Every traveller has a story they tell for years afterwards, usually laughing, that was not remotely funny at the time. In late October, just before Halloween, the Rick Steves team devotes its online Monday Night Travel session to “Travel Horror Stories”: tales from the road and the travel skills learned the hard way. We’ve taken the second half of that idea. Here are the classic scenarios and what to do when one lands on you.

The suitcase that never came out on the belt

Picture it: you land in Amsterdam, the carousel empties, and your bag simply isn’t there. Everyone else leaves; you’re standing with your jacket over your arm.

• Don’t leave the airport. Go straight to the baggage desk and file a report. Keep the reference number.
• Claim in writing, on time. For lost or damaged luggage, the written claim goes to the airline within 7 days. If the bag was only delayed, you have 21 days from the day you get it back.
• The ceiling. The airline is liable for lost, damaged or delayed checked luggage up to roughly €1,300.
• Keep receipts. Toothbrush, a change of clothes, a charger: anything you buy out of necessity, with a receipt.

The flight that was cancelled or hours late

Picture it: you’re at Athens airport, the board says “Delayed”, then “Cancelled”. This is where EU Regulation 261/2004 becomes your best friend. It covers flights within the EU and flights departing the EU, whichever airline operates them.

• Compensation by distance. €250 for flights up to 1,500 km; €400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km and other flights of 1,500–3,500 km; €600 for flights over 3,500 km.
• Delays. You’re owed compensation if you reach your final destination 3 hours late or more.
• Cancellations. If you were told less than 14 days before departure, you’re owed compensation. You also choose between a refund and re-routing to your destination.
• Care while you wait. Meals and refreshments after 2 hours on flights up to 1,500 km, after 3 hours on intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and after 4 hours on all others. If departure slips to the next day, a hotel plus transport to and from the airport.
• The exception. In extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather, air traffic control decisions or security risks, the airline doesn’t pay compensation. It still owes you care.

The missed connection

Picture it: Kalamata to Athens to Brussels to Lisbon, and a half-hour delay on the first leg is enough to unravel the lot. If all the flights are on one booking and you reach your final destination more than 3 hours late, you’re owed compensation. Book separate tickets, though, and each flight stands alone, so the missed connection is your problem. One more catch: if you miss the flight because of a security queue or because you weren’t at the gate on time, there’s no compensation.

“Sorry, the flight is overbooked”

Picture it: you’ve checked in, you’re at the gate with your passport in hand, and there’s no seat for you. If you’re denied boarding because of overbooking after turning up on time with valid documents, you’re owed the same €250–€600 depending on distance, plus the choice of a refund or an alternative flight.

The passport that vanished

Picture it: your last night in Rome, you go through your bag, and the passport isn’t there. Your first call is the Greek embassy or consulate in the country you’re in; they’ll tell you exactly what you need to get home. If you’re outside the EU with no Greek mission nearby, you have the right to consular help from any other EU country. A small habit that saves hours: a photo of your passport on your phone and a photocopy kept apart from the original.

The booking error

Picture it: the hotel has no record of you, or your ticket has your name one letter off, or the date is next month’s. Most of these are easy to fix if you catch them early.

• Check the name against your passport the moment the confirmation arrives, not at the airport.
• Keep confirmations offline. A screenshot or PDF, because reception Wi-Fi isn’t guaranteed.
• Call straight away, whether that’s the airline, the property or whoever made the booking. The sooner you do, the more options there are.

When something goes wrong, who’s on your side?

On a package trip, the organiser is responsible if things don’t go as agreed and has to help travellers who run into difficulty. At Penguin Travels & Tours that means you have a real person to call: to find an alternative flight, explain what you’re entitled to, help with your claim, or simply tell you the next step when you’re tired in a foreign airport.

Want your next trip to have stories, just not horror ones? Stop by our office in Kalamata (Vasilissis Olgas 4) or call us at +30 27210 80701.