I don’t usually write about flights. Unless they’re the absolute nightmare kind — like the time in Peru when a cancellation forced us into a detour via Chile, stretching a simple hop into a full-day saga. Well, today just joined the “never again” hall of fame.
The Plan
Simple on paper: fly from Borneo to Kuala Lumpur, overnight there, then catch our morning flight to Luang Prabang. With a bit of soft play in the afternoon, a calm airport check-in, and a scheduled 6:30 PM flight, it looked easy.
The Reality
Bags checked, gate ready, everything smooth. Then the dreaded DELAYED sign lit up. After the usual polite but vague announcements, the truth slipped out:
The tyre had blown out on landing. A replacement had to be flown in from Kuala Lumpur. That’s a three-hour wait just for the tyre to arrive.
Add another hour or two of fitting, paperwork, and “unexpected operational adjustments” (their words, not mine). Our 6:30 PM flight eventually pushed back at 1 AM.
Family Travel Maths
6½ hour delay. 3-hour flight. 40 minutes waiting for bags. Touchdown in Kuala Lumpur at 4:30–5:00 AM.
Now add two overtired kids trying to rest in a terminal that’s lit up like a football pitch, with chairs apparently designed by sadists. No blankets, no sleep masks, just cold plastic and fluorescent lights.
The Compensation
We were given dinner — rice and noodles. Sounds alright, until you realise half the noodles were spicy and therefore completely useless for the kids 🤦. Not exactly the comfort food you want when everyone’s shattered.
Survival Mode: Parent Edition
If you ever find yourself stuck in the same fluorescent purgatory, here’s what kept us almost sane:
Soft play first: essential for burning energy before chaos. Snacks you trust: because the “family meal” might be chilli noodles the kids can’t eat. Charged devices: “just one more cartoon” quickly turns into three hours of peace. Humour: at some point, all you can do is laugh at the absurdity.
Because when it all goes sideways, you don’t really have blankets or eye masks — you just try, hold it together, and hope the plane takes off eventually.