DETROIT, MI – Two American friends planning a romantic getaway to southern France found themselves on the wrong continent after accidentally boarding a flight to North Africa instead of their intended destination.
Brittney Dzialo and Hannah Kraft thought they were heading to Nice, France, but discovered their mistake only after landing 1,400 miles away in Tunis, Tunisia. The mix-up occurred during a layover at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport last Tuesday.
“We were so excited about our trip that we didn’t double-check the gate information,” Dzialo said during a video interview. “The boarding announcements were in Turkish, and we just followed the crowd assuming it was our flight.”
The confusion arose when both flights departed from adjacent gates within minutes of each other. Gate announcements for the Nice flight were made in Turkish and French, while the Tunis departure used Turkish and Arabic—languages neither woman understood.
Airport signage showed “NIS” for both destinations, with Nice’s airport code NCE displayed as NIS on some older boards, while Tunis uses the three-letter code TUN but appeared as NIS on Turkish airport systems. The women scanned boarding passes that airline staff accepted without question.
“We slept through most of the flight and woke up thinking we were in France,” Kraft explained. “It wasn’t until we saw Arabic signs everywhere that we realized something was very wrong.”
The duo spent three days exploring Tunisia’s capital city while airline representatives worked to resolve their situation. Rather than fly immediately to France, they decided to embrace the unexpected adventure and explore Tunis’s ancient medina and seaside neighborhoods.
“Honestly, Tunisia was incredible,” Dzialo said. “The food was amazing, the people were so welcoming, and we got to see places we never would have visited otherwise.”
Turkish Airlines provided hotel accommodations and meal vouchers while arranging alternative flights to Nice. The airline apologized for the confusion and credited both women’s accounts for future travel.
Airport security experts say such mix-ups occur more frequently than reported, particularly at major international hubs with multiple flights departing simultaneously. “Gate confusion happens when travelers rely solely on visual cues without confirming flight details,” said aviation consultant Marcus Johnson.
The women eventually reached their original destination five days later, with unexpected stories and new perspectives on international travel. “We learned to always double-check everything,” Kraft said. “But sometimes the best adventures are completely unplanned.”
Both friends plan to return to Tunisia next year, this time intentionally. “We fell in love with the culture and want to explore more of the country,” Dzialo added. “Sometimes getting lost leads you exactly where you need to be.”
