How We Got the Cheapest Flight Ticket of Our Lives

Introduction

And here we go — the beginning of our 3-month journey across South America! We had booked an Air France flight bundle combining a train from Strasbourg to Paris and a flight from Paris to São Paulo. Our departure was set for December 28th, with the train leaving Strasbourg at 6:07 a.m. and the flight from Paris taking off at 10:30 a.m.

We chose this option because the round-trip cost was only €652, including a checked bag for the return flight — quite a deal for such a long route. Plus, living just 40 minutes from Strasbourg station, it was easy for my parents to drop us off early in the morning.

Bags packed, tickets ready, and excitement at its peak — our South American adventure was finally about to begin. And will end being the cheapest flight ticket of our lives.

Train cancellation

The first problem showed up just before Christmas when SNCF, the French national railway company, announced strikes to protest the government’s retirement reform. On December 26th around 7 p.m., we received the dreaded notification — our train was canceled.

We immediately called Air France, hoping they could help us find a solution. After about ten minutes on hold, we finally got through to an agent. Once we explained our situation, he put us on another hold to “check with his supervisor.” When he came back, he offered two alternatives:

• Leave on December 27th — take a train from Strasbourg to Lyon, then Lyon to Paris, spend the night in Paris, and catch our flight to São Paulo on the 28th as planned. Unfortunately, that didn’t work for us since we had our last vaccination appointment scheduled for the 27th at 2:15 p.m.
• Leave on December 29th — but that meant losing a full day of our trip, which wasn’t an option either.

Before calling, we had already checked other routes and noticed an Air France flight from Mulhouse/Basel Airport departing at 6:40 a.m. on the 28th. The airport is about 1 hour 40 minutes from our home — perfectly manageable.

We suggested that option to the agent, and thankfully, Air France accepted. A few minutes later, we received our new tickets by email. Crisis averted — at least for now.

Trip to Paris

December 28th finally arrived — departure day. We woke up at 3:15 a.m., left home by 3:45 a.m., and hit the empty roads toward Basel–Mulhouse Airport. At that hour, there was barely any traffic, and we reached the airport around 5:30 a.m.

After a quick coffee and breakfast with my parents, it was time for goodbyes and boarding. The short flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle was smooth and surprisingly comfortable — the kind of easy start every long trip deserves.

Upon landing, we disembarked and followed the signs through the terminal. Our next flight was from Terminal 2E, so we simply followed the transfer path leading to the international departures area. Since we were already checked through, there were no extra baggage or security checks, which made the connection seamless.

We reached our gate with plenty of time to spare, ready to wait for boarding and start the real journey — Paris to São Paulo.

Flight cancellation

We boarded our Air France AF0456 flight right on time, heading from Paris to São Paulo. Since we had chosen seats 46H and 46G, we used boarding line 4, reserved for passengers seated toward the back of the plane. It made boarding smoother, and we easily found space for our 50 L carry-on backpacks in the overhead compartments — a small victory, considering how full long-haul flights can get.

This time, the plane — a Boeing 777-200 — felt newer than the previous one, with upgraded entertainment screens and comfortable seats. We started a movie as other passengers were still boarding, and things looked good. Even better, we were in the middle four-seat row, but only three passengers shared it — extra space for the win.

Everything was running smoothly until the captain made an announcement: one of the hydraulic pumps on an engine had failed. It needed to be replaced before takeoff. She estimated it would take one to two hours, so we waited patiently, grateful for her clear and honest updates.

After two hours, our movie ended, but the repairs weren’t done. The captain returned on the intercom — the part hadn’t arrived yet, and now the crew’s allowed working time was becoming an issue. The flight could no longer depart that day.

We were asked to wait another ten minutes (which quickly became thirty) before disembarking. Then came the long walk through Charles de Gaulle Airport, back to the departure area. There was little guidance on where to go, and confusion arose between passengers who did or didn’t hold French visas. Eventually, we found our way to check-in zone 11, where an Air France team was handling rebookings.

When it was our turn, they asked if we lived in Paris. Since we didn’t, they arranged hotel accommodation, meals, and transportation for us. We were rebooked on the next day’s 10:00 a.m. flight, and each received:

• A voucher for one night at an Ibis-style hotel near Paris, including dinner and breakfast
• A shuttle voucher to get there
• A €15 meal voucher to use immediately for lunch at the airport

It was already 3 p.m. by the time everything was sorted. We grabbed lunch, took the shuttle, and finally made it to the hotel — tired, disappointed, but thankful at least for Air France’s help in turning a rough situation into something manageable.

The end of it

The hotel was simple but comfortable, exactly what we needed after such a long and stressful day. Exhausted, we dropped our bags, took quick showers, and rested before heading down for dinner. It was a small buffet, nothing fancy, but good enough to fill us up before getting an early night.

Breakfast the next morning was also a buffet — coffee, croissants, and just enough to get us going before the shuttle picked us up for the return trip to Charles de Gaulle Airport.

This time, everything went smoothly. Check-in was quick, the boarding process was easy, and we finally took off for São Paulo under clear skies.

On our way to the hotel the previous day, we had actually met another French traveler who worked in São Paulo. We ended up taking the same flight back the next morning and even shared an Uber together once we landed.

That’s one of the best parts of traveling — even when things don’t go according to plan, you still meet great people along the way.

Air France travel sponsor

When we finally landed in São Paulo, tired but relieved, the first thing we did after checking in was open the laptop and head to the Air France website to file a compensation claim for our delayed flight. The process was surprisingly easy — we just had to fill in our flight details, booking reference, and bank account information.

We submitted the first claim under my name, and by that evening, Air France emailed us back. They apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed a €600 reimbursement.

At first, we weren’t sure if the compensation covered both passengers or just one. So a few days later, we submitted a second claim under Tina’s name — and once again, Air France approved it and sent another €600 refund.

In the end, our round-trip flights to South America ended up costing us only €52 per person. Not bad for what started as a stressful travel day — in a way, Air France became our unexpected travel sponsor!

The Unexpected Ending — Coming Home in the Middle of COVID

Three months later, it was time to return home — though the world had completely changed since we’d left. COVID-19 was spreading rapidly through Europe, and restrictions were tightening by the day. When we arrived in Rio de Janeiro, the atmosphere was tense. Shops were closing, borders were starting to shut, and flights were being canceled one after another.

We made our way back to São Paulo to catch our return flight to France. Luckily, we managed to change our ticket and fly out one day earlier than planned — a small miracle, considering how many travelers were getting stranded across South America.

When we landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle, the airport was eerily quiet. We went straight to the Air France counter to ask about our connecting train to Strasbourg, only to be told to check directly at the airport’s train station. We got there… and found the station completely closed.

Back to the counter we went. This time, the staff simply said, “Sorry, we can’t help you.” Seriously?! We were stuck in Paris with no way to reach home.

We decided to take an Uber to Gare de l’Est, hoping to find any train heading east. The SNCF app showed “booking not possible,” but we took the chance anyway. When we arrived, we were immediately stopped by police officers — at that time, you needed a special travel authorization to be outside. We explained our situation, showed our plane tickets, and thankfully, they let us through.

Inside the station, a few trains were still running. We found one bound for Strasbourg, spoke to a conductor, and he told us to sit anywhere we wanted. We got checked again by another policeman, but the one who’d let us in earlier came over and confirmed our story.

The train left. The conductor never came to check tickets. We didn’t pay anything extra — just relief, exhaustion, and gratitude to finally be heading home.

A few days later, we filed a complaint with Air France, explaining the situation. To their credit, they reimbursed us for the €40 Uber and the train fare (around €150 for two people).

And that’s how our incredible South American adventure ended — in the middle of a global pandemic, one day ahead of lockdown, and with a story we’ll probably never forget.