From Comfort to Chaos: Our Unexpected Air France Adventure from Manila to Vienna

This year, our European travel began with a bit of excitement—and a few hiccups—right at the start. We chose Air France for our long-haul flight since it offered a convenient direct route from Manila to Paris, followed by a short connecting flight to Vienna, where Maan's convention was being held.

A Smooth Start in the Skies

The 15-hour flight to Paris was uneventful in the best way possible. The seats were comfortable, and Evian managed to sleep for nearly 9 hours straight (a miracle in economy class!). We flew on the Airbus A350-900, which features upgraded economy seats with ergonomic support, cup holders, and retractable device stands—small touches that made a big difference. Each seat also had a large, anti-glare 13.3-inch 4K screen, Bluetooth audio connectivity, and both USB-A and USB-C ports for charging devices. The food? Your typical airline fare—nothing to rave about, but it got the job done.

The Tight Connection Challenge

Things got tricky when we landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport. We had a 1 hour and 15-minutes layover to catch our connecting flight to Vienna. Sounds doable, right? Well, not quite.

Charles de Gaulle is massive—navigating it required a train and a bus ride just to get from our arrival terminal to the next gate. With standard disembarkation delays, immigration checks, and the sheer scale of the airport, making that connection was nearly impossible.

We weren’t the only ones who missed the flight. Several passengers from our Manila flight were also booked on the same Vienna connection and similarly didn’t make it.

A Small Silver Lining

Thankfully, Air France had another flight to Vienna just two hours later, and we were rebooked without much hassle. Even our luggage was supposedly rebooked—though looking back, with such a tight window, it's doubtful it could have been transferred in time.

On top of that, we were given €11 meal vouchers each, which we happily used to grab a decent meal at the airport while waiting.

Arrival in Vienna… Minus the Luggage

We finally touched down in Vienna, but our bags didn’t. Even though we had inquired in Paris and were assured our luggage was on the same flight, that wasn’t the case. At the Vienna airport, the baggage assistance staff confirmed our bags were still in Paris.

We filled out a Property Irregularity Report and were told the luggage would be delivered to our hotel. As of the following morning, they still hadn’t arrived. So, today’s plan includes a bit of unplanned shopping—some clothes, essentials, and maybe a little retail therapy to make up for the stress.

Lessons Learned

Traveling is full of surprises—some delightful, others... not so much. Despite the missed connection and lost luggage, we’re grateful we're already in Vienna and the opportunity to explore a bit of it even if we’re starting it in the clothes we wore on the plane.

Here’s to hoping our luggage joins the adventure soon! 

-dtravelingfamily