Travelers Describe Being Stranded as Iran Conflict Disrupts Flights

by Laurie Baratti
Last updated: 6:35 PM ET, Sun March 8, 2026

As military action involving Iran continues to disrupt airspace across the Middle East, travelers trapped in the region are sharing stories of canceled flights, rising costs and difficult journeys home.

Since joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, airports across the region have shut down or limited operations, leaving thousands of travelers scrambling for flights or sheltering in place while waiting for the situation to stabilize.

Many Americans say they have largely been left to figure things out on their own. According to AP News, the U.S. State Department reported that roughly 27,000 Americans have managed to make their way back home as of Friday, March 6, mostly without government assistance.

Forced To Find Their Own Way

Alyssa Ramos, a travel blogger who was stuck in Kuwait, described a complicated 48-hour journey that eventually brought her back to Miami after crossing four continents.

“They keep going on the news and saying they’re doing everything they can to get Americans out,” Ramos told AP News after returning home. “I know for a fact they’re not.”

Others described the stress of being told to leave the region immediately while facing closed airports and limited flights.

Chicago resident Susan Daley, who became stranded in the United Arab Emirates during a work trip, said the lack of practical help added to the anxiety.

“Having the State Department or whoever tell us, ‘You need to get out immediately,’ but there’s no help, so you’re on your own to get your own travel plans. That was the most stressful thing,” Daley said.

Turning To Social Media for Help

In many cases, travelers have relied on social media and messaging apps to share information about open routes out of the region.

Cory McKane, who eventually escaped from Dubai after crossing into Oman by car and catching a flight from Muscat, said unofficial traveler channels became the most reliable source of information.

“Everyone’s been sending each other resources because, quite frankly, the U.S. has not done a single thing in any capacity. That’s been really disappointing,” he said.

Some Americans still remain stranded while waiting for flights to resume.

Cody Greene, a business traveler from Tampa who arrived in Dubai shortly before the conflict commenced, said he felt abandoned while trying to figure out how to leave.

“I felt betrayed and left out to dry by my own government,” Greene told Business Insider. “The support, or lack thereof, from the U.S. Government, has been utterly disgraceful.”

Sunset on Skyline of Amman and old town with a view over historic capital of Jordan

Mounting Costs Compound the Stress

Others have faced ever-climbing costs while waiting for flights home.

Emilia Vasquez, who traveled to Dubai with her six-year-old son for a birthday trip, said extended hotel stays quickly became expensive as flights were repeatedly canceled.

"I'm being [held] responsible for paying for this hotel, the hotel literally telling us that if I cannot afford the hotel, to leave and go somewhere else," she told Business Insider on Wednesday, noting that she was quickly approaching her credit card limit. “I don't feel safe to leave the hotel and go somewhere else. So, I've been extending the days every day.”

While some wealthy travelers reportedly spent six figures to leave Dubai quickly, others have been covering their unexpected extended stays using credit cards, airline vouchers and even crowdfunding campaigns.

And, for some travelers, the experience has been deeply emotional as well as expensive.

Judith Wilson, a 57-year-old software sales executive from Walnut Creek, California, had been stuck in Dubai on a business trip while her husband prepared for emergency heart surgery back home.

When she finally heard about a departing flight, she rushed to the airport and managed to secure the last available seat.

“I got the very last seat to London's Heathrow Airport,” she told Fox News.

The Western Wall at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel.

Fear and Uncertainty on the Ground

Wilson said the tension in Dubai was palpable as travelers gathered in hotels following explosions heard across the city.

"The real fright was [on] Saturday evening," she explained, reporting that, “There were 1,000 people in the lobby of the JW Marriott, and as many devices rang out.” Wilson added that “Americans were definitely scared.”

Despite the chaos, some travelers are slowly finding ways out as limited flights begin operating again across parts of the region.

But for many who are still stranded, the uncertainty continues.

“Every alert that they gave and all the advice they gave was a day at least too late,” said traveler Trenten Higgins, who eventually escaped Israel by taxiing to Jordan and flying out of Amman. “Even when it wasn’t too late, it was impossible to act upon.”

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