A British couple's dream holiday to the sun-drenched French Riviera turned into a real-life nightmare after a catastrophic booking error sent them 1,500 miles off course—to Iraq.
Instead of touching down in Nice, France, Paul and Kirsty Stevens found themselves stranded in Sulaymaniyah, a city in the Kurdish region of Iraq, after an unbelievable airline ticketing mix-up.
From Mediterranean Dreams to Middle Eastern Reality
The Stevens, from Oxfordshire, had booked a relaxing break to Nice. They received their confirmation from the online travel agent Kiwi.com and boarded what they believed was their first leg to Vienna, Austria, with easyJet.
It was only upon landing that the pilot made a chilling announcement: "Welcome to Sulaymaniyah International Airport." The couple, along with other confused passengers, were utterly bewildered. Their European mini-break had suddenly become a journey into a conflict zone.
Stranded in a Conflict Zone
Upon realisation, panic set in. "We were in a state of shock and fear," Kirsty recounted. "We were in a country that was on the Foreign Office's 'do not travel' red list. We had no visas, no local currency, and very little idea of what to do next."
Forced to disembark, they faced a gruelling 36-hour ordeal. They were denied entry at passport control and had to sleep on plastic chairs in the airport's arrivals hall, relying on the limited food and water offered by sympathetic airport staff.
A Desperate Fight to Get Home
Their desperate attempts to get help were fraught with difficulty. Contacting the British Embassy proved challenging due to the time difference and the remote location. The couple felt abandoned and terrified.
Finally, after intense negotiations and purchasing entirely new return tickets at their own expense, they were allowed to board a flight to Vienna and then onwards back to the UK—their dream holiday in tatters.
Demanding Answers and Compensation
Now safely home, the Stevens are demanding a full explanation and compensation from Kiwi.com. They assert the error was a clear "failure of the most basic duty of care" from the online travel agent.
A spokesperson for Kiwi.com acknowledged the "very unusual case" and stated they are investigating how the monumental error occurred, confirming they would cover the costs of the new flights and the original tickets.
This shocking tale serves as a stark warning to all travellers to double-check their airport codes and travel documents, proving that sometimes truth is far stranger than fiction.
