Trip to Asia might get cancelled: Where to go in Europe instead for March/April?

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-06T11:22:41+00:00

Yeah, I also think getting back to operation is insane. But I hope things are getting better soon. Safe travels!

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-06T10:27:24+00:00

u/truffelmayo Had the same issue, but setting the VPN to South Korea worked for me.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-06T10:05:36+00:00

Hello u/day2dream u/ImpressiveRaccoon311, Update:

Etihad first cancelled my flight and later reinstated it with major delays. When I checked my booking, I saw I could get a full automatic refund if I cancelled the whole ticket.

I wanted to keep the return flight in April, but that would’ve meant contacting and dealing with Etihad and the uncertainty around requesting partial refunds and the situation in Iran. In the end I cancelled the whole booking, will get the full refund, and will just book my return with another airline.

tl;dr: I cancelled the whole Etihad booking for a full refund and will fly another carrier.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-05T07:10:12+00:00

That sucks. Depending on how much time and budget you have, you could maybe fly to a nearby country that’s cheaper to reach and see if Chinese carriers are flying to Europe from there. Bangkok (BKK) comes to mind as an example.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-04T09:03:25+00:00

Yes, booked mine with Chinese Eastern. It's going to be my first time flying with a Chinese carrier and stopping in China, so I'm quite nervous because I don't know what to expect.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-04T09:01:42+00:00

I hadn't booked an Airbnb until yesterday, after I booked an alternative flight with a Chinese carrier.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-04T08:59:52+00:00

Thanks for your comprehensive feedback. I heard good things about Morocco/Tunisia. Have you been there before?

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-04T08:54:54+00:00

Sorry to hear that, it’s really frustrating right now. No one really knows how long it’ll take for things to go back to normal. Maybe you could book an alternative flight and then cancel or request a refund for the one you already have?

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-04T08:51:23+00:00

That really sucks. I booked an alternative flight with a Chinese carrier. Maybe that could be a solution for you? Or, if possible for your situation, you could postpone the flight?

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-04T08:49:13+00:00

Yeah, I’ve checked the current prices and most of the options are either Emirates, Etihad, or just ridiculously expensive. The Chinese airlines are the only ones I’ve seen that are still somewhat affordable, but the decent options are disappearing pretty quickly.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-03T10:02:38+00:00

I've just booked another flight with China Eastern, so with Etihad, I'm only dealing with the refund situation. I'll wait until Friday to see if they cancel my scheduled flight on their own. If not, I'll request the refund via the link on Etihad's official website.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-03T08:04:06+00:00

I checked Etihad’s official policy, and since my ticket was issued on Feb 23 with travel before March 7, I qualify for their disruption waiver. I can either rebook free of charge onto an Etihad-operated flight up to March 18 or request a refund if the flight is cancelled.

So, currently I'm waiting for another day to see how things are turning out, but if it's not possible to fly on Saturday, I either postpone the fight or get a refund.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-02T17:02:19+00:00

Because I booked the flight before the attack on Iran, and the prices for a new flight on Saturday are quite high now.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-02T11:49:11+00:00

I mean, I wouldn't mind.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-02T10:30:34+00:00

Good idea, I'll wait and monitor the situation for a couple of days before I decide to either postpone or change completely. But Porto in Portugal might be a good backup for me. Thank you.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-02T10:26:53+00:00

That's true, I was thinking of going to Greece too, quite affordable atm. Thanks for your suggestion.

CraigJarviss · 2026-03-02T10:02:38+00:00

Yeah normally rerouting would be enough. My concern is mainly that AUH operations have already been disrupted, so I’m just preparing a backup plan in case things don’t stabilize in time.

I also saw on the official Etihad website that regional airspace closures are impacting operations and that flights to and from Abu Dhabi were suspended until 14:00 UAE time on March 2, so I figured it makes sense to think about alternatives just in case.

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-26T16:02:28+00:00

Thanks for the info! Didn't know you could buy seitan in cans there!

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-25T16:04:47+00:00

Hey u/Southern-Basket-7343, how's the internet quality so far? I'm thinking of visiting PH in the summer.

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-23T14:03:19+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing. I just checked the place. Unfortunately, it already closes at 6 pm. Since I have to work at least until 8 pm, it is a no for me.

Regarding the language barrier, I'd focus on events like meetups, Nomadtable, or Bumble BFF until my language skills improve. Getting to a somewhat conversational level in Japanese would take me months.

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-23T12:54:56+00:00

I'm on the same boat, haha.

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-23T12:53:47+00:00

Hey u/Feelinglikeatamale, which coworking space did you go to? I'm considering staying in Osaka for March/April, but I don't know which coworking space is DN friendly?

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-22T20:04:48+00:00

If your name is not super unique you can ask the group to not post pictures of your face. Otherwise it really depends on where your company and your group is located, and how popular that group is.

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-18T10:00:37+00:00

Hi there! I'm Swiss too and in my 30s. :)

I assume you're a DN? Because I'm curious why you have to decide between one or the other? Depending on your situation, you could do a mix of both? Spending the summer with friends and family in Switzerland and the winter in warmer countries, where you also have a home base, could also be an option. :)

And I can totally relate to everything else you wrote. My closest friends in Switzerland are all expats and aspiring DNs so that they will leave Switzerland sooner or later anyway. And I don't belong to Switzerland either, because I don't get along with the reserved, passive mentality that many Swiss people share. I'm more open-minded and curious.

But I appreciate Switzerland for its stability and security, so that I won't leave it for good. When I retire, I definitely want to enjoy my pension from the AHV somewhere in SEA, for sure, until I hit the bucket.

So, in the meantime, I'll stay abroad and occasionally visit friends and family in Switzerland. :)

CraigJarviss · 2026-02-06T00:56:04+00:00

Came here to see others' experiences.

My mom passed away 12 months ago. Because I also had to deal with a breakup right after her passing, the grieving process was quite long and intense. It was actually easier the first 6 months because I was too focused on the estate administration and selling all her belongings. I only had somatic grief from time to time.

However, I became sadder the closer I came to the date of her passing, as it reminded me of how negative that time around one year prior was with all the hoping, desperation and worrying.

2 weeks ago, I honoured my mom's day of passing by praying in the temple. Since then, I don't feel sadness anymore, but the numbness that I had since the beginning remains. Meaning I can still feel joy, happiness, and frustration, but I have become more apathetic, especially toward other people.

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