My long-distance romance is stuck in a budget airline nightmare
Snapping up a cheap deal to Europe on the low-cost airline Scoot to finally meet the woman I fell in love with after a chance encounter on a Facebook group last year seemed too good to be true (as did the love affair, to be honest).
The love story blossomed like the wildflowers that grew around her apartment block in Finnish Lapland and the weeks went by like a dream, until it all ended in a nightmare at Vienna Airport in Austria. We'd paid through the nose to get seats together on the same flight back to Melbourne (she suffers anxiety when travelling alone), only to be met by incompetence and negligence at the check-in counter.
A passport number wrongly entered led to her being denied boarding and being stranded in Vienna with no support offered. Scoot has yet to respond to our pleas for them to honour their obligations under EU regulations. We're now stuck in limbo, unable to buy another flight while waiting for resolution and our joyful reunion. Some low-cost airlines are a price too high to pay.
Sam Quinlan, Preston, Vic
Letter of the week: High times
Ten years ago, we, too, thoroughly enjoyed touring in Switzerland, with one accidental bonus (Traveller, July 5). We arrived at Zermatt station just before a train was due to leave on the Gornergrat Railway. We rapidly decided that this was for us, so we bought tickets and got on. This was a serendipitous choice. The year 2015 was the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the Matterhorn (which on a clear day can be seen from the railway) and, by chance, we encountered a group commemorating the efforts of the original mountaineers who had set out on July 14, 1865.
Ours was a group of locals including the band of the mountain guides, all in period costume and travelling to Gornergrat for a short concert, lunch and photo shoot. The Matterhorn is 4478 metres above sea level with Gornergrat at 3089 metres, just across a glaciated valley, so the view is magnificent. So, not only did we have this view, but also, quite inadvertently, we had our lunch with the local Swiss mountain guides.
Simon Allen, Cooma, NSW
Bring them home
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Trump arrives in Scotland for golf and diplomacy
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as "the greatest 36 holes in golf". Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm. The president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1 As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as "private". The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as "the greatest 36 holes in golf". Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm. The president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1 As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as "private". The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as "the greatest 36 holes in golf". Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm. The president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1 As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as "private". The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as "the greatest 36 holes in golf". Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm. The president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1 As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as "private". The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters
West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
Donald Trump news: US President speaks as he arrives in Scotland to open new golf course, discuss trade
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as 'the greatest 36 holes in golf'. Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm (local time). Mr Trump was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Mr Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Mr Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Mr Trump said he'd be with his son and 'he's gonna cut a ribbon' for the second Trump golf course opening soon near Aberdeen. Eric Trump, who now helps run the Trump Organisation, previously joined his father for the groundbreaking in 2023. Although Eric did not travel with Donald on Air Force One, a Trump private plane was seen landing near Glasgow earlier in the day. Mr Trump also used the opportunity to send a blunt message to Europe, saying, 'This immigration is killing Europe. And the other thing, stop the windmills.' He added: 'Wind power generation is killing the beauty of your country.' His opposition to wind farms is longstanding, including previous legal efforts to protect views from his golf courses in Scotland. On immigration, Mr Trump warned, 'On immigration, you better get your act together. You're not going to have Europe anymore.' He contrasted this with his administration's tough US-Mexico border policies, suggesting Europe needs to act decisively on immigration controls. As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as 'private'. Mr Trump's visit to Scotland is in the 'public interest', UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted, pointing out a recent trade deal. 'That has a tangible benefit for people here in Scotland, whether it is people working in the Scotch whisky industry or people working in the defence sector, like here at Rolls-Royce, that trade deal means lower tariffs than any country in the world on things that we send to the US,' she said. While in the UK, he will also meet Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. 'The Scottish leader is a good man, so I look forward to meeting him,' Mr Trump said. Swinney flagged in an interview with PA that he intended to raise 'the awfulness of the situation in Gaza and the unbearable human suffering' with Trump. 'I intend to take that opportunity to make sure that Scotland's voice is heard,' he said. The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Mr Trump has described Scotland as a 'very special place' and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
‘Better get your act together': Trump arrives in Scotland
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as 'the greatest 36 holes in golf'. Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm (local time). Mr Trump was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Mr Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Mr Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Mr Trump said he'd be with his son and 'he's gonna cut a ribbon' for the second Trump golf course opening soon near Aberdeen. Eric Trump, who now helps run the Trump Organisation, previously joined his father for the groundbreaking in 2023. Although Eric did not travel with Donald on Air Force One, a Trump private plane was seen landing near Glasgow earlier in the day. Mr Trump also used the opportunity to send a blunt message to Europe, saying, 'This immigration is killing Europe. And the other thing, stop the windmills.' He added: 'Wind power generation is killing the beauty of your country.' His opposition to wind farms is longstanding, including previous legal efforts to protect views from his golf courses in Scotland. On immigration, Mr Trump warned, 'On immigration, you better get your act together. You're not going to have Europe anymore.' He contrasted this with his administration's tough US-Mexico border policies, suggesting Europe needs to act decisively on immigration controls. As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as 'private'. Mr Trump's visit to Scotland is in the 'public interest', UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted, pointing out a recent trade deal. 'That has a tangible benefit for people here in Scotland, whether it is people working in the Scotch whisky industry or people working in the defence sector, like here at Rolls-Royce, that trade deal means lower tariffs than any country in the world on things that we send to the US,' she said. While in the UK, he will also meet Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who had publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. 'The Scottish leader is a good man, so I look forward to meeting him,' Mr Trump said. Swinney flagged in an interview with PA that he intended to raise 'the awfulness of the situation in Gaza and the unbearable human suffering' with Trump. 'I intend to take that opportunity to make sure that Scotland's voice is heard,' he said. The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Mr Trump has described Scotland as a 'very special place' and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters
