MonoMonday: Observe

This is a pretty boring blip but it does epitomise my day which was spent observing my phone.
Please do not feel obliged to read on but I feel better getting it off my chest :-)

It started at 8am when Helen messaged to say all her attempts to contact the Amex chat line were diverted to Credit Cards which couldn't help with flight bookings. So back to Mum.
First I called Amex and after 1:30h Michael answered and in my excitement I promptly lost the call, probably by putting my ear on the cancel button. I was extremely upset but called back. After 1:29h the call failed. Not my fault this time. 
3 subsequent attempts to contact them were met with an apologetic message saying they couldn't connect calls and to try again sometime.
So I decided to have another go with Qantas. That took 6:33h. 
I wouldn't have believed I'd ever do it but I put the phone on speaker and tried to read, watch TV (too depressing) etc. It was a very stressful experience just waiting and in the end they couldn't help but at least we know where we stand. Because the ticket was code-shared with Emirates out of Casablanca all they can do is offer a refund to be used by October. Ha, I don't think she will be in the mood to go anywhere by then.
So they are just going to have to try and book new flights and get home asap while it is still possible.
 
I don't attribute any blame here to the companies or poor help desk personnel. These really are unpredictable and unprecedented times. I admire anyone out there working to keep the world ticking over. Not to mention the poor authorities who are damned if they do and damned if they don't on seemingly every decision.
 
Thanks ApolloFly for hosting.

UPDATE: Helen has managed to book flights from Lyon-Dubai-Sydney for tomorrow night so feeling relieved. Not as much as I will be once they leave Dubai though.
It is lucky they were going to be in Lyon anyway and it actually has flights to Dubai. Much better than having to get back to Paris and cope with Charles de Gaulle airport.