X

Get FREE Email Updates

Sign Up

Dave's Travel Corner

Seeing the World One Step at a Time

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Guides
  • Journals
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Links
  • Interviews
  • About

above the clouds

International Travel and Lifestyle Blog


A Completely Miscalculated Flight

August 1, 2023 by Dave5 Comments

I had booked my flight from Erbil (or so I thought) a few weeks ago. When it came time to sadly leave Iraq, I departed my guesthouse in Erbil and arrived at the airport. The first security check involved lines of cars stacked up as three cars in each lane were checked by guards at one time. Passengers opened all of their doors and trunks, dogs were involved, sniffing the tires and inside of each car and each person in each vehicle was subjected to a pat down.

The drop off point was not the departure terminal but rather another building where passengers went through additional security checks and then boarded buses for the departure terminal. Passengers were subjected to two more security checks before reaching any of the departure gates. But I never had a chance to reach any gate. I had checked in for my flight online expecting to reach Dammam in Saudi Arabia that evening and had my boarding passes on my phone.

My first cause for alarm was when the immigration officer sent me back to the main departure hall. With the help of the information desk officer, I quickly realized my flight was booked to leave from Sharjah International Airport. I still did not know that airport was not in Iraq. Regardless, I needed a flight out of Erbil. So fortunately, there was another flight in a few hours on Air Arabia leaving Erbil, connecting in Sharjah to Dammam. I booked it. The gate agent printed out my boarding passes. Smooth sailing!

I had comfortably settled into my exit seat and about 10 minutes before takeoff I noticed my boarding pass indicated the flight from Sharjah to Dammam was for some other day. OMG! So, I whipped out my phone and quickly booked a connecting flight for the same day finishing my frantic task just before the main plane door closed.

Arriving in Sharjaj, I figured I better check and see which country I had just landed in. It was the UAE; I noticed the airport was a short drive into Dubai. I also noted in the terminal that a number of passengers were dressed in shorts and other ‘western clothing’. This was the first time I had seen this in some time after my stay in Iraq.

Fortunately, the last leg of my flight to Saudi Arabia went smoothly. Very smoothly. There were only 11 passengers on the entire one-hour flight.

Read about my adventures in Saudi Arabia next month … !

Related posts:

Netgear Trek Travel Router Giant Prawns & Birthdays Visit Kuwait – July 2011 Nepal – Helicopter Flight Swiftboating the Mekong River

Filed Under: Middle East · Tagged: Airport, Bus Travel, Dubai, Iraq, Sailing

Comments

  1. Teh chin Liang says

    August 11, 2023 at 11:36 am

    Dave, what a flurry of unforeseen events! But that’s all part of the traveling

  2. Dave says

    August 15, 2023 at 11:55 pm

    Teh – yea, you would think I have this figured out by now, but no!

  3. Yanli says

    September 27, 2023 at 12:53 am

    A girl just mentioned to me yesterday that I should buy Iraq currency because it was undervalued by the Americans, but will rise back again. How do you think about that proposal?

  4. Alex says

    September 27, 2023 at 6:37 pm

    Dave’s flight error took him to the UAE instead of Iraq. Amazing spontaneous adjustments! Can’t wait to go on an adventure in Saudi Arabia next month. Travel safely!

  5. MyChronicTravel says

    October 27, 2023 at 6:46 pm

    Least in the end it was ok!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want an avatar to show with your comments? Get a free Gravatar

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dave's Wines Logo

The Official Wine Club of
the Napa Wine Project!

Your personal membership to the
finest Napa Valley artisan wineries.
Learn More
Follow @DaveDTC

Get FREE Email Updates ▶

Categories

Member, Professional Organizations

International Travel Writers Alliance
Travel Massive

Recent Comments

  • Andy on Ballarat, California – May 2020
  • Dave on Day Trip to Eneko Island, Majuro Atoll
  • Dave on A Long Weekend in New Mexico and West Texas
  • Frederick Taylor on L’Houstalet, Port Villa Vanuatu – July 2023
  • Santosh Baniya on Day Trip to Eneko Island, Majuro Atoll

Latest Posts

  • Albay: A Splendid Volcano Province
  • A Spring Getaway Awaits in Armenia: The New Hotspo…
  • From Coast to Coast: Your Guide to Car Transport t…
  • Bulacan: Heritage and History
  • Pangasinan: Western Luzon’s Hidden Gem

Explore

  • Above the Clouds
  • Guides
  • Highlight of the Month
  • Interviews
  • Journals
  • Press Releases
  • Videos

Prepare

  • Book Reviews
  • Pack List
  • Quiz: Geography
  • Quiz: Travel
  • Tour Booking
  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel Products

Share

  • Contribute
  • Forums
  • Links
  • Photos

About

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Contributors
  • Email Dave
  • Media Coverage
  • Media Kit
Hi I'm Dave. After a life changing trip in 1996, I began this site as a creative outlet to educate, inspire and share travel experiences. Read more...
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Return to top of page
Copyright © 1996–2025 Dave's Travel Corner · All Rights Reserved · Log in

7ads6x98y