u/TheOGZenfox

Here's my data point:

• Step 1: Purchase seat selections and pay online. Granted seat selections. Receipt obtained.
• Step 2: Wait seven months and fly your itinerary. It had some issues, but not the topic here.
• Step 3: Weeks after the flight, receive an email demanding $15 send in USD via international wire transfer.
  • Bonus: Condor doesn't explain why. They just demand money after travel is complete sometimes, I guess.
• Step 4: After a week, get the explanation that they undercharged my card for the seats back last year. It was supposed to be $100 and they charged $85, effectively.

At this point, I'm happy to pay them and get it done with - despite this being a Condor problem - but here's the kicker: International wire transfers from the US to a European account denominated in USD can cost $45 per transactions. So, to pay Condor $15, I'd have to pay $60 total.

So far, customer service has not been helpful. If anyone has someone to direct me to discuss this, let me know. I wouldn't say Condor is the worst airline, but even Ryan Air and questionable South American airlines on the verge of bankruptcy know how to charge me the right amount of money.

Learn from my error: Once you check in, reservations cannot help you with seats. Ask for help before checking in.

My partner and kid are on a separate reservation. I was trying to get us all sitting in economy premium because I was able to pick my seat at booking and they had to wait until now. Seat map looked full so we picked the best of what was available and checked in. They are across the aisle from me and I'll trade seats with them if they want the extra space... It's fine.

Then, I reached out to reservations and they go, "oh - I can put you all in row 23 abc...". Perfect! "...ah, but the seats are under airport control. I can't. I didn't realize you checked in."

Whomp whomp. This is not a complaint or anything like that. Just a reminder to those who might be in the same situation to check with reservations first before checking in if you need something shuffled.

Edit: For clarity, I was requesting a change that could not be done in app or via the website. I did not expect success, but they said that they could have if I was not checked in.

A couple months back, I made a deal with my kid - In 2027, I'd take them anywhere that was safe and feasible to travel to and do my best to make whatever it was that fascinated them about that place a reality. I'm pretty experienced in getting around so that opens up a pretty wide area of the world. They are a younger kid, so I expected some type of younger kid answer or perhaps something like Disneyland Tokyo or the Pyramids.

Well, they saw one video of the sambadrome and went, "what is that?!" and now I'm cooked. 😃 Their choice for anywhere and anything is carnaval at the sambadrome and Rio.

So, now we have tickets to Rio and will be getting in a few days before the Champions Parade in 2027 (Feb 10th). To make this a win, I got to figure out how to pull off the Champions Parade with a kid that usually is asleep by 8PM and a partner who has a bit of a phobia of large crowds. I come to you to figure it out and I am afraid that not going is not an option at this point.

Questions:

• Are tickets out? Should I be fighting for them now?
• I have two constraints - A kid who is going to be running on sugar and overstimulation and a partner who doesn't like major crowds. I would consider something like a camarote since this is a once in a life time type of deal, but prices I've seen have been up in the $900s? Any advice on how to score three tickets to a chill camarote?
• If that is not a possibility, what would you recommend for my game plan for the champions parade? How can I experience it while also having a space to retreat too when it gets overwhelming?

My partner and I have been to Rio before and have a good idea of what to do and not do to have a good time outside of carnaval, but the parade is a major question mark on how I'm going to land this and have it be a fun night instead of an emotionally exhausting one?

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