2025 Travel & Trips

[-:Undertaker:-]

My Jordan trip is cancelled because of the Middle East Israeli-Iranian war. I'm actually gutted.

There's some connecting flights left to Cyprus etc but I'm prepared to lose them. Going to see what I can do alternatively.

[-:Undertaker:-]

My Jordan trip is cancelled because of the Middle East Israeli-Iranian war. I'm actually gutted.

There's some connecting flights left to Cyprus etc but I'm prepared to lose them. Going to see what I can do alternatively.

Salvaged it with a trip to Cyprus.

We'll get about £210 of the £250 flights back so not too bad. I can use that to go towards a flight somewhere in early August.

[scottish]

Salvaged it with a trip to Cyprus.

We'll get about £210 of the £250 flights back so not too bad. I can use that to go towards a flight somewhere in early August.

Did you go anywhere in Aug?



Went to Mallorca twice (once with friends for a run before summer, then in summer with partner for a holiday), always a good beach/relaxing holiday as we go every year so know where everything is etc so you just chill right away, not trying to find your way around

Went to Santorini earlier in the year too - it was good but glad we went before summer as even then it was absolutely packed with people at sunset, certain spots you were waiting for 20 mins in a queue to get a picture

Think that's only hols abroad we're doing this year - went to skeggy with niece and nephew, going to Lake District next month as a half holiday/half wedding venue shopping, then Aberdeen later in the year for a wedding

I really want to go to Norway again during the winter, but that might be early 2026

[-:Undertaker:-]

Did you go anywhere in Aug?

Didn't go in the end - Uncle pulled out and I've been and done Cyprus so I couldn't be bothered in the end. We're still waiting for the refunds on the cancelled Jordanan flights. My friend who is a British Airways pilot has raised possibility of getting cheap flights with him and another pilot and possibly doing Boston, USA in the first week of January 2026 - but we'll see.

Went to Mallorca twice (once with friends for a run before summer, then in summer with partner for a holiday), always a good beach/relaxing holiday as we go every year so know where everything is etc so you just chill right away, not trying to find your way around

Went to Santorini earlier in the year too - it was good but glad we went before summer as even then it was absolutely packed with people at sunset, certain spots you were waiting for 20 mins in a queue to get a picture

Think that's only hols abroad we're doing this year - went to skeggy with niece and nephew, going to Lake District next month as a half holiday/half wedding venue shopping, then Aberdeen later in the year for a wedding

I really want to go to Norway again during the winter, but that might be early 2026

Very jealous of this.

[scottish]

I hope you're not flying with BA

I don't think I've ever had a good encounter with BA, used them a few times going down to London for races and used them for Santorini - every time there's been issues, we ended up with about £2k compensation back from the London flights due to multiple cancelled flights in under 12 hours (first one was cancelled, they got us onto the next one which got cancelled hours later, etc).

Santorini they reduced our connection time at London from I think 2.5 hrs to 1 hour, which was their minimum cut off time for a connection in T5 - then we had multiple aborted landings in Santorini and had to divert to Athens to fix the issue.. we ended up being about 4 hours late which meant we got compensation again.. once we got there we found out they had left my partners bag in London got it the next day, but meant we had to go buy stuff there then claim back

I've probably made more money out of BA than I've spent with them at this rate, but not worth the hassle

[-:Undertaker:-]

I hope you're not flying with BA

I don't think I've ever had a good encounter with BA, used them a few times going down to London for races and used them for Santorini - every time there's been issues, we ended up with about £2k compensation back from the London flights due to multiple cancelled flights in under 12 hours (first one was cancelled, they got us onto the next one which got cancelled hours later, etc).

Santorini they reduced our connection time at London from I think 2.5 hrs to 1 hour, which was their minimum cut off time for a connection in T5 - then we had multiple aborted landings in Santorini and had to divert to Athens to fix the issue.. we ended up being about 4 hours late which meant we got compensation again.. once we got there we found out they had left my partners bag in London got it the next day, but meant we had to go buy stuff there then claim back

I've probably made more money out of BA than I've spent with them at this rate, but not worth the hassle

I'm surprised, see I had the opposite experience - although it helps when your friend is a pilot. We had the free pass to the Lounge at Heathrow, then on the flight itself we ended up standing at the back of the plane at the drinks servery as if it were a bar, just knocking the scotch and colas back like no tomorrow. But he dropped in that he was a BA pilot... so...

Have you ever flown Qatar, Emirates etc? They're by far the best.

[scottish]

Lol yeah that probably helps - maybe I've just got unlucky and it's mostly Edi <-> London they have issues with, but the one time we flew internationally with them and we end up delayed with further delayed luggage

Nah not flown with either of them yet - we just mostly go with the most convenient airline from Edi to save the trip down South, so ends up being Air Canada, Norwegian, Icelandair, etc. or the likes of Jet2 for Spain

Will likely do South African Safari at some point in the near future which we'll likely use Emirates for

Do you have anything else booked this year?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Lol yeah that probably helps - maybe I've just got unlucky and it's mostly Edi <-> London they have issues with, but the one time we flew internationally with them and we end up delayed with further delayed luggage

Nah not flown with either of them yet - we just mostly go with the most convenient airline from Edi to save the trip down South, so ends up being Air Canada, Norwegian, Icelandair, etc. or the likes of Jet2 for Spain

Will likely do South African Safari at some point in the near future which we'll likely use Emirates for

The only airline that annoys me is Iberia - I usually only travel with a backpack, and Iberia will force you to put it under your seat even though the overhead cabin is for those sorts of bags. I said to the cabin crew once, so you want me to bring a huge suitcase like everyone else in future then and take up loads of space? Suitcases are meant for UNDER the plane, not overhead. It irritated me so much.

And nice, South Africa. My family lived in Pretoria for years - if you're into it, you should look at hunting on the Boer farms. My Uncle went last year and hunted a Springbok with them, they had the pelt treated and he has it at home now. And you can take the meat home too (frozen).

Do you have anything else booked this year?

Nothing, I'm sort of confined now by job situation so other than going over to Spain and into Morocco (if I go to Melilla, still waiting to see with accom situation as to whether it happens) not much. That said, I might look for something over New Year if it is further afield than Europe.

[scottish]

The only airline that annoys me is Iberia - I usually only travel with a backpack, and Iberia will force you to put it under your seat even though the overhead cabin is for those sorts of bags. I said to the cabin crew once, so you want me to bring a huge suitcase like everyone else in future then and take up loads of space? Suitcases are meant for UNDER the plane, not overhead. It irritated me so much.

And nice, South Africa. My family lived in Pretoria for years - if you're into it, you should look at hunting on the Boer farms. My Uncle went last year and hunted a Springbok with them, they had the pelt treated and he has it at home now. And you can take the meat home too (frozen).



Nothing, I'm sort of confined now by job situation so other than going over to Spain and into Morocco (if I go to Melilla, still waiting to see with accom situation as to whether it happens) not much. That said, I might look for something over New Year if it is further afield than Europe.

Ah never flown with them either but I tend to always take a checked case when I'm going abroad.


Are you in a permanent job now or do you just do 1 year contracts then find somewhere else the following school year?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Ah never flown with them either but I tend to always take a checked case when I'm going abroad.


Are you in a permanent job now or do you just do 1 year contracts then find somewhere else the following school year?

Usually find one year contracts but then most teaching jobs internationally are one year. I only like doing one year to two maximum anyway, it's like two of my old jobs asked me back this year for this academic term but I said no - had a great time in both but whats done is done, time to move on.