Crazy travel mishaps

She opened her suitcase and found a nightmare: 10 travel errors to avoid

Have you ever worried that your trip might not go as planned? Maybe bad weather, lost luggage, or missing a flight. But nothing could have prepared these travelers for what actually happened to them. From being trapped in a tiny airplane bathroom for hours to accidentally flying to the wrong continent or even being swallowed by a whale, these 10 unbelievable travel mishaps really happened.

Getting trapped inside an airplane lavatory at 30,000 feet is the kind of nightmare most people never even think about. And while airplane door malfunctions are extremely rare, one memorable case happened in 2019.

On September 25 of that year, a woman aboard United Airlines Flight 1554 from Washington, DC, to San Francisco, California, used the restroom shortly after takeoff. But when she tried to leave, the door wouldn’t open again. Minutes turned into nearly an hour inside a space about 24 to 26 inches wide, so she eventually began screaming for help, alarming passengers and crew. The situation became so serious that the flight was forced to divert to Denver, Colorado, where maintenance crews finally freed her. Fortunately, she was unharmed, though understandably embarrassed, and the remaining passengers later continued to San Francisco on another flight.

Are you the type of traveler who checks every detail twice before booking a flight? Good thing, because one small mistake can turn a dream vacation into a travel nightmare.

That’s what happened to a woman named Callie Zucker after a family trip to Italy. She booked a flight home to San Jose, California, but ended up nearly 4,000 miles away. According to Zucker, her original reservation was correct, but after Lufthansa Airlines canceled the flight and rebooked, the mix-up happened. Midway through the trip, another passenger pointed out that the plane wasn’t heading to San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in California, but to San José International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica, Central America. After 48 hours of flight, an unexpected overnight stay, a $1,500 replacement ticket, and a long layover in Panama City, Zucker and her family finally landed in the right San Jose.

These days, most of us trust GPS without thinking twice—but sometimes we need to listen to our own instincts more.

In 2013, a 67-year-old Belgian woman named Sabine Moreau set out to drive about 90 miles from her hometown of Solre-sur-Sambre to Brussels to pick up a friend. Instead, she followed her GPS instructions so blindly that what should have been a short drive of less than two hours turned into a two-day journey across Europe. By the time she noticed road signs for Zagreb, she had driven nearly 900 miles, crossed several international borders—including through Germany, Austria, and Slovenia—and her son had already reported her missing. After finally realizing the mistake, she called home and then simply turned around to drive the entire way back.

Missing your flight or buying a ticket by mistake is one thing, but what happens when the pilots take everyone to the wrong city?

That’s what happened on March 25, 2019, when a British Airways flight departing from London City Airport was supposed to land in Düsseldorf, Germany, but ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland, instead. Passengers reportedly didn’t realize anything was wrong until they heard the words: "Welcome to Edinburgh." According to traveler Sophie Cooke, confusion quickly spread through the cabin. The pilot then asked, "Who was traveling to Düsseldorf?", and every passenger raised a hand. The bizarre mistake was later blamed on an incorrectly filed flight plan. After two frustrating hours on the ground in Scotland, passengers were finally flown to the correct country.

If you think the worst part of a wild night out is waking up with a hangover, this story might change your mind.

In August 2015, a 24-year-old Scottish bank employee named Jamie Athe woke up after a night of partying in Glasgow and checked his credit card statement, only to discover he had drunkenly booked a non-refundable flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, costing around 708 dollars. He had no memory of buying the ticket, but instead of canceling it, he decided to embrace the mistake. After a 15-hour journey to South America, he arrived and enjoyed backpacking through Brazil, visiting Christ the Redeemer, and even traveling on to Peru. What first looked like a terrible decision ended up becoming one of the best experiences of his life.

Airports are usually all about routine: checking bags, going through TSA, and waiting at the gate for boarding to begin. But imagine doing all that when, out of nowhere, a monkey suddenly races through the terminal, grabbing bags and sending passengers into confusion.

Something similar happened at San Antonio International Airport on May 21, 2018, when a 10-year-old rhesus macaque named Dawkins escaped from its cage. According to Texas news station KSAT, the monkey had arrived on an American Airlines flight from Chicago after being transported from research facilities connected to Brown University. After a brief burst of chaos in the terminal, Dawkins was safely captured in Terminal B and later taken to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, about 90 miles south of San Antonio.

It’s good to do some research about the local wildlife when traveling, but nothing could have prepared this diver for what happened.

In early 2019, South African marine conservationist Rainer Schimpf was filming a sardine run near Port Elizabeth, South Africa, when a massive Bryde’s whale suddenly surfaced beneath him. In seconds, the 15-ton whale accidentally took Schimpf headfirst while lunging for fish. For a terrifying moment, his upper body was trapped inside the whale’s mouth. Schimpf later said he didn’t fight back; he simply held his breath and waited. Fortunately, the whale quickly realized he wasn’t prey and released him unharmed. Even more unbelievable, the entire incident was caught on camera.

Many cities around the world share the same name, and other city names sound a little too similar.

That lesson hit hard for two American tourists on September 6, 2025, after their flight from Rome, Italy, to Nice, France, was canceled. While rebooking, they asked for tickets "to Nice," but the airline agent reportedly heard "Tunis." Instead of heading to the French Riviera, the pair unknowingly boarded a plane to Tunis, in North Africa. It wasn’t until after takeoff that they realized they were flying to the wrong country, and had to wait until landing to buy another ticket, but this time to France.

Every traveler loves finding a great airfare deal, but sometimes, a "too good to be true" ticket really is too good to be true.

That lesson hit hard for Dutch student Milan Schipper in March 2017, when he found a flight to Sydney that was about 200 euros cheaper than the rest and booked it immediately. But on boarding day, he couldn’t help noticing that the plane looked really small for a trip to Australia. Still, he trusted the airline and took his seat. A short time later, Schipper stepped off the plane into freezing air, wearing only a T-shirt and a light jacket. That’s when he realized the mistake: he hadn’t flown to Sydney, Australia, but to Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, instead. Embarrassed, he simply booked another flight home to the Netherlands, where his father was waiting for him.

Do you remember the 2006 movie Snakes on a Plane, where deadly snakes are released on a flight? It sounds too wild to happen in real life, but one traveler came surprisingly close.

In 2019, Moira Boxall returned home to Glasgow, Scotland, after a trip to Australia and did what most people would do: unpack her suitcase. But when she picked up one of her shoes, she discovered a 24-inch spotted python hidden inside. As she told the Scottish media, she thought it was a fake rubber snake at first… until it started moving. Mrs. Boxall carefully carried the boot outside on a shovel and called animal welfare officers, who safely removed the unexpected visitor. Thankfully, both she and the snake were unharmed.