asked again at check in to print bording cards for me for Emirates flights but they told me that this is not nessesary.
I arrived at 8:10 pm in Sydney and went through security check. After 10 or 15 minutes I was in the transit zone at the place where I should have collected my bording passes.
There was information that I should have gone to the gate. So after 5 minutes I was there and asked Emirates crew for my bording passes. And here started my adventure once more.
They told me that it was too late to issue a bording card for me and I needed to contact Qantas but they would not take me on this plane.
I lost some time to exchange cash and made a call to Emirates as adviced by them to change the reservation. At the end, they told me that they would check what happended with my baggage and try to help with a visa for me.
I was stuck in Sydney.......
Once more, I told my story to immigration officer this time and after 30 minutes I got a 3 days visa. Emirates crew told me that they found my laguagge so there was nothing to worry and as I was Qantas customer they left me alone.
I tried to find Qantas office but they closed on Sundays at 9:30 pm. By chance, I managed to get someone from Emirates office and they staff told me that I needed to wait till the morning - next flight was at 6 am and they couldn't help me.
In the meantime they said that it was my fault as I was too late. One of the Emirates staff told me that they closed issuing bording passes at 8:10pm, the same time my plane from Auckland was due to land. I had no chance.
I spent some time at the airport and before midnight I spoted people from Qantas. That was my chance to speak to them.
They told me that on the plane to Tokyo they found a deadly snake and the procedure were to check the plane so they had to make sure all passangers got acommodation.That's why they were atill at the airport. The lady rebooked my ticket and offered me an room hotel too.
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