This review is based on my personal experience and expenses. I hope it will be helpful for your travel planning. I will gradually share more detailed reviews in the future.

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This review will likely contain a significant amount of text. The majority of the images will likely depict the hotel in Vienna where I stayed after missing my connecting flight. The content will be quite detailed in order to provide guidance to others who may find themselves in a similar situation. I must admit that this was my first experience with such a situation, but unfortunately, it was compounded by the loss of my luggage, leaving me stranded and sticky for two days. While it may seem humorous in retrospect, the trip was nearly ruined as my spirits were dampened. However, without further ado, let's begin.

I found a flight to Europe on the Expedia HK website for only 12XXX baht. I accidentally booked it without applying for any visas. I flew from Bangkok to Hong Kong on Hongkong Airlines for 3000 baht. Here is the itinerary:

Outbound: Bangkok --> Hong Kong --> Vienna (Transit Flight) --> Paris (Hong Kong Airlines / Austrian Airlines / Air France)

Return trip: Zurich --> Hong Kong --> Bangkok (Swiss Air / Thai Airways)

The total cost is approximately 15,000 baht, excluding the Austrian Airline seat reservation fee of over 900 baht per seat. This is likely due to the low ticket price. As we are traveling with four people, we opted to pay the fee to ensure we could sit together.

Let's start with Hongkong Airline. On April 26, 2017, the flight was scheduled to depart around 4:00 AM. However, for some unknown reason, Flight HX7882 was delayed. If I remember correctly, the delay was almost an hour. To be honest, I've flown Hongkong Airline 2-3 times, and every time I've flown with them, the flight has been delayed. Haha! But I'm not too bothered by the delays because my next flight to Paris is at 12:45 PM, so I have plenty of time.

"Let's not get too carried away, just one picture of Chep Lap Kok."

For those who are going like me, please prepare your documents. Your return flight ticket must be ready to be submitted because we are flying one way. But for my trip this time, 4 people passed without any inspection or document request. It was a good start for our trip. We had crispy pork rice before having another picture of European bread.

The four of us were still excited about going to Europe. The flight was delayed a little, from 12:45 (the time stated on the Expedia HK ticket) to 13:15, but we didn't think it would be a big deal. We thought they might speed things up a bit, or talk to Air France and say they would be a little late. However, the airline finished boarding all the passengers by 13:00. It looked good, right? But...but...but at 13:30, 13:45, 14:00 (hey, why aren't we leaving?), I took a nap and we still hadn't left. By 14:00, the passengers started to complain. The flight attendants came around with water, and it was clear that they were wondering when we would be leaving. But I didn't ask, because I wasn't familiar with the German accent of the air hostess who was walking around. At 14:30, a brave foreign uncle started yelling and making faces at the air hostess. The plane finally took off around 15:00. The captain didn't tell the passengers why, or maybe I was asleep.

The 10+ hour flight was filled with anxious thoughts. Would Air France wait for me in Vienna after my connecting flight from Vietnam? Surely they would, the Austrian airline must take responsibility! But what if they didn't? I was panicking, my English skills were far from adequate.

The original schedule had me arriving in Vienna around 7:30 PM, with a connecting Air France flight to Paris departing at 8:15 PM and arriving at 10:45 PM. (I had booked a room at the Mercure CDG for the night, planning to take an early train to Lyon in the morning. I'm not a fan of Paris.)

However, the plane landed in Vienna around 10:15 PM or 10:45 PM (I can't recall exactly). Before landing, the captain announced that passengers with connecting flights to Munich, Budapest, and… Paris… should pay attention. My eyes widened. Did I miss Paris? Or did I mishear? I turned to my travel companion and asked if they heard correctly. They confirmed: Paris was indeed not mentioned.

Panic set in. We were stranded. But I must commend Austrian Airlines for their efficient handling of the situation. (Though I'll have to deal with the baggage issue later…)

As soon as we disembarked, the airline set up counters near the gate. Passengers with connecting flights to various destinations were directed to specific counters. I joined the queue for Paris, estimating that there were around 30-50 people in line. Despite only two staff members managing the situation, the process was remarkably swift. Within half an hour, we were all rebooked.

The offer includes an early morning flight to Paris with accommodation for the night, including bus transportation to the hotel and a 4:00 AM pick-up. While this may be convenient for others, it presents a challenge for our group of four. As previously mentioned, we have already booked accommodation at the Mercure Paris CDG, and I have a 7:00 AM TGV train to Lyon. This situation requires careful consideration.

Send your sister to talk to them. Explain our situation to her. It turned out to be easier than I thought. Two big foreigners, whose names I can't remember, changed our flight from Paris to Lyon tomorrow morning without asking for any proof that we had booked a train ticket. They trusted me so much. They have the authority to make decisions. It's amazing. Before we got on the bus to the hotel, I asked twice if our four bags would go to Lyon. I got the answer "No Problem" twice. I was so relieved. (Before boarding the plane to Lyon, I asked the ground staff again if my bags were loaded to Lyon. They said, "I see your luggage in the system." I applaud them for a minute. Let's wait and see.

Instead of looking at the scenery outside the window, we decided to take a break and look at pictures on the bus to the hotel. Everyone on the bus was very tired at that time, so they fell asleep. But wait, the bus took us about an hour to get out of the airport, which was very tiring.

The lobby houses a restaurant and a bar, but given the circumstances, I longed for nothing more than to sink my weary bones onto the plush bed. Sleep, however, was a luxury I dared not indulge in for fear of oversleeping and missing my 4 am wake-up call.

Is this tempting? But it's midnight, time to sleep. Sigh...

Another picture for the fireplace.

Let's take a look at the room conditions. I have to complain about the European pillows, they are very flat and uncomfortable to sleep on.

The room looks a bit spooky, but it's nothing. I'm tired, so I'm going to take a nap. I'm worried about waking up late, so I woke up to take pictures of the room.

The TV doesn't need to be on. I don't understand German. Lately, opening LINE has been...hot. My family has been bombarding me with messages like "How are you?"

Taking a shower to freshen up would be a good idea.

Wash your face.

The next morning, the car arrived at 4:00 am sharp and took us to the airport by 5:00 am. Our flight departed at 7:40 am. We stopped by Jamie Oliver's restaurant to take some photos.

Upon arrival at Lyon Airport, I inquired with the staff on three separate occasions, twice with the ground crew the previous evening and once with the aircrew that morning, to confirm whether our four bags would be delivered to Lyon. Each time, I received an affirmative response.

Upon arrival at Lyon Airport, I discovered that all four of my bags were missing. The airport was eerily quiet, and as the baggage carousel came to a halt, so did my heart. With no bags to photograph, I had no images to share. Inside the baggage claim area, I was unable to locate the Austrian Airlines Lost & Found desk. Instead, I approached the Air France Lost & Found desk, where I was informed that they would contact an Austrian Airlines employee to meet me at the door of an adjacent room. The room's exterior resembled a typical building's electrical room, with no signage. Had I not inquired at Air France, I would have been unaware of its existence.

We informed the staff about our experience throughout the night. I had a hunch that the bag was either in Vienna or Paris. The staff member told us to relax and that if it was in Paris, we might get it back in the afternoon. If it was in Vienna, we might get it back in the evening. We were also given a PIR form to fill out (I don't remember the full name). This form is important because we can use it to claim 50% of the cost of the clothes we bought due to our suffering, and 100% of the cost of underwear. After filling it out, we described the size and color of the backpack. The staff member then gave us what we called a "survival kit," which contained a white Free size shirt, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, body cream, needle and thread, a razor, shampoo, and other things I can't remember. We used these items to get by, but at that moment, we were really dirty after almost 2 days of travel.

The first day in Lyon began with a visit to the Carrefour supermarket across from the hotel to buy the cheapest clothes possible. The priority was to have something to wear, regardless of style or quality. Throughout the day, the PIR system provided updates on the location of the luggage. However, there was no news until the evening. A message was sent through the system, expressing concern and requesting that the luggage be located as soon as possible. The plan was to retrieve the luggage before heading to Geneva, so the situation was quite stressful. The staff at the Novotel Lyon Le Part Dieu hotel were incredibly helpful, making phone calls in French to track the luggage. In the late evening, news arrived that the luggage had been found. Everyone was relieved and eager to explore the city. However, upon checking the status again, it was revealed that the luggage would be transported from Lyon to Paris. A flight check confirmed that the luggage was indeed on its way to Paris. This unexpected development caused confusion and frustration. The hotel staff were contacted again, but they were unavailable until the next morning at 9:00 AM.

The next day, at 9 am, I went to the lobby and asked the staff to check again. Finally, my luggage arrived in the afternoon of the 2nd day in Lyon. I was so relieved! The staff was also excited for me. When the staff brought my luggage, my smile was so wide it almost split my face. I still remember that feeling vividly. It was a first-time experience for me.

In summary, if you encounter any situation, please remain calm and avoid getting upset or agitated. Use your voice to negotiate and maximize your benefits. If the negotiation does not yield any benefits, ensure that you are not worse off than before. Upon arrival in Thailand, you can write an email to Austrian Airlines to claim compensation for the delay. They responded that due to weather conditions, they were unable to provide compensation. While this is understandable, they did offer to cover 50% of the cost of your clothing and 100% of the cost of your underwear.

In conclusion, my intention is not to convey negative information about the airline. In fact, many of the points I mentioned have positive aspects. If any information is incorrect, I apologize in advance. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to ask me. You can inbox me or like my Fan Page to chat with me. https://www.facebook.com/littleduckinthefog