On arrival at Gatwick a few weeks ago both suitcases were damaged. One wheel and a corner completely snapped off on one and a crack in the same spot on the other. Hadn’t seen them since Hobart so it could have happened anywhere on the trip. It was bedlam at arrivals so all we had were some photos of the cases on a trolley with an Emirates hostess standing next to them . 1st reply from Emirates was asking for dates of purchase, receipts , brand etc. Told them that even if we still had receipts they’d be back in Australia and we need new cases to get home. Yesterday they gave us 200 dollars US. Well played Emirates.
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Supposed to be in Dubai on our way back home in a week and a bits time. Suppose it’s wait and see now.
In the same boat except we’re flying into Nepal next week 
to do a motorbike ride to Everest Base camp. Have been looking forward to this for almost a year. 
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Anyone have experience of transit via either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh airports? The transit times for the forward and return trips are 9 hours and 14 hours and are overnight. Advice is people need to be at the airport 3h before departure so that doesn’t make it worthwhile even to get to the airport hotel and back. ..
Plenty of hotels around both but whilst Hanoi is a decent airport and I’ve never had long delays there the same can’t be said for SGN. The airport is a chaotic mess and not unusual even in business to be caught for 3-4hrs in security.
If you are leaving either airport you will obviously need to apply and pay for a Vietnam visa beforehand.
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I did Hanoi Airport 10pm-6am in December 2018… good news (?) is I am not scarred enough to remember any details.
I was just progressing to Hoi An, so the limited time was more important than any visa fee.
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Yes, done them several times. There’s not much to do, that’s the main problem, unless you arrange to get a visa so you can at least go out into the airport. And the visa process is a pain: you can’t get the visa until you arrive, but you can pre-arrange it, and if you pay extra to get priority then it works pretty well, albeit rather mysteriously.
If you’re stuck in the transit lounge, make sure you have a good book or two.
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Anyone else noticed over the years how the ‘travel thread’ has turned into the airport / airline thread? 
Just an observation. The information is top notch regardless.
Huh?
We go there regularly and do an online e-visa.
Last trip we flew into Hanoi and from disembarking until getting in our airport transfer vehicle it took just on 20 minutes.
We are going back in a few weeks and will do my e-visa this weekend along with our Indonesian one
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When was that introduced? I haven’t needed to think about a visa for a couple of years, but I think I got one about 3 years ago and it was the old process of submitting paperwork here, then handing over your passport when you got there and hoping it came back with a visa in it. Which it did, I’m glad to say.
I’ve just gone back through my passport and docs. The last time I did it the old way as you described was May 2018 and that was at SGN.
I do remember that we had to sit there for ages waiting.
In the 6 trips since it’s been the e-visa
It’s about 25 dollars to get a Didi from Mascot to the CBD.
But Sydney airport are introducing flat 60 dollar fares to “stamp out rip offs”
Maybe this belongs in the what annoys me thread.
More rip offs in the most expensive city in the country and probably the planet. Thankyou Macquarie Bank
The flat fee is only for taxis and is stop ripoff’s.
Ride share such as DiDi and Uber are unaffected
Been a fingernail biting week here with flights booked to Kathmandu next week. Good news just in, curfew lifted, shops opening, public transport up and running and a new female PM to be sworn in.
for peace and calm to continue.
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Uber have their own stand and charge higher from the airport. 50-60 dollars
didi don’t and their pricing is normal.(20-30). But you need to go to public pickup and walk a bit, it’s clear as mud
The airport has stitched it up
Not denying that, just stating that the new flat fee system doesn’t affect ride share. You can still get you cheaper DiDi for now.
Uber was $45 last week when I went through so still cheaper than the $60 taxi fare
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Yeah normally it’s about 5 dollar cheaper on Didi but it’s like 20-30 from the airport(rideshare).
despite some older vehicles I prefer using Didi - they give a greater share of the ride fee to the driver.
It was at least 2018, as that was the last time we went there and e-visa worked fine.
I have 2 work related trips coming up. If I have a spare 12 hours or so what should I do in:
Koh Samui?
Dubai?
Or should I be looking to extend the trip a couple of days.
Have arrived in Kathmandu after a few concerns during the past couple of weeks. Fortunately everything is back to normal here now and they are very glad to see tourists coming in. We have been enjoying our new adventure sport called “walking along and crossing roads” 
Beyond crazy!
The Nepalese people are beautiful- gentle and kind. I feel a lot like I’m in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
We do a bit of must see sightseeing for a couple of days when our guide arrives Sunday (Tibetan visas will also need to be sorted). The rest of our group (8 friends from Qld) arrive over the next few days also. On Wed morning we head off on motorbikes (Himalayan 411s) to ride to Everest Base camp. All very exciting. Will post some pics along the way.
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