My 2026 house sitting schedule is supposed to start on 18April with a flight from Kuala Lumpur-Doha-Manchester. Currently most Qatar Airways flight are cancelled. Tentatively my flight is still scheduled but I can get a refund or change of date. I have 6 sits lined up - in UK, Portugal, Serbia and Germany (until September).
I am seriously considering requesting the homeowners for a cancellation as I think the war seems to be getting worse and the effect worldwide will greatly affect travel/security. I am a solo senior lady.
Iāve started a new topic for you, as the post you replied in has been quiet for a few days, and I want to make sure you get some advice from our lovely members.
I also thought you might find this topic an interesting read.
We were due to return to the UK from Hanoi, via Doha, with Qatar Airways last week. They offer passengers two options.
1. cancel the flight and get a refund. If YOU cancel the flight you will be charged a cancellation fee. Iāve heard of people being charged Ā£117. If you wait for Qatar Airways to cancel (which is about 48 hours before departure) you donāt pay a cancellation fee. Just bear that in mind if you decide to cancel.
2.They offer to book you on another Qatar Airways flight. Iāve heard of several people who have opted for this but Qatar Airways always cancels the flight because the stopover is in Doha and the airspace is considered unsafe. They then offer to rebook you onto another flight which could be 7 to 10 days ahead. Then they cancel. Iāve heard of people doing this and 2 weeks after their original flight was due to leave they have gone nowhere.
Our experience with Qatar Airways was not good. They cancelled our flight. There was no desk at the airport. They didnāt answer the phone and the chat bot on the app said they were busy, try phoning. We were unable to contact them for assistance.
Iām not sure I can offer an answer to your question but I hope this bit of insite is helpful.
How did you manage to get back to the UK. I am looking at alternative flights that avoided middle east airspace but the fare is more than doubled or tripled.
@Anne.323 gee this is a hard one, being April, thatās close. I was in your exact same position a week ago and struggled with making a decision for so long it was affecting me quite badly. In the end I had to go with my gut instinct, itās very rarely wrong, and I think that is the best possible response anyone can give you. Nobody knows how long this is going to go on for or what the repercussions might be anywhere in the world, even if I had a crystal ball I would still be only guessing. It might not be about the actual war insofar as danger but transport, food, flight price increases, everything is likely to be affected. If you feel comfortable with the financial side of things then maybe you could still go. If you are concerned about the safety side of things then - āprobably safer" and āprobably ok" is a big decision but please be assured you wouldnāt be the first one to cancel under the circumstances.
I did end up cancelling my sits and it was like the world had been lifted off my shoulders. The homeowners were very understanding and kind about it. Not everyone feels the same and thatās totally fine. It is you and only you who can make that decision, though a little bit of support from fellow forum members made my decision a little easier. It will either be the right decision or the wrong one but at least you may have peace of mind. Good luck with whatever you choose to do, youāll know
Oh, I was flying with China Eastern by the way, they stopover in Shanghai then flight path right through Russia before heading across to London, completely avoiding the Middle East. They still have reasonable fares. Donāt cancel your flight, just be a no show and you wonāt pay anything, cancellation fee is only if you are looking for a refund of your fare so donāt bother.
As a HO, I would not blame you at all if you requested a cancellation. I think your caution is warranted.
I would try to give them as much notice as possible, especially the first sit or two in April. I would recommend reaching out to them and sharing your concerns now, so they have time to adjust their plans accordingly.
I imagine that a lot of HOs in those areas are struggling with their travel plans. If you decide to travel, you should definitely make sure the HO is doing the same.
We decided to fly with Emirates with a stopover in Dubai, which I wasnāt thrilled about. Emirates were offering flights for sensible prices. Dubai airport was busy. It seems like itās business as usual. I was relieved when we finally took off and left Middle Eastern airspace.
Thank you for the sharing. As I planned to do a lot of short flights in Europe, any major increase in fares would be a cause for concern. I think even trains and buses would be affected. I have been in contact with my first host but I need to make a decision soon.
Perhaps I shift my focus to Asian (limited) or Australian (need visa) sits
Last night I applied for a sit in Eastern Europe that I had favourited long ago. This morning, after listening to the news and ālandingā on the hard reality, I withdrew my application. I even advised the HO to go with someone closer to the sit.
I donāt think anyone can foresee how the situation will develop but right now I feel I canāt fully commit to getting anywhere far away from home.
Frankly if youāre concern is air travel disruptions and/or gas prices, I would just hold off altogether until there is more clarity. Signing up for different sits, even if closer, may still have challenges if they involve air travel and itās best to not keep cancelling on hosts.
Iām surprised that Qatar Airways are charging a cancellation fee, when their rivals Emirates arenāt. I was due to fly from London to Sydney today via Dubai and checking their website twice daily. They had a āclick hereā link on the home page for passengers due to fly up to 31st March. On the new page there was an explanation that flights could be cancelled with a full refund, no cancellation fee, by clicking on another link and completing a form. The whole process took less than 5 minutes and after submitting the form I received an acknowledgment by email. Within a week the refund had been completed. I did lose some Emirates Skywards points and about Ā£50 as I had reserved seats for the 4 legs of the return journey. I also cancelled my travel insurance and lost about Ā£100. Ah well, it beats being a soldier and being told my tour was being extended by 6 months.
All my sits were confirmed before the war started. And I would be gone from April to September. I am a retiree and cat sitting and its planning provided me with purpose. I guess the best option for the time being would be to cancel the sits in April/May to allow the homeowners to get a new sitter.
thank you for all your feedbacks. Gave me clarity and a nudge.
The night before last, I took a 15-hour train journey from Zagreb to Zurich. There were only five or six people in my carriage, so everyone had their own compartment; the other 6 or 7 were unoccupied. The occupancy in the other carriages was much the same. The price for that luxury was only ā¬24. I hope these conditions will not change significantly.
p.s. Fortunately, the train did not run on diesel. I checked.
Anne it is a fast changing scenario and hard to pick. I have friends flying Australia via Doha to UK April 5th. Qatar has said flights going ahead. They intend to fly if they can.
Another thing to consider is your travel insurance may be totally invalid for the entire trip if you transit through prohibited countries. If something happened in Europe unrelated to the war in the middle east, itās possible insurance could say you get nothing. All things to consider.
Wow, Anne I just had a look at your profile and you have had some great sits and great locations! Iām jealous, and right now listening to trump saying itās all overā¦ā¦..
A certain amount of frustrated irony thereā¦presuming they wouldnāt cover your trip as cancellations were due to acts of war, yet theyāre going to charge you a fee for canceling the insurance that wasnāt of use to you. Ouch.
āprobably safer" and āprobably ok" is a big decision but please be assured you wouldnāt be the first one to cancel under the circumstances.
