@Not Even French That’s why I try to avoid the airports in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Rome as much as possible when making my connecting flights in Europe. They are chaotic and a big hassle. I prefer my connecting flights through Germany i.e. Frankfurt and Munich. The Germans are well known for being very orderly. Another option is to connect through Dubai and fly directly into a smaller European city. Does Emirates have direct flights between Dubai and Marseille?
I am so sorry this happened to you! I would have totally fallen apart and wouldn't have been able to think clearly at all. I'm glad you finally made it home and ended up having a nice flight though. Happy Holidays!
I miss this channel so much! I’m learning french now and rewatching your old videos when it gets frustrating. You put out amazing content Rosie, and I know you don’t live in France anymore but maybe there’s a way to still post videos here snd there as your time allows. Much love ❤
I recently discovered your posts and found them very helpful in understanding my french man. I haven't seen any new posts for a while...I hope all is well; I saw that you've been posting for years and maybe it's time to move on to a different part of your life and will not longer be posting videos? If so, its a shame I can no longer contact to ask for personal advice. Regardless, I just wanted to thank you for generously sharing your life and insight with us throughout the years 💕
This was such a traumatic situation, but I really appreciate you sharing this so we can all learn from it. This story could have happened to anyone of us. My biggest take away from this was talk to your bank before you go, and have a way to contact them when abroad.
Losing my passport is my worst nightmare. After working in travel, I'm paranoid about it. You have my total sympathy there. As for "always have a copy of your passport" isn't so you can still get on your flight, it's so you can still identify yourself to relevant authorities and it helps the embassy staff replace your passport. It basically stops stuff like the case of the poor man who lived for years in an airport terminal because he'd lost his passport and ended up essentially stateless because he couldn't prove who he was. (It was way more complicated than that though)
I was about to comment the same. It happened to a French friend who had her wallet stolen while travelling to the US: Without a copy of an ID, the embassy security was NOT letting her enter the building to request a replacement... It was nonsensical, we spent hours on the phone trying to find a workaround, until someone could email her a scanned copy of her driving licence.
It sounds like a thriller, listening to it is like you never know what to expect the next minute. I can't imagine how stressful it was. I am glad everything has been sorted out at the end of the day and you got home safely.
Hi Rosie, I am so very sorry for what you went through. I think you made the right decision to travel alone, it would've been double expensive if Nick had to stay in London with you. I dunno if you thought of the option of going back to France and spend a couple of days in Paris or Marseille in hope of getting a cheaper ticket and to get some rest. But maybe after 3 months in France, that option was hard to consider since your were looking forward to get back home. I think I'll remember your story every time I pass a check point security and will double check my passport. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas 😊
Rosie, you asked if anyone had a similar horror story and well, here's mine. (Get a cup of tea or something, it's a long one) October 2000. I'm travelling from Sydney Australia to the US for a friend's wedding, and then on to the UK for a little holiday before returning back to Sydney. In my previous travels I had encountered the "customer service" from American Airlines and after having dealt with them in the past, I vowed to never fly with them again. I was making the trip with my husband, his best friend, best friend's wife, and another friend. We were all on a budget so were looking for the best deals and unfortunately, AA had the cheapest prices for our US flights. Other airlines were only a smidge more expensive, so I outright said "no way", but I was eventually overruled by the other 4. I said "Okay, but I reserve the right to say "I told you so!" when the sh*t hits the fan" and I was decried as a "negative Nancy". We booked and the day came. We departed Sydney for San Francisco and the flight went well. Arriving via SFO rather than LAX is a much more humane experience (I really don't like LAX). Had a couple of days in SFO being touristy and it was good. Wednesday arrived and we were flying on to Cleveland (wedding on Saturday). We left the hotel at some ungodly hour of the morning, checked in for our first leg of the journey - Chicago. All was well til we were in the air and that's when the f*ckery started. American Airlines had committed the Unforgivable Sin. They didn't have enough meals on board for the number of passengers. Not only that, they didn't have the special meal for our diabetic friend. In the end, they scrounged up something for him, but the other 4 of us (and the other unfortunate passengers) had to go hungry. I was annoyed, but thought we'd just buy something in O'Hare. Well we arrive in Chicago only to discover that there's been bad weather and our flight to Cleveland is cancelled. So we joined the line to find out when we'd been rescheduled to. While we were waiting, I needed the bathroom, so I left the others in the line with the express directive "Do not give away your boarding pass for the ORD-CLE flight", not to anyone, not for any reason." I was gone about 10 minutes and in that time, someone from AA had been down the line and my travelling companions had readily given up all the boarding passes to the AA staff member. I was FURIOUS. And this made everything SO much harder as we now had no proof that we'd been scheduled to fly that day. So we finally get to the front of the line and we're basically told we've been rebooked for Monday next week. I said "We've flown from the other side of the world for a wedding on Saturday. How is a flight on Monday going to be suitable?" And the woman at the desk said "That's not my problem. You need to call Reservations." I saw red. And I made it her problem. Or at least it was AA's problem. Because this was long before the days of easily buying a tourist/burner SIM card, we were down to either a pay phone or hunting down AA's service counter, I opted for the latter and found them. They tried to fob us off with food vouchers and empty promises, but being that I worked in the industry I knew what to ask for, and they didn't like it. In the end, the supervisor at the desk was really keen to get rid of us so I made him an offer he was quite happy to take. "If I can find an airline to take us in the next 24 hours, will you sign the FIM?" (flight interruption manifest - it's basically a promisory note from one airline to another that they'll honour the other airline carrying the passenger). He agreed, and so I set off asking every single airline there if they had anything for 5 passengers to Cleveland. Nobody had anything for days, until I got to Continental. Their supervisor said if I could get the FIMs, she had some seats on their next flight to CLE but it was leaving in 90 mins. I attempted the land-speed record back to AA desk with written proof that CO would take us, and at a snail's pace, they began filling in manual FIMs. Finally it was done, back to CO desk where they started sorting it out, only to find that the woman "helping" the AA supervisor had filled out two FIMs for my name, and none for my husband. By this time, they'd printed provisional boarding passes for us... and then the only break of the day happened, our terminal's entire computer system had a brain-fart and crashed. Supervisor quickly took photocopies of our passports and told us "Just get on. GO!" We didn't need to be told twice. We got on, they shut the door behind us and the aircraft pushed back. As we sat down, I looked over at my husband and said "Can I say it now?" And the final f*ckery from AA was that they hadn't sent our bags over as promised, they'd just put them on THEIR next CLE flight, that arrived 90 mins after our CO flight, but didn't tell us. So we arrived in CLE, no bags, CO wasn't able to help us because they'd had no bag remits sent over for us, and AA was disinclined to help until I started reading them the riot act. It was now after 7pm and I hadn't eaten since the night before, except for a packet of potato chips, so I was tired, starving hungry, and fed up with AA. Their supervisor came out and she ordered the desk employee to start doing missing bag reports. And then someone else said to check their location... by which time the AA flight had landed and we could just go and collect them from the carousel. The events of that day have ever since been called "The Chicago Incident", and I've never flown with AA ever again. And yes, I really did rub in the "I told you so".
I so feel for you. What an ugly experience. You’ve done the right thing here and alerted others to what could happen to them. Hopefully AA has learnt from this too? Hmmm. I only fly Qantas in the US now. I trust them. Cheers from 🇦🇺
I honestly have been on the edge of my seat listening to your story. I was with my two brothers in London Heathrow around 2016 when the airline person printed two of the same boarding pass. We nearly missed our flight, but was able to get on. That time it was the airline’s fault. I just remember the blood leaving my face and my heart racing thinking we were going to be stuck there. Your story is worse and out of nightmares . I’m so happy you got back home safely, but I’m wrecked about the money you had to spend . This story was a good lesson for all of us. It can happen to anyone. I will never let anyone make me feel rushed through security . I know what you mean. Take your time always! That would have never happened if you didn’t feel that pressure . Thank you for sharing your story! I hope all of your future travels will be perfect from here out for the rest of your life!!
I’ve been in similar situations and I know you can not think straight!! But to anyone reading this PLEASE know if you can’t immediately book a flight back home, book a flight to a hub and go there, then get help! Amsterdam, Atlanta, Dubai…don’t try booking straight to a city you know you will have a layover to. Watching this video (seriously omg I would have panicked, and curled up in a crying ball before I could have gotten it together) book back to Paris, one way, go from there 💙🤍❤️ THIS STORY IS WHAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF 💀👻☠️
This story hurts my heart for what you had to go thru. One thing after another smh unreal! Brought tears to my eyes and I can imagine the stress. Luck was not on your side that day. I pray every trip from here on is lovely for you! ♥️
One of those ‘at least we can look back and laugh’ moments. Truly horrifying. The worst part is that it could have been so much worse if you didn’t find your passport.
It was really worthwhile speaking about this. It's amazing how we manage to solve these kinds of problems when faced with unexpected hurdles when travelling. Reminds me of having to find a solution myself when faced with an SNCF grève. Such a shame to waste so much time and expense for you though, but something we can all learn from I think.
I am 68 years old and grew up before all the tech that is supposed to make life much better. I remember when you could talk to someone who could actually help you. Your story is a perfect example of how tech is not designed to assist customers but rather to protect institutions and reduce staff numbers. We, the customer, always get caught up in a time wasting vortex of dead ends and circular processes. It is incredible how every "system" failed you. What a horrible nightmare.
No, you're definitely no the only one. :) When i was 19 yrs old I lived in Japan. When my visa was coming due to expire I booked a very dodgy ferry then flight back home to Australia - through a travel agent. When I arrived at the airport to board my flight the attendant noticed that my Visa was about 12 hours out of date and wouldn't let me go through. I actually had no idea and trusted that the travel agent had everything sorted. From that minute I was treated like a criminal and taken to a room upstairs in the airport where I was yelled at and pushed around by some over zealous, Japanese airline officer for an hour or so - it was pretty scary. Finally, they let me out and by this time it was almost time for the airport to close. Being the end of my working holiday in Japan I had of course spent nearly all of my money so couldn't afford another ticket nor a hotel room. I had no idea where to go or what to do. In those days, no-one had a mobile or phone banking etc. I called my parents, on the payphone, who said they would buy me a ticket but like I said, there was no over the phone booking or money transfer etc. to get a hotel room for me. My sister-in-law came to the rescue by suggesting she ask her Mum to contact her long lost cousin who she had only recently reconnected with after being adopted out as a child, who's son happened to live in the same town as where I was. They sent him to the airport to rescue me but since they only had tiny apartments in Japan he couldn't put me up and I could only afford what is known as a "Love Hotel." Picture a grate at the front door where you slip money under and choose a theme room for the night to spend with your, "boyfriend." LOL, my parents were horrified and I didn't even tell them about the P0rn and spinning, vibrating, circular bed! Next day, I went to immigration and they told me I had to go to Korea and come back in on a holiday visa but I begged and they relented by saying they would organise a new visa and to come back in two days. So, here I am standing on the docks of the bay with my suitcases and no money and no-where to go when I spotted somewhere familiar that I could afford, the golden arches of Maccas. Feeling defeated I went and ordered a 30c tea and tried to decide what to do when a friendly, young, japanese lady starting chatting to me. When I told her my story she offered for me to phone home on her mobile phone which was pretty rare to own and then to stay with her in her apartment. I was so grateful! She looked after me really well and took me to every tourist spot in the city for the next two days, paying for everything. I couldn't believe my luck! Finally, my paperwork came through and I made it back home to Australia in one piece but it was pretty distressing and could have been a lot worse if I hadn't met the incredible japanese lady who took me in.
this sounds like those scam stories that go around when you get an email from your "friend" that is stranded in London and needs money etc. what a nightmare this is a true story!
O.M.G.!!! I have had crazy travel experiences (plural), but, NOTHING that comes close to yours! All my sympathy! I don’t know how you kept your sanity! This would make an awesome t.v. story! I know you feel sooo grateful to have made it home as quickly as you did! This is where the value of money shows itself…but, also, it shows that sometimes, the price of something is irrelevant next to the need for what it can buy! You are a strong and resourceful woman! May you and those you love celebrate this Holiday Season with Joy and Comfort and Peace! Bon courage!
Oh, Rosie! I was listening to your story and tearing up, what a horrible time you had trying to get home! I was running at JFK once with my luggage to get to my connecting flight (I barely made it and had to wait for my luggage that didn't make on my flight), but your story beats any of that! I do understand how easy it is to not see and forget your black passport in a black tray, but all the problems you experienced after that are just a nightmare! I feel so sorry for what happened to you! I am also very proud for you to be able to get through all of this and not lose your mind and give up. Hugs!
Wow I'm almost speechless at how unbelieveably BRUTAL you're experience was. I can't even imagine going through all that. Ive been pretty lucky in terms of flying but I also constantly triple check everything before and during flights otherwise my anxiety would be through the roof. You're an amazing story teller btw I was definitely on edge watching this haha
You just described my worst nightmare Rosie! My story is not quite as bad but on reflection I think I ended up with ptsd from the stress! I was visiting my husband’s relatives in Cornwall - we had a flight on Ryanair from Truro to London - we had TWO small children at the time - 23mths and 5mths. We arrived at the airport to check in 35mins before the flight left - we were told that this particular flight had a cutoff of 40mins - and they would not let us check in even though there were at least 15 people still in the queue waiting to check in!! The next flight was in 12 hrs and the airport was literally a cow paddock (there were cows in the field where the planes landed). We were supposed to be in London to see some friends and then on a flight to Wellington within 72hrs… So we decided to hire a car and drive the 7hrs to London (I am the only driver my husband doesn’t drive). After a lot of begging The car-hire company hired us the car (and said someone got caught by the 40min rule most days…). BUT they had no car seats. So we eventually found a shop in a industrial estate Miles from anywhere that had 1 booster seat for the toddler but no full seats for the baby… I just didn’t want to drive for 7 hrs with an unrestrained baby in the car!!! Just as we were about to despair I drove past a Sunday car boot sale in a field. We stopped and Miracle - one of the stalls was selling a baby car seat!! So we set off in torrential rain with two restless children… We eventually arrived in London and did actually end up at our friends house about 2-3 hrs late - who were throwing a party for us that included almost everyone we knew in London. I went to check our passports - We had Lost ALL our passports - 2 x NZ passports and 2 x UK passports and we were now leaving the UK in 48hrs. We spent that 48hrs running between NZ and Uk passport offices trying to get emergency passports - we had photocopies of our passports but like you we found they weren’t much use. We needed copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, witnesses, JPs etc. I don’t actually remember all the details but about 4 hrs before our flight was due to leave we finally managed to get all 4 new passports and got to the airport with just enough time to check in. We later found the original passports in the side pocket of one case I swear I had searched at least 3 times…. then on the flight back - we only had 2 seats as we had 2 children under 2 - but we only got one bassinet and were seated in a 4 seat bulkhead middle row with twins!!! So 4 adults and 4 children in 4 seats with one bassinet each…
Oh, Rosie, I'm so sorry that you had to endure such a nightmare, but am glad to see that you finally made it home safely ❤️ Wishing you all the best in 2023!
Absolute nightmare. Especially the security text message fiasco, so frustrating. Big kudos for working around it and getting your flight back home. I know it's a terrible extra expense but you got home safely and that's priceless.
Sometimes I feel like when stuff like this goes wrong for me that I'm the only one stupid enough to let it happen- but it's weirdly comforting to know that you, someone who I really admire for being capable and on top of things can have it too. Reminds me we're all human and stuff is going to happen. Really sorry you had such a horrible time!
I think Rosie and her husband got the Covid vaccines as she seemed to have nothing against it from what she said about it in some of her videos, so I hope they didn’t get unwell because of it. That might be the reason why we haven’t seen her in more than a year… it’s really strange though…
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I can’t believe how much incompetence and non-empathy is out there. How frustrating for you that there wasn’t someone to ‘take your hand’ and help. Especially so far from home. Hopefully airing this here has helped a little. Hope your future travels are effortless. Cheers from 🇦🇺
Never lost my passport but I was scheduled out on a 6 am flight out of NYC in 2006. The evening before an attempted terrorist attack had been tried involving liquids (and now why liquids are a deal at screening etc) and in containing that issue they had rerouted tons of international flight traffic into NYC. The airport was an absolute insane MADHOUSE, out of food at a lot of places, people were sleeping everywhere in the airport, there was no sitting really available. We finally flew out at something like 9pm that night AFTER being transferred flights something like 14 times and being put on a plane twice and then taken off due to no staff available and tons of gate changes. People were yelling and screaming all over the airport and no one seemed to have any clue. It was an absolutely bonkers level experience!
Wow! I can't even imagine going through this! I know exactly what you mean about the stress of moving through the scanner at Heathrow. Thank goodness you had some good luck at the end!
I was getting stressed listening to you. You should have called me Rosie. Once I left my laptop in an Airbnb in Zurich, and realised only at security at the airport: lots of stress as it s like my office. Anyway, glad you made it home and I hope the crew looked well after you. Have a great Xmas. Hugs to bonbon
I don’t even know where to start. I’m just so glad you made it home safely. That is certainly a life changing experience. You went through it so hopefully we don’t have to. I hope you’re able to take some time to just breathe and recover from what happened. ❤
I'm so sorry this horrible experience happened to you, and I certainly hope it hasn't permanently soured your view of the UK, thought I'd not blame you if it did. The feeling of helplessness when officialdom of all kinds seems to be set against helping you and when obstacles are thrown into your path is both exhausting and frightening, it's something I've experienced a lot in the past couple of years. I'm so glad that you had what sounds like an army of friends trying to help you get back home, that must have been a comfort in the midst of that nightmare.
What an amazing channel. What an amazing and charming lady. This woman is magnetic, I always came back to hear this one's voice and to see here mesmerizing eyes. New Zealand is blessed. We are all blessed. God save the Queen.
OMG 😮 Rosie...unbelievable! My worst travel nightmare so far was during an international travel: Had to sprint from one end of the airport to the other end (because the first flight was delayed and misinformation from the airport staff), no transfer bus because blablabla...thus sprinting, hearing my name on last call for boarding, running, about to pass out, running, twisting and injuring my ankle, then finally somehow getting on that damn plane to THEN to find out..the flight was delaying for 1,5 hours due to "an issue" - after boarding had been completed - I mean.. YIPPIE YEAH... 3 years have since passed, but my ankle's still not healed and is hurting daily and I think I came out of that flight with a PTSD...
I am so sorry that happened to you. When you said Heathrow, I immediately knew. The security line there is the worst. It’s just so chaotic and the distance from there to the zones. What a nightmare! Security should have alerted the desk or there should have been some sort of announcement to let you know. Luckily, you’ve made it home!
Hi Rosie, I’ve done quite a few flights from Paris/London to Brisbane and hearing this story almost makes me break out in hives. What a nightmare! Thanks for sharing and being able to smile about it.
wow rosie what a hellish nightmare. so glad you did make me home. I just had a situation upon returning after 3 weeks in usa visiting family and thought my situation was stressful but it was nothing after listening to your experience. i am so glad you made it back home safe.
Hi Rosie, that’s such a horror story! So glad you made it home to NZ! I’ll share the worst travel experience my husband & I have had with you. I’m American & my husband is Kiwi, and we went to Kauai for our honeymoon. We traveled during a really busy time of year & on the way home, we had to deplane in Maui because our plane was having mechanical issues. We waited for an entire day at the Maui airport & in the late evening they flew us to Honolulu to stay overnight in an old dusty room in the most outdated hotel I’ve ever seen. We hadn’t had any dinner & the only restaurant open was a McDonalds. My husband went and ordered 2 Big Macs at around midnight when we finally got settled at the hotel. I had lost my appetite completely, so he ate both Big Macs by himself! The next morning I was at the Honolulu airport having a much-needed Starbucks & met another person from the same flight. She said it felt like we were having such a hellish travel experience & I told her we were flying back from our honeymoon. She said, “I think you should get an annulment. It’s not working out for you guys.” My husband said it was the worst travel experience of his life, but we definitely look back on it now & laugh. Wishing you a relaxing holiday season & New Year!
Oh you poor thing! Thank god you came through relatively unscathed. I’ve had to run through airports with a small dog because of flight delays, but nothing like this.
Omg what a horrible story. I’ve dyspraxia which comes figure ground discrimination issues so security trays are nightmare for me. What I do nowadays is put the items into a bag except liquid and gels. It helped cut back on this mistake. Also I’ve learned too passport isn’t generally needed until you get to boarding in a lot of airports so I make sure it stays tightly in its allocated place until then
Oh my goodness, I’m so glad you got home! Never experienced anything this bad, just got stuck overnight in the Toronto airport when coming back to the US from London.
Sorry to hear of your horrid experience. To think if only that incompetent staff member who had your passport in the beginning had been more thoughtful and communicated effectively with the staff at your gate, all of that stress and cost could have been avoided. I’ve certainly had my share of travel nightmares over the years but I’m not going to relive them. Hoping you both have a wonderful Christmas and that your summer is fun filled. Thanks for all your great content in 2022 Rosie! 🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄🥂💚Deb
I love this story !!! It's crazy sometimes this " butterfly effect" : how just a little quick incident ( dropping your passport in the airport at somepoint in your case) can turn into a real nightmare like this.. I would have felt so bad in your husband position , Im sure he absolutely didnt want to left you alone in london..🙏 this should be a perfect scenario
The most famous butterfly effect is that someone left their binoculars home. They may have been useful on a famous cruise ship called the ... *titanic*
I'm still amazed they don't have a procedure to call out a name over the system when a boarding pass or id let alone a passport is found. I know people drop things. But you can't travel without your IDs. I've heard diplomas are a form of approved ID which is insane. And someone used a pocket diploma once in a situation like this, misplaced passport I guess two official other items were enough.
You poor thing - as I listened to you, I had traumatic flashbacks to my very similar experience recently, going home to the States from Charles de Gaulle airport. When I got to the gate I realized that I had left my cell phone behind somewhere, had no idea where. So just like you, I sprinted and sweated and cried and took airport shuttles and got hysterical called everyone I knew and begged for help from everyone I saw (but malheureusement, in French, not my primary language!) During my frantic race I had to go through full security pat-downs TWICE, agonizingly slow public fondling and x-raying by airport agents. I finally got my phone but missed my flight - husband went on ahead, but after much effort I was able to book an ultra-expensive business class ticket for the next day. This was a month ago and I still tremble when I think of it. The moral of this story: during international travel, never ever make a mistake of any kind. Be perfect at all times.😂
Hello, Thanks for the information. It's good to be informed about such issues. On a happier note, I have signed up for Lingoda. I've tried so many different types of ways to learn french such as Rosettastone or apps without any success. However, with Lingoda you get to be apart of an actual online live classroom, as well as having homework to prepare you to actively particapate in class. Learning French with Lingoda has been a great investment with my time and money. My experience with Lingoda teachers has been great. Thank you for teaming up with Lingoda. Have a great week.
Wow, I thought my last trip to the US was bad and all that happened to me was that a connecting flight got cancelled and the international roaming wasn't working on my phone. You really did have the trip from hell, I can only imagine how stressed you were, I would have been crying as well.
Wow, I've had negative experiences travelling but this was something else ! I think I would have given up and tried to book a flight to the nearest place where a friend could host me, while I try to book things over the next few days... But given your luck, this might not have worked out either. Still, glad you finally made it !
Nope, that was the worst airline travel trip I’ve ever heard. Knock on wood I’ll never have anything even close to that. Thought about leaving decorative passport case at home… but you changed my mind. I’m taking a trip to Europe late spring and I’m sending this video to my travel buddies, so we can form a battle plan for the ‘just in case scenario’ from hell. BTW, I’ve absolutely enjoyed all your other videos that I have binge watched since I knew I was traveling to France. Then I discovered your Kiwi slang ones. Such a find. I had read all of Rosalind James’s books located in NZ and knew about 90% of the slang you listed. Surprised Tall Poppy wasn’t listed. Well, I’m very sorry for your trauma but hopefully by you sharing this it will make others prepare for the worst, while anticipating the best. Cheers
Oh gosh Rosie your story is horrific and tops the cake!! I've had a lot of my own horror stories (not quite as bad as yours though). The most stressful was flying from Geneva back to NZ as my father was dying. I wasn't thinking clearly so arrived 90 mins before my flight and then got stuck behind a massive tourist group heading to Portugal (I was flying first to Munich). I begged everyone to let me skip the queue to then have the ticket guy tell me my flight was delayed anyway and that I'd have to collect my bag in Munich. Once I passed through security I realised I wouldn't have time so ran straight for the information desk where I burst into tears as I didn't care about my bag only making the flight home in time. Thankfully the lady got my bag checked through to Auckland and once I arrived in Munich there was a van waiting to take all of us flying through Qatar to our own passport control and onto the plane. I made it home in time and realise I now owe a missed flight/connection but that's ok. I caught the most important flight and that's the main thing.
Rosie, huge thank you for telling this nightmare. Never got that bad trip, so sorry for you 😞 Nowadays that traveling got unpredictable, I resorted to take even my own food to the airport, in case disaster strikes. I'm currently in Hawaii, escaping Northern California floods. Just read about FAA system down, causing massive cancellations/ delays. I'm already doing contingency planning in case I'm stuck here.
It’s crazy to me that they couldn’t call you back to security to get your passport over the loudspeaker, it happens all the time at my local airport (much smaller but still)!
I actually had a nightmare the night after watching this video. Literally, it was a travel nightmare and I woke in a panic. It took me about 5 minutes to shake it off. Quite the affecting story!
As others have said, I was so stressed listening to this. You must have been so happy to see home! My most stressful travel experience was last year, halfway into a 3 month Eurotrip. Austria announced a lockdown and we found out less than 24 hours before we were supposed to take the train to Vienna. We re-planned 3 weeks of the trip in about 48 hours.
Watching the beginning I was like ha it couldn’t be as bad as loosing your passport and then… I had a similar experience but it was in Germany and I had lost my wallet and passport. I was going to go to Denmark but my trip was cut short. Made it home to Canada in one piece at least, poorer but in one piece. Fully understood every part of what you went through, brought back so many memories.
Holy smokes, that is officially *the most harrowing* travel experience I could ever imagine. Listening to you tell it, I felt like it was happening to me in real time! My god, Rosie. Talk about tenacity on your part! So glad you made it home safely. You must have slept for the next 72 hours. :)
This story stressed me the hell out haha But oh my goodness! Now that's a travel story! You have thrill, suspense, drama, a couple life lessons, and a happy ending. It could be a movie bahaha.
From USA to London Heathrow, I got the worst motion sickness lasted the entire flight. Missed the connection to Bordeaux (home) because I passed out at baggage claim- had to have medical services help me. Finally got an Uber to The other London airport, Gatwick. Had to buy new flight to Bordeaux, with medical services, spend the night at the airport. Next morning we got home. But the worst part was I was traveling alone with my 4 kids 2, 3, 6 and 12. The worst flight so much money wasted. The hardest thing to travel with my kids, being so sick and literally people just stepped over my passed out body until a woman from Germany came to my rescue to get medical attention. My kids had no idea what to do because British Airlines just pushed us off the flight knowing how sick I was but after all the hours of me already being sick they said as soon as I get off the plane I would be better. Medical services didn’t help me get our luggage so no car seat and children’s clothes, left in London. Worst nightmare- staying in France- not going back to states until my PTSD disappears.
That person who held your passport should be held accountable for this disaster! I feel violated for you! - I had a similar experience last summer when we were not let my 81 year old mother on a flight due to a visa issue and had to spend the night at the airport hotel, and applying for the visa online was a complete nightmare, I had two people working on it, one back home and the other in the destination. The problem was all due to TECHNOLOGY. Months later, I am still scared by the whole experience.
So stressed listening to this. 😅 Very relatable running between the international and domestic terminal in Auckland. And also the dumb freak’n bank text codes!! Living this right now 🙃💀
The security woman who didn't bother to extend common decency and alert someone about your passport...that's what all admin/service people are like in the UK and France. THEY JUST CAN'T BE BOTHERED 🤯🤯🤯
What a nightmare! I I thought I had misplaced my passport for about 10 minutes coming out of Panama. So stressful! Now I always carry my passport in my hand through the scanner. I’ve never had anyone question it.
It’s been awhile. I hope you’re doing fine. Miss you on RUclips. Come on back if you can but all good vibes anyway! Much ❤
I'm getting concerned...usually there were at least 2 or 3 uploads a month. I hope you're OK, Rosie.❤
OMG, I am so stressed just listening to this. This may be part of the reason that I'm an armchair traveler. I'm so glad you made it home safely.
@Not Even French That’s why I try to avoid the airports in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Rome as much as possible when making my connecting flights in Europe. They are chaotic and a big hassle. I prefer my connecting flights through Germany i.e. Frankfurt and Munich. The Germans are well known for being very orderly. Another option is to connect through Dubai and fly directly into a smaller European city. Does Emirates have direct flights between Dubai and Marseille?
@@NotEvenFrench HH
When will you upload new videos? I enjoy your perspectives!
I'm so very sorry! This sounds frightening and terribly stressful. I hope you have a relaxing holiday season. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
I am so sorry this happened to you! I would have totally fallen apart and wouldn't have been able to think clearly at all. I'm glad you finally made it home and ended up having a nice flight though. Happy Holidays!
It wasn’t your fault. It’s security responsibility to inform the gate 100%
absolutely her fault. She was lucky they had it
🍉🍈🍇🍇🍼🍨🍦🍧🍟🌸🐬🏩💄
I miss this channel so much! I’m learning french now and rewatching your old videos when it gets frustrating. You put out amazing content Rosie, and I know you don’t live in France anymore but maybe there’s a way to still post videos here snd there as your time allows. Much love ❤
I recently discovered your posts and found them very helpful in understanding my french man. I haven't seen any new posts for a while...I hope all is well; I saw that you've been posting for years and maybe it's time to move on to a different part of your life and will not longer be posting videos? If so, its a shame I can no longer contact to ask for personal advice. Regardless, I just wanted to thank you for generously sharing your life and insight with us throughout the years 💕
This was such a traumatic situation, but I really appreciate you sharing this so we can all learn from it. This story could have happened to anyone of us.
My biggest take away from this was talk to your bank before you go, and have a way to contact them when abroad.
Losing my passport is my worst nightmare. After working in travel, I'm paranoid about it. You have my total sympathy there.
As for "always have a copy of your passport" isn't so you can still get on your flight, it's so you can still identify yourself to relevant authorities and it helps the embassy staff replace your passport. It basically stops stuff like the case of the poor man who lived for years in an airport terminal because he'd lost his passport and ended up essentially stateless because he couldn't prove who he was. (It was way more complicated than that though)
I was about to comment the same. It happened to a French friend who had her wallet stolen while travelling to the US: Without a copy of an ID, the embassy security was NOT letting her enter the building to request a replacement... It was nonsensical, we spent hours on the phone trying to find a workaround, until someone could email her a scanned copy of her driving licence.
Your story made me cry honestly. Can't believe you had to go through all of that omg. 😢😭😤
It sounds like a thriller, listening to it is like you never know what to expect the next minute. I can't imagine how stressful it was. I am glad everything has been sorted out at the end of the day and you got home safely.
Hi Rosie, I am so very sorry for what you went through. I think you made the right decision to travel alone, it would've been double expensive if Nick had to stay in London with you. I dunno if you thought of the option of going back to France and spend a couple of days in Paris or Marseille in hope of getting a cheaper ticket and to get some rest. But maybe after 3 months in France, that option was hard to consider since your were looking forward to get back home. I think I'll remember your story every time I pass a check point security and will double check my passport. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas 😊
Rosie, you asked if anyone had a similar horror story and well, here's mine. (Get a cup of tea or something, it's a long one)
October 2000. I'm travelling from Sydney Australia to the US for a friend's wedding, and then on to the UK for a little holiday before returning back to Sydney. In my previous travels I had encountered the "customer service" from American Airlines and after having dealt with them in the past, I vowed to never fly with them again. I was making the trip with my husband, his best friend, best friend's wife, and another friend. We were all on a budget so were looking for the best deals and unfortunately, AA had the cheapest prices for our US flights. Other airlines were only a smidge more expensive, so I outright said "no way", but I was eventually overruled by the other 4. I said "Okay, but I reserve the right to say "I told you so!" when the sh*t hits the fan" and I was decried as a "negative Nancy". We booked and the day came.
We departed Sydney for San Francisco and the flight went well. Arriving via SFO rather than LAX is a much more humane experience (I really don't like LAX). Had a couple of days in SFO being touristy and it was good. Wednesday arrived and we were flying on to Cleveland (wedding on Saturday). We left the hotel at some ungodly hour of the morning, checked in for our first leg of the journey - Chicago. All was well til we were in the air and that's when the f*ckery started. American Airlines had committed the Unforgivable Sin. They didn't have enough meals on board for the number of passengers. Not only that, they didn't have the special meal for our diabetic friend. In the end, they scrounged up something for him, but the other 4 of us (and the other unfortunate passengers) had to go hungry. I was annoyed, but thought we'd just buy something in O'Hare. Well we arrive in Chicago only to discover that there's been bad weather and our flight to Cleveland is cancelled. So we joined the line to find out when we'd been rescheduled to. While we were waiting, I needed the bathroom, so I left the others in the line with the express directive "Do not give away your boarding pass for the ORD-CLE flight", not to anyone, not for any reason." I was gone about 10 minutes and in that time, someone from AA had been down the line and my travelling companions had readily given up all the boarding passes to the AA staff member. I was FURIOUS. And this made everything SO much harder as we now had no proof that we'd been scheduled to fly that day.
So we finally get to the front of the line and we're basically told we've been rebooked for Monday next week. I said "We've flown from the other side of the world for a wedding on Saturday. How is a flight on Monday going to be suitable?" And the woman at the desk said "That's not my problem. You need to call Reservations." I saw red. And I made it her problem. Or at least it was AA's problem. Because this was long before the days of easily buying a tourist/burner SIM card, we were down to either a pay phone or hunting down AA's service counter, I opted for the latter and found them.
They tried to fob us off with food vouchers and empty promises, but being that I worked in the industry I knew what to ask for, and they didn't like it. In the end, the supervisor at the desk was really keen to get rid of us so I made him an offer he was quite happy to take. "If I can find an airline to take us in the next 24 hours, will you sign the FIM?" (flight interruption manifest - it's basically a promisory note from one airline to another that they'll honour the other airline carrying the passenger). He agreed, and so I set off asking every single airline there if they had anything for 5 passengers to Cleveland. Nobody had anything for days, until I got to Continental. Their supervisor said if I could get the FIMs, she had some seats on their next flight to CLE but it was leaving in 90 mins. I attempted the land-speed record back to AA desk with written proof that CO would take us, and at a snail's pace, they began filling in manual FIMs. Finally it was done, back to CO desk where they started sorting it out, only to find that the woman "helping" the AA supervisor had filled out two FIMs for my name, and none for my husband. By this time, they'd printed provisional boarding passes for us... and then the only break of the day happened, our terminal's entire computer system had a brain-fart and crashed. Supervisor quickly took photocopies of our passports and told us "Just get on. GO!" We didn't need to be told twice. We got on, they shut the door behind us and the aircraft pushed back. As we sat down, I looked over at my husband and said "Can I say it now?" And the final f*ckery from AA was that they hadn't sent our bags over as promised, they'd just put them on THEIR next CLE flight, that arrived 90 mins after our CO flight, but didn't tell us. So we arrived in CLE, no bags, CO wasn't able to help us because they'd had no bag remits sent over for us, and AA was disinclined to help until I started reading them the riot act. It was now after 7pm and I hadn't eaten since the night before, except for a packet of potato chips, so I was tired, starving hungry, and fed up with AA. Their supervisor came out and she ordered the desk employee to start doing missing bag reports. And then someone else said to check their location... by which time the AA flight had landed and we could just go and collect them from the carousel.
The events of that day have ever since been called "The Chicago Incident", and I've never flown with AA ever again. And yes, I really did rub in the "I told you so".
My husband and I vow never to fly with AA because of horrible past experiences.
I so feel for you. What an ugly experience. You’ve done the right thing here and alerted others to what could happen to them. Hopefully AA has learnt from this too? Hmmm. I only fly Qantas in the US now. I trust them. Cheers from 🇦🇺
Omg I could feel your stress and anxiety! I am so sorry this happened to you, Rosie... Im glad that the ticket was real and you are back home safe
I honestly have been on the edge of my seat listening to your story. I was with my two brothers in London Heathrow around 2016 when the airline person printed two of the same boarding pass. We nearly missed our flight, but was able to get on. That time it was the airline’s fault. I just remember the blood leaving my face and my heart racing thinking we were going to be stuck there.
Your story is worse and out of nightmares . I’m so happy you got back home safely, but I’m wrecked about the money you had to spend .
This story was a good lesson for all of us. It can happen to anyone. I will never let anyone make me feel rushed through security . I know what you mean. Take your time always! That would have never happened if you didn’t feel that pressure .
Thank you for sharing your story! I hope all of your future travels will be perfect from here out for the rest of your life!!
I’ve been in similar situations and I know you can not think straight!! But to anyone reading this PLEASE know if you can’t immediately book a flight back home, book a flight to a hub and go there, then get help! Amsterdam, Atlanta, Dubai…don’t try booking straight to a city you know you will have a layover to. Watching this video (seriously omg I would have panicked, and curled up in a crying ball before I could have gotten it together) book back to Paris, one way, go from there 💙🤍❤️
THIS STORY IS WHAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF 💀👻☠️
This story hurts my heart for what you had to go thru. One thing after another smh unreal! Brought tears to my eyes and I can imagine the stress. Luck was not on your side that day.
I pray every trip from here on is lovely for you! ♥️
Rosie, where are you?
www.youtube.com/@BadassCareers/videos
One of those ‘at least we can look back and laugh’ moments. Truly horrifying. The worst part is that it could have been so much worse if you didn’t find your passport.
It was really worthwhile speaking about this. It's amazing how we manage to solve these kinds of problems when faced with unexpected hurdles when travelling. Reminds me of having to find a solution myself when faced with an SNCF grève. Such a shame to waste so much time and expense for you though, but something we can all learn from I think.
I am 68 years old and grew up before all the tech that is supposed to make life much better. I remember when you could talk to someone who could actually help you. Your story is a perfect example of how tech is not designed to assist customers but rather to protect institutions and reduce staff numbers. We, the customer, always get caught up in a time wasting vortex of dead ends and circular processes. It is incredible how every "system" failed you. What a horrible nightmare.
I literally gasped several times during your retelling of this nightmare! OMG, what a mess!
What a FREAKING nightmare!! So sorry you went through that.
No, you're definitely no the only one. :) When i was 19 yrs old I lived in Japan. When my visa was coming due to expire I booked a very dodgy ferry then flight back home to Australia - through a travel agent. When I arrived at the airport to board my flight the attendant noticed that my Visa was about 12 hours out of date and wouldn't let me go through. I actually had no idea and trusted that the travel agent had everything sorted. From that minute I was treated like a criminal and taken to a room upstairs in the airport where I was yelled at and pushed around by some over zealous, Japanese airline officer for an hour or so - it was pretty scary. Finally, they let me out and by this time it was almost time for the airport to close. Being the end of my working holiday in Japan I had of course spent nearly all of my money so couldn't afford another ticket nor a hotel room. I had no idea where to go or what to do. In those days, no-one had a mobile or phone banking etc. I called my parents, on the payphone, who said they would buy me a ticket but like I said, there was no over the phone booking or money transfer etc. to get a hotel room for me. My sister-in-law came to the rescue by suggesting she ask her Mum to contact her long lost cousin who she had only recently reconnected with after being adopted out as a child, who's son happened to live in the same town as where I was. They sent him to the airport to rescue me but since they only had tiny apartments in Japan he couldn't put me up and I could only afford what is known as a "Love Hotel." Picture a grate at the front door where you slip money under and choose a theme room for the night to spend with your, "boyfriend." LOL, my parents were horrified and I didn't even tell them about the P0rn and spinning, vibrating, circular bed! Next day, I went to immigration and they told me I had to go to Korea and come back in on a holiday visa but I begged and they relented by saying they would organise a new visa and to come back in two days. So, here I am standing on the docks of the bay with my suitcases and no money and no-where to go when I spotted somewhere familiar that I could afford, the golden arches of Maccas. Feeling defeated I went and ordered a 30c tea and tried to decide what to do when a friendly, young, japanese lady starting chatting to me. When I told her my story she offered for me to phone home on her mobile phone which was pretty rare to own and then to stay with her in her apartment. I was so grateful! She looked after me really well and took me to every tourist spot in the city for the next two days, paying for everything. I couldn't believe my luck! Finally, my paperwork came through and I made it back home to Australia in one piece but it was pretty distressing and could have been a lot worse if I hadn't met the incredible japanese lady who took me in.
this sounds like those scam stories that go around when you get an email from your "friend" that is stranded in London and needs money etc. what a nightmare this is a true story!
O.M.G.!!! I have had crazy travel experiences (plural), but, NOTHING that comes close to yours! All my sympathy! I don’t know how you kept your sanity! This would make an awesome t.v. story! I know you feel sooo grateful to have made it home as quickly as you did! This is where the value of money shows itself…but, also, it shows that sometimes, the price of something is irrelevant next to the need for what it can buy! You are a strong and resourceful woman! May you and those you love celebrate this Holiday Season with Joy and Comfort and Peace! Bon courage!
Oh, Rosie! I was listening to your story and tearing up, what a horrible time you had trying to get home! I was running at JFK once with my luggage to get to my connecting flight (I barely made it and had to wait for my luggage that didn't make on my flight), but your story beats any of that! I do understand how easy it is to not see and forget your black passport in a black tray, but all the problems you experienced after that are just a nightmare! I feel so sorry for what happened to you! I am also very proud for you to be able to get through all of this and not lose your mind and give up. Hugs!
Wow I'm almost speechless at how unbelieveably BRUTAL you're experience was. I can't even imagine going through all that. Ive been pretty lucky in terms of flying but I also constantly triple check everything before and during flights otherwise my anxiety would be through the roof. You're an amazing story teller btw I was definitely on edge watching this haha
You just described my worst nightmare Rosie! My story is not quite as bad but on reflection I think I ended up with ptsd from the stress! I was visiting my husband’s relatives in Cornwall - we had a flight on Ryanair from Truro to London - we had TWO small children at the time - 23mths and 5mths. We arrived at the airport to check in 35mins before the flight left - we were told that this particular flight had a cutoff of 40mins - and they would not let us check in even though there were at least 15 people still in the queue waiting to check in!! The next flight was in 12 hrs and the airport was literally a cow paddock (there were cows in the field where the planes landed). We were supposed to be in London to see some friends and then on a flight to Wellington within 72hrs… So we decided to hire a car and drive the 7hrs to London (I am the only driver my husband doesn’t drive). After a lot of begging The car-hire company hired us the car (and said someone got caught by the 40min rule most days…). BUT they had no car seats. So we eventually found a shop in a industrial estate Miles from anywhere that had 1 booster seat for the toddler but no full seats for the baby… I just didn’t want to drive for 7 hrs with an unrestrained baby in the car!!! Just as we were about to despair I drove past a Sunday car boot sale in a field. We stopped and Miracle - one of the stalls was selling a baby car seat!! So we set off in torrential rain with two restless children… We eventually arrived in London and did actually end up at our friends house about 2-3 hrs late - who were throwing a party for us that included almost everyone we knew in London. I went to check our passports - We had Lost ALL our passports - 2 x NZ passports and 2 x UK passports and we were now leaving the UK in 48hrs. We spent that 48hrs running between NZ and Uk passport offices trying to get emergency passports - we had photocopies of our passports but like you we found they weren’t much use. We needed copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, witnesses, JPs etc. I don’t actually remember all the details but about 4 hrs before our flight was due to leave we finally managed to get all 4 new passports and got to the airport with just enough time to check in. We later found the original passports in the side pocket of one case I swear I had searched at least 3 times…. then on the flight back - we only had 2 seats as we had 2 children under 2 - but we only got one bassinet and were seated in a 4 seat bulkhead middle row with twins!!! So 4 adults and 4 children in 4 seats with one bassinet each…
O M G……that was a stressful time.
I will never understand why people take infants on long haul flights, but that is me.
@@mikenyny755 Because we were visiting relatives and friends in the UK.
Oh, Rosie, I'm so sorry that you had to endure such a nightmare, but am glad to see that you finally made it home safely ❤️ Wishing you all the best in 2023!
Absolute nightmare. Especially the security text message fiasco, so frustrating. Big kudos for working around it and getting your flight back home. I know it's a terrible extra expense but you got home safely and that's priceless.
Sometimes I feel like when stuff like this goes wrong for me that I'm the only one stupid enough to let it happen- but it's weirdly comforting to know that you, someone who I really admire for being capable and on top of things can have it too. Reminds me we're all human and stuff is going to happen. Really sorry you had such a horrible time!
I’ve been concerned that you haven’t posted anything ever since you uploaded this traumatic experience in 2022.
Thank you for sharing this!! I’m going to be so much more careful now
Omg I just can’t imagine doing all that! I probably would have had to live out the rest of my life on the streets of London!
Is this site still active? The last video was months ago. Hopefully, you are doing OK.
I think Rosie and her husband got the Covid vaccines as she seemed to have nothing against it from what she said about it in some of her videos, so I hope they didn’t get unwell because of it. That might be the reason why we haven’t seen her in more than a year… it’s really strange though…
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I can’t believe how much incompetence and non-empathy is out there. How frustrating for you that there wasn’t someone to ‘take your hand’ and help. Especially so far from home. Hopefully airing this here has helped a little. Hope your future travels are effortless. Cheers from 🇦🇺
Never lost my passport but I was scheduled out on a 6 am flight out of NYC in 2006. The evening before an attempted terrorist attack had been tried involving liquids (and now why liquids are a deal at screening etc) and in containing that issue they had rerouted tons of international flight traffic into NYC. The airport was an absolute insane MADHOUSE, out of food at a lot of places, people were sleeping everywhere in the airport, there was no sitting really available. We finally flew out at something like 9pm that night AFTER being transferred flights something like 14 times and being put on a plane twice and then taken off due to no staff available and tons of gate changes. People were yelling and screaming all over the airport and no one seemed to have any clue. It was an absolutely bonkers level experience!
Wow! I can't even imagine going through this! I know exactly what you mean about the stress of moving through the scanner at Heathrow. Thank goodness you had some good luck at the end!
What a nightmare! I was stressed out just listening to your story. I can't imagine what i would've done. I think i would have just cried.
I was getting stressed listening to you. You should have called me Rosie. Once I left my laptop in an Airbnb in Zurich, and realised only at security at the airport: lots of stress as it s like my office.
Anyway, glad you made it home and I hope the crew looked well after you. Have a great Xmas. Hugs to bonbon
I'm so sorry this happened to you. You still are very very resourcefu. Thank you for telling your story. I've learned from it.
I don’t even know where to start. I’m just so glad you made it home safely. That is certainly a life changing experience. You went through it so hopefully we don’t have to. I hope you’re able to take some time to just breathe and recover from what happened. ❤
I'm so sorry this horrible experience happened to you, and I certainly hope it hasn't permanently soured your view of the UK, thought I'd not blame you if it did. The feeling of helplessness when officialdom of all kinds seems to be set against helping you and when obstacles are thrown into your path is both exhausting and frightening, it's something I've experienced a lot in the past couple of years. I'm so glad that you had what sounds like an army of friends trying to help you get back home, that must have been a comfort in the midst of that nightmare.
What an amazing channel. What an amazing and charming lady. This woman is magnetic, I always came back to hear this one's voice and to see here mesmerizing eyes. New Zealand is blessed. We are all blessed. God save the Queen.
Listening to you story made me feel adrenaline rush. Glad you're got home safe.
OMG 😮 Rosie...unbelievable!
My worst travel nightmare so far was during an international travel: Had to sprint from one end of the airport to the other end (because the first flight was delayed and misinformation from the airport staff), no transfer bus because blablabla...thus sprinting, hearing my name on last call for boarding, running, about to pass out, running, twisting and injuring my ankle, then finally somehow getting on that damn plane to THEN to find out..the flight was delaying for 1,5 hours due to "an issue" - after boarding had been completed - I mean.. YIPPIE YEAH... 3 years have since passed, but my ankle's still not healed and is hurting daily and I think I came out of that flight with a PTSD...
I am so sorry that happened to you. When you said Heathrow, I immediately knew. The security line there is the worst. It’s just so chaotic and the distance from there to the zones. What a nightmare! Security should have alerted the desk or there should have been some sort of announcement to let you know. Luckily, you’ve made it home!
Hi Rosie, I’ve done quite a few flights from Paris/London to Brisbane and hearing this story almost makes me break out in hives. What a nightmare! Thanks for sharing and being able to smile about it.
I have so much anxiety after listening to this story! You poor thing!! Thank goodness for friends and family! Happy Christmas!
wow rosie what a hellish nightmare. so glad you did make me home. I just had a situation upon returning after 3 weeks in usa visiting family and thought my situation was stressful but it was nothing after listening to your experience. i am so glad you made it back home safe.
We miss you ! Hope you’ll be back soon
OMG!! I’m so glad you finally got home and it all worked out in the end.
Hi Rosie, that’s such a horror story! So glad you made it home to NZ! I’ll share the worst travel experience my husband & I have had with you. I’m American & my husband is Kiwi, and we went to Kauai for our honeymoon. We traveled during a really busy time of year & on the way home, we had to deplane in Maui because our plane was having mechanical issues. We waited for an entire day at the Maui airport & in the late evening they flew us to Honolulu to stay overnight in an old dusty room in the most outdated hotel I’ve ever seen. We hadn’t had any dinner & the only restaurant open was a McDonalds. My husband went and ordered 2 Big Macs at around midnight when we finally got settled at the hotel. I had lost my appetite completely, so he ate both Big Macs by himself! The next morning I was at the Honolulu airport having a much-needed Starbucks & met another person from the same flight. She said it felt like we were having such a hellish travel experience & I told her we were flying back from our honeymoon. She said, “I think you should get an annulment. It’s not working out for you guys.” My husband said it was the worst travel experience of his life, but we definitely look back on it now & laugh. Wishing you a relaxing holiday season & New Year!
Oh you poor thing! Thank god you came through relatively unscathed. I’ve had to run through airports with a small dog because of flight delays, but nothing like this.
Omg what a horrible story. I’ve dyspraxia which comes figure ground discrimination issues so security trays are nightmare for me. What I do nowadays is put the items into a bag except liquid and gels. It helped cut back on this mistake. Also I’ve learned too passport isn’t generally needed until you get to boarding in a lot of airports so I make sure it stays tightly in its allocated place until then
Oh my goodness, I’m so glad you got home! Never experienced anything this bad, just got stuck overnight in the Toronto airport when coming back to the US from London.
This was a fantastic channel. Hope you’re doing great and decide to pick up the camera again. Wishing you the very best whatever you’re doing. xx
Sorry to hear of your horrid experience. To think if only that incompetent staff member who had your passport in the beginning had been more thoughtful and communicated effectively with the staff at your gate, all of that stress and cost could have been avoided. I’ve certainly had my share of travel nightmares over the years but I’m not going to relive them. Hoping you both have a wonderful Christmas and that your summer is fun filled. Thanks for all your great content in 2022 Rosie! 🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄🥂💚Deb
I love this story !!!
It's crazy sometimes this " butterfly effect" : how just a little quick incident ( dropping your passport in the airport at somepoint in your case) can turn into a real nightmare like this.. I would have felt so bad in your husband position , Im sure he absolutely didnt want to left you alone in london..🙏 this should be a perfect scenario
The most famous butterfly effect is that someone left their binoculars home. They may have been useful on a famous cruise ship called the ...
*titanic*
I'm still amazed they don't have a procedure to call out a name over the system when a boarding pass or id let alone a passport is found. I know people drop things. But you can't travel without your IDs.
I've heard diplomas are a form of approved ID which is insane. And someone used a pocket diploma once in a situation like this, misplaced passport I guess two official other items were enough.
Ohh noooo, I'm so sorry that you went though this! Glad you're home.
You can't make this ish up 😬 glad you made it home safely!
I think you experienced the Murphy's law: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".
You poor thing - as I listened to you, I had traumatic flashbacks to my very similar experience recently, going home to the States from Charles de Gaulle airport. When I got to the gate I realized that I had left my cell phone behind somewhere, had no idea where. So just like you, I sprinted and sweated and cried and took airport shuttles and got hysterical called everyone I knew and begged for help from everyone I saw (but malheureusement, in French, not my primary language!) During my frantic race I had to go through full security pat-downs TWICE, agonizingly slow public fondling and x-raying by airport agents. I finally got my phone but missed my flight - husband went on ahead, but after much effort I was able to book an ultra-expensive business class ticket for the next day. This was a month ago and I still tremble when I think of it. The moral of this story: during international travel, never ever make a mistake of any kind. Be perfect at all times.😂
Oh my lord I’m so so sorry for you!, This is just awful! You poor thing Rosie. So happy you’re home safely now ❤
OMG!! Imagine having the boarding pass in the passport and they DIDN'T GET ON IT!!! Unbelievable.
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Wow, I thought my last trip to the US was bad and all that happened to me was that a connecting flight got cancelled and the international roaming wasn't working on my phone. You really did have the trip from hell, I can only imagine how stressed you were, I would have been crying as well.
Oh my gosh! That sounds awful! I cant believe they treated you that way at Heathrow! So sorry for your ordeal.
Oh my God! How HORRIBLE. What a NIGHTMARE. You poor dear. I'm glad it all worked out, and now you have a story!
So sorry that you had to go through this horrible ordeal! Glad you are back home 🖤
You're an incredible storyteller- I felt like it was happening to me
Wow, I've had negative experiences travelling but this was something else ! I think I would have given up and tried to book a flight to the nearest place where a friend could host me, while I try to book things over the next few days... But given your luck, this might not have worked out either. Still, glad you finally made it !
Nope, that was the worst airline travel trip I’ve ever heard. Knock on wood I’ll never have anything even close to that. Thought about leaving decorative passport case at home… but you changed my mind. I’m taking a trip to Europe late spring and I’m sending this video to my travel buddies, so we can form a battle plan for the ‘just in case scenario’ from hell. BTW, I’ve absolutely enjoyed all your other videos that I have binge watched since I knew I was traveling to France. Then I discovered your Kiwi slang ones. Such a find. I had read all of Rosalind James’s books located in NZ and knew about 90% of the slang you listed. Surprised Tall Poppy wasn’t listed. Well, I’m very sorry for your trauma but hopefully by you sharing this it will make others prepare for the worst, while anticipating the best. Cheers
"Les emmerdes ça vole toujours en escadrille."
Crazy story ! Hard to not panic and keep enough self control to not accumulate mistakes.
Moral of the story: Do not lose your passport while enroute.
Oh gosh Rosie your story is horrific and tops the cake!! I've had a lot of my own horror stories (not quite as bad as yours though). The most stressful was flying from Geneva back to NZ as my father was dying. I wasn't thinking clearly so arrived 90 mins before my flight and then got stuck behind a massive tourist group heading to Portugal (I was flying first to Munich). I begged everyone to let me skip the queue to then have the ticket guy tell me my flight was delayed anyway and that I'd have to collect my bag in Munich. Once I passed through security I realised I wouldn't have time so ran straight for the information desk where I burst into tears as I didn't care about my bag only making the flight home in time. Thankfully the lady got my bag checked through to Auckland and once I arrived in Munich there was a van waiting to take all of us flying through Qatar to our own passport control and onto the plane. I made it home in time and realise I now owe a missed flight/connection but that's ok. I caught the most important flight and that's the main thing.
Rosie, huge thank you for telling this nightmare.
Never got that bad trip, so sorry for you 😞
Nowadays that traveling got unpredictable, I resorted to take even my own food to the airport, in case disaster strikes.
I'm currently in Hawaii, escaping Northern California floods.
Just read about FAA system down, causing massive cancellations/ delays. I'm already doing contingency planning in case I'm stuck here.
mate- bonjour! incredible recording~
It’s crazy to me that they couldn’t call you back to security to get your passport over the loudspeaker, it happens all the time at my local airport (much smaller but still)!
Happy Holidays to you, Rosie. 😊
I actually had a nightmare the night after watching this video. Literally, it was a travel nightmare and I woke in a panic. It took me about 5 minutes to shake it off. Quite the affecting story!
I am so glad everything turned out well in the end.
As others have said, I was so stressed listening to this. You must have been so happy to see home! My most stressful travel experience was last year, halfway into a 3 month Eurotrip. Austria announced a lockdown and we found out less than 24 hours before we were supposed to take the train to Vienna. We re-planned 3 weeks of the trip in about 48 hours.
Watching the beginning I was like ha it couldn’t be as bad as loosing your passport and then…
I had a similar experience but it was in Germany and I had lost my wallet and passport. I was going to go to Denmark but my trip was cut short. Made it home to Canada in one piece at least, poorer but in one piece.
Fully understood every part of what you went through, brought back so many memories.
I feel the stress, must have been intense❤❤❤ Mais vous vous êtes retrouvés aprés
Holy smokes, that is officially *the most harrowing* travel experience I could ever imagine. Listening to you tell it, I felt like it was happening to me in real time! My god, Rosie. Talk about tenacity on your part! So glad you made it home safely. You must have slept for the next 72 hours. :)
Oh my goodness this just overwhelmed me
This story stressed me the hell out haha
But oh my goodness! Now that's a travel story! You have thrill, suspense, drama, a couple life lessons, and a happy ending. It could be a movie bahaha.
From USA to London Heathrow, I got the worst motion sickness lasted the entire flight. Missed the connection to Bordeaux (home) because I passed out at baggage claim- had to have medical services help me. Finally got an Uber to The other London airport, Gatwick. Had to buy new flight to Bordeaux, with medical services, spend the night at the airport. Next morning we got home. But the worst part was I was traveling alone with my 4 kids 2, 3, 6 and 12. The worst flight so much money wasted. The hardest thing to travel with my kids, being so sick and literally people just stepped over my passed out body until a woman from Germany came to my rescue to get medical attention. My kids had no idea what to do because British Airlines just pushed us off the flight knowing how sick I was but after all the hours of me already being sick they said as soon as I get off the plane I would be better. Medical services didn’t help me get our luggage so no car seat and children’s clothes, left in London. Worst nightmare- staying in France- not going back to states until my PTSD disappears.
Worst thing I've ever heard! So sorry that happened to you.
That person who held your passport should be held accountable for this disaster! I feel violated for you! - I had a similar experience last summer when we were not let my 81 year old mother on a flight due to a visa issue and had to spend the night at the airport hotel, and applying for the visa online was a complete nightmare, I had two people working on it, one back home and the other in the destination. The problem was all due to TECHNOLOGY. Months later, I am still scared by the whole experience.
Omg that's a trip from hell!! So glad you got home in the end
Thank God He was looking out for you❣️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I studied in Wellington when I was in uni. I miss NZ so much!
So stressed listening to this. 😅 Very relatable running between the international and domestic terminal in Auckland. And also the dumb freak’n bank text codes!! Living this right now 🙃💀
The security woman who didn't bother to extend common decency and alert someone about your passport...that's what all admin/service people are like in the UK and France. THEY JUST CAN'T BE BOTHERED 🤯🤯🤯
What a nightmare! I I thought I had misplaced my passport for about 10 minutes coming out of Panama. So stressful! Now I always carry my passport in my hand through the scanner. I’ve never had anyone question it.