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Woman ends up in Sydney, Nova Scotia by mistake. She wanted Australia
Okay, listen up. If you are getting on an airplane and you get an inkling that something is not quite right, that perhaps you are off course, PAY ATTENTION to that feeling and double check.
If you want to head to Sydney, Australia but something seems amiss, ASK, for heaven's sake. Otherwise you could be like Monique Rozanes Torres Aguero who boarded an airplane in Buenos Aires, Argentina with visions of taking in the Syndney Opera House, perhaps, and trying out phrases like "G'day Mate," only to land in another city--another Sydney, a town in Nova Scotia that does not have one tourist attraction listed on its Web site, according to this article in the Sydney Morning Herald. It does have the largest Ceilidh Fiddle in the World, though.
Ms Torres Aguero's situation was not the first time this gaff has happened. Sydney, Nova Scotia, located on Cape Breton Island, has had other visitors unwittingly arrive at the airport expecting that they have landed Down Under.
Instead, there they are in an industrial, former coal mining town making the best of it since they are on vacation after all.
The problem that causes such errors is the drop down menu box that list airports with when you book on line. booking. Highlight the wrong airport and BAM, there you are one fine day in an unexpected place. This is kind of like Dorothy stepping out of the house in Munchkinland I would imagine.
There was a comment left on the post I wrote about a woman my mom met on a Greyhound bus who thought it only took one day to go from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California. She thought she'd be in L.A. by morning.
The commenter told about one woman he met who was heading to Manchester, New Hampshire, or so she thought, but ended up in Manchester, England.
If you do ever end up in Sydney, Nova Scotia, by mistake or on purpose, it has a "beautiful island coastline" and you can use it as a springboard to a trip on the Cabot Trail, the trail followed by explorer John Cabot.
I hope there are some good restaurants at least and a decent hotel in Sydney, Nova Scotia. If you think about it, this travel story is a far better one to tell the grandkids later in life. Lots of people have the "my trip to Sydney, Australia" story. This other version gets you interviewed for a newspaper article.
Check out other troublemakers in the skies!
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Canada, Australia, Transportation, Airports
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Brian Shaw Sep 25th 2008 1:31PM
Several years ago I was returning to the US from England and was sitting beside a lady from Belgium who was visiting her son in the US.
Our flight was headed for Chicago and I was then coming on to Dallas. After a while she started to check her watch. When I asked if she had a problem, she said she had expected to have been met by her son.
It turned out she had wanted DULLES (in Washington), not DALLAS (in Texas). An explanation of the predicament to a flight attendant got the correct wheels moving.
Simon Sep 25th 2008 5:56PM
I wouldn't complain if I end up in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It's a beautiful province. There is the Cabot Trail as the OP said. There is Mahone Bay. There is Lunenburg. It's a couple of hours to PEI. It's my favourite part of Canada. :-)
nzm Sep 26th 2008 7:25AM
A few years ago, (pre-9/11), a guy was flying an internal California route from LAX to Oakland.
He heard a boarding call, got in line and boarded the plane which took off. A couple of hours into the trip, he discovered that he had boarded a plane for AUCKLAND (New Zealand), not OAKLAND, Ca.
He didn't even have his passport on him. Air NZ kindly flew him back to LAX at no charge. It was, after all, partly their stuff-up for not properly checking his boarding card.
LadyExpat Sep 26th 2008 4:52PM
Being from Nova Scotia, I would say the lady couldn't have ended up in a more beautiful or friendlier part of the world. I hope she enjoyed her unexpected detour!
Roy Sep 29th 2008 2:52PM
A group of Jack Daniels bottle collectors from Europe found themselves in Lynchburg, Virginia, instead of Lynchburg, Tennessee. They just rented a van and drove to the JD Distillery in Tennessee, where they had a helluva story to tell.
Gary Sep 29th 2008 3:11PM
One time I booked a ticket to Dallas (texas) and ended up at Dulles (airport in Virginia)
Hot Tea Sep 29th 2008 3:19PM
I needed to fly from Panama (CA) to New York to pick up my car being shipped from over seas. I booked the flight, arrived in NY and waited in the airport for my friend to pick me up at baggage claim. When he didn't show up, I called only to find out I was 200 miles south of the airport I was suppose to fly into. Who knew when I asked them to fly me into New York there were three airports to choose from? lol Being my first time in NY, NY, I made the best of it until I could book a flight to the correct destination.
Vic Sep 29th 2008 7:43PM
FYI - The three major airports in the NY, NY area are nowhere near 200 miles apart. So, your story doesn't make much sense. The three airports are JFK, Newark, LaGuardia airports. All have shuttle services connecting between them. JFK to Newark is 31 miles, JFK to LaGuardia is 11 miles, and Newark to LaGuardia is 24 miles.
Hot Tea Sep 29th 2008 10:10PM
When I told the ticket lady I needed a ticket to New York, I assumed like in Panama, there was only one airport. There are three in New York City, but apparently I needed to be in one in up state New York which is about 200 miles north of New York City
Vicky Sep 29th 2008 3:31PM
As an airline employee at Ontario International Airport in California (about 50 miles east of LA), we had 2 Japanese tourists arrive expecting to find their hotel shuttle taking them to Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. They had tickets to the Falls the following day. Not only was there a language barrier, it was a Sunday and their travel agent in Japan was closed. The only alternative was for them to wait until the next day to resolve the obvious itinerary error. I never heard if they madeit or not, but I hope they never use that travel agent again!
doc Sep 29th 2008 4:04PM
wow, you think you're buying a ticket to get to wonderful austraila, and instead wind up in a suckhole called canada.
i'd be really really pissed... but then i'd have read the ticket before getting on the plane.
Turney Sep 30th 2008 6:48PM
As a Canadian, I am insulted by your remark. Nova Scotia is a beautiful place to visit. It's obvious that you have never enjoyed the hospitality of Cape Breton and the eastern Canadians. As well, the Cabot trail is a special place in the world.
doc Oct 1st 2008 10:01AM
ok, so your insulted, now shut the f*** up.
Squirrel605 Sep 29th 2008 4:47PM
I too have been to Nova Scotia. It is very scenic. I would like to go back someday. I participated in a college credit course. It is very similar to New England.
RachieRach Sep 29th 2008 4:47PM
Just another reason why people should book travel with Travel Agents and not on-line by themselves. A Professional would not make that kind of mistake.
joe Sep 29th 2008 5:53PM
Hmm, the only serious travel error I have ever had was done by a professional travel agent, it was the agent who booked me to a city of the same name in a different country than I wanted to go to, despite me actually spelling it for them... fortunately I caught it and had them correct it.
Me Sep 29th 2008 7:21PM
I work within the travel industry and I see travel agents make mistakes like this all the time. And that's even with some of the top travel agencies worldwide. I personally never have nor never will book with a travel agent. They cause more headache then anything.
jess Oct 3rd 2008 4:13PM
you must be a travel agent eh!?
Linda Sep 29th 2008 4:48PM
Don't the airline personnel actually READ your ticket before boarding. Wouldn't a ticket to Canada look different? WOuldn't they need a visa or passport to board? I think somebody in the ticket line also screwed up because they must have told them what gate to board at and given a boarding pass. It's hard enough for passengers travelling outside their own country but give me a break. Airplane must have been empty since they got a seat. If a flight was booked, then if they were on the wrong plane, they'd have been fighting over a seat and that would have caused the stewardess to read the tickets. DUHH
Colleen Sep 29th 2008 4:51PM
Unfortunately there are too many of these errors. Being in the travel industry for 21 years, I do not understand them, but this comes from experience. People who are not detailed orientated or are geographically challenged are the ones we read about. Hopefully this is a heads up to all travelling internationally!