Were scheduled to fly last Friday the 21 of October to Germany to visit some friends there and afterwards attend a Vipassana Meditation Course as a Server in Triebel.
We where already in the plane after two schedule updates, and then the captain inform us that the flight had been cancelled. Took it lighthearted and thought this would be resolved quickly and a re-connection flight would be booked by the company which is TAP Air Portugal.
After we de-boarded we went back to the check-in counter and there where 2 TAP employee’s attending the hordes of people from the flight waiting for answers which simply didn’t came. At least to me, after 3 hours of waiting in the line and few inches of advance. I gave up. Called a friend in Lisbon and went there to sleep and figure out what to do next.
Meanwhile i received an SMS saying that the flight had been re-scheduled to Sunday. I conformed with this new date after trying to call the Call Center and they assuring that they would help me to find a new date, but this TAP employee had not the authorization to make the change effective so he would pass me to the CENTRAL. All a big lye, after 1 hour waiting hearing music, never ever someone picked up.
Saturday evening I got another SMS saying that the flight on Sunday had also been cancelled and no other flight was assigned at the moment.
Called again the Call Center, after a long conversation and trying to find a solution, i could not believe it, again the same sentence, i have no authorization and i will pass you to the CENTRAL.
I know at this moment that nobody would help me, they have automatic algorithms in place and re-schedule your flight based on some parameters and there is nothing you can do about it or any employee of the call center. When you here the phrase “I will pass you to the CENTRAL” they will put you in an endless loop of Music and that’s it.
The algorithms have already taken over at TAP and that is sad. My plans to visit my friends in Germany are cancelled and so is the Course i would attend. Live goes on and at least i am well…
Back Home since one week!! Was a long flight trough Abu Dhabi and Madrid, last Stop Lisbon. Strange feeling to be back, all feels a little bit empty.