Lost Bags and Canceled Flights: An Indonesian Family of Nine's Wild Ride Through China

The December cold was no match for the allure of travel, as a family of nine from Indonesia chose this time last year for a 13-day trip to Shanghai, Chongqing, and Beijing. The Surya family - grandparents in their sixties, their four adult children, and three lively grandkids aged 10, 6, and 4 - were a bundle of energy!

Seeing three generations travel together was a real joy. I couldn't help but smile at their family photo in the email. Looking at them, a travel plan that would click with everyone started to form in my mind: a relaxed pace for the grandparents to soak in the culture, must-see spots for the parents with an eye on safety for the older and younger ones, and pure fun for the kids. So, I put together a journey that was both easygoing and interesting.

Turns out, the first curveball came with their luggage and flights!

Lost Luggage in Shanghai, But Thankfully Found

The trip hit a snag right off the bat. The Bund's skyline was as stunning as ever, but the Surya family's mood took a dip - their luggage went missing as soon as they landed!

Mr. Surya called, clearly worried: "Our two suitcases haven't arrived! They've got the kids' milk powder, the elders' medicine, and all our changes of clothes!" Apparently, their bags got mixed up during their connection.

I got in touch with the Shanghai guide right away, and without hesitation, he headed straight to the airport's lost and found. Meanwhile, I arranged for the Surya family to get settled at their hotel and helped them buy the baby essentials and medication they urgently needed. Getting those delivered within half an hour in Shanghai calmed their nerves. I kept talking with them, reassuring them their luggage would turn up - we at Asia Odyssey Travel had dealt with this before.

Thanks to keeping the communication going, the Surya family enjoyed the rest of their time in Shanghai. I made sure Disneyland was on the cards for the kids, and their squeals of excitement in front of the fairytale castle were fantastic. The grandparents enjoyed a relaxed time on the park benches, smiling as the grandkids posed with Mickey. The whole family strolled through Yu Garden, the older folks taking in the pavilions and towers, the younger ones snapping photos, and the kids mesmerized by the koi in the pond.

Behind the scenes, my colleagues and I were still on the case of the missing luggage.

Luckily, as their Shanghai leg was wrapping up, good news came from the airport: the bags were found! But they were about to fly to Chongqing, and the luggage might not make it to their hotel in time. So, I arranged for a courier to send it straight to the Chongqing guide's place, so they could get it as soon as they arrived. And sure enough, when they landed in Chongqing, the guide personally handed over their suitcases.

But then another hiccup - their flight to Chongqing was suddenly canceled!

Self-Booked Flight Canceled: Getting Back Those Business Class Seats

A week before they were due to fly to Chongqing, the flight Mr. Surya had booked for himself was suddenly canceled. To make things worse, because it was a connecting ticket, their Chongqing-Beijing flight, the last part of their trip, was also affected. The airline offered alternatives, but the timings were off, and crucially, there were no business class seats. That wouldn't do - they'd specifically paid extra for business class so the older folks and the kids could travel comfortably.

Mr. Surya sounded pretty helpless on the phone: "The airline says we either take economy or get a refund and rebook, but with the holidays coming up, business class is completely sold out. What should we do?"

I jumped into action. On one side, I was on the phone with the airline, arguing for a refund of the difference or an upgrade. On the other, I was searching for other flight options. After a few hours of back and forth, I finally managed to rebook them on business class seats with a different airline. It meant a three-hour delay, but at least the whole family could fly in comfort.

That evening, when they arrived in Chongqing, their luggage was there as promised. When Mrs. Surya saw the recovered suitcases at their Chongqing hotel, she clasped her hands together, relieved: "Thank goodness! The kids' and elders' essentials are all inside!"

Despite the unexpected bumps, the rest of the trip went ahead as planned and turned out to be even more fun.

Hongya Cave became a firm favorite, with its brightly lit ancient stilt houses clinging to the hillside and golden lights shimmering on the Jialing River at night. I suggested they check out a teahouse near Hongya Cave, where the grandparents could sip tea and enjoy the night scene, while the parents took the kids to the night market for local snacks.

The Beijing part of their trip was also smooth sailing. The grandeur of the Forbidden City had the grandparents in awe, and to keep the kids engaged, I shared some fun facts, telling them "real emperors and princesses used to live here." That did the trick – the little ones were immediately on the lookout for the "dragon throne." Universal Studios Beijing was a massive hit with the kids, especially the Jurassic World Adventure ride.

At the end of their trip, the Surya family were really happy with how everything was arranged and how the problems were sorted out. They said their China tour was full of surprises and great memories, and even though they hit a few snags, everything was handled smoothly, and they really felt the quality of good travel service.