A Menopausal Woman’s Guide to Attempting a Vacation in Italy (aka The Saga of British Airways vs. My Sanity, Hormonal Edition)
I had one simple mission: go to Italy, eat my weight in pasta, and avoid any unnecessary stress. Ha! Instead, I got an international catastrophe, sprinkled with British Airways incompetence, a missing suitcase, and hormonal chaos that could rival any soap opera.
The ETA Debacle: My Brain Betrayed Me
Thanks to my sister booking flights through British Airways, I found out that even a layover in the UK requires ETA approval. Fine, fine—I’m a responsible adult, I read all the instructions, checked everything twice, and hit submit.
Five minutes later—REJECTED.
Cue the stress. Cue the hot flashes. Cue the existential dread.
I frantically called British Airways, and they assured me I could redo it. I did—and miraculously, it was approved immediately. Crisis averted! Hormones stabilized!
Or so I thought.
The Betrayal at Check-In
A week before departure, I called British Airways to check for any restrictions on my flight. They said none.
Fast-forward to the airport—guess what? There was a restriction.
I had three hours until boarding, and they refused to let me check in. I had officially lost all faith in humanity. I told my sisters to go without me, but my younger sister wasn’t having it. She immediately bought me a last-minute ticket on KLM through Paris.
KLM, my beloved, you saved me. The seats were comfortable, the flight TVs worked, they fed me twice, and the Paris airport was fantastic. My stress levels finally normalized.
Meanwhile, British Airways Was Torturing My Sisters
While I was comfortably flying KLM, my sisters were living through a travel nightmare.
Their layover in London was one hour—not nearly enough time for customs and airport transfers. British Airways knew this. Did they hold the flight? No. The plane left without them.
British Airways tried rebooking them on a flight four hours later, even though we had an important check-in for our Airbnb in Italy. Cue the meltdown. After fighting with the airline, they got an earlier flight.
Leaving Italy? My eldest sister’s flight was canceled for NO REASON. British Airways was unreachable—calls, emails, online chat—nothing.
British Airways Also Lost My Sister’s Luggage (And Never Found It)
Oh, but we’re not done. British Airways lost my younger sister’s suitcase.
They promised they’d deliver it to our hotel in Rome. Did they? Of course not.
It is now May 23, 2025—weeks later—and her suitcase is still MIA. At this point, I assume it’s on a solo European adventure, living its best life while we rage in Houston.
Turkish Airlines: The Redemption Arc
After dealing with British Airways, I needed a win—and fell back home on Turkish Airlines who delivered.
Comfy seats.
Super friendly airport staff in Istanbul.
ON-TIME ARRIVALS BOTH WAYS (which, apparently, is rare in the airline industry).
Oh, and the Istanbul airport? Gorgeous. Everyone was so welcoming—probably because they could see my exhaustion.
Turkish Airlines and KLM were so fantastic that I chose to blog about my experience. So here’s me, shouting to the internet: Fly Turkish Airlines or KLM. "NEVER fly British Airways."
Final Verdict
Italy was worth the stress, the lost luggage, and the absolute disaster of British Airways. But let’s be clear—British Airways was a battle, and we barely made it.
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