BOISE, Idaho — A 22-year-old American woman was stranded in Dubai for six days after receiving a missile alert at the Zayed International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.
Taylor Thomas was waiting at the airport for what was supposed to be a six-hour layover on her way to Europe when she received an emergency message.
Thomas described the message, saying it told her that "a missile has been detected and to shelter in place inside the airport."
WATCH: American stranded in the Middle East for 6 days during the US-Iran war
She was still at the airport when President Trump announced the United States was going to war with Iran.
"And I called my parents, and people were rushing outside," Thomas said.
Airport staff moved quickly to get stranded passengers out, setting up travelers in hotels free of charge. But even from there, the conflict was impossible to ignore.
"So whenever that explosion happened, you could feel and hear the sounds,” Thomas recalled. “The first couple of hours that I was there, I would say there was like a constant— that was a sound.”
While checking in from Boise, every time it seemed Thomas had a flight, it was cancelled. She also tried calling the U.S. Embassy.
"When I first arrived or tried to call the embassy, their offices were shut, and the officers had evacuated by then. And then I had my mother call for me, and she informed me that they read off a script and then hung up," Thomas said.
Meanwhile, flight prices skyrocketed.
"The baseline ticket was probably like $3,000 USD," added Thomas.
Nearly a week later, her mom booked her a flight to Barcelona, and she was able to leave.
Michael Allen, an international relations professor at Boise State University, said many flights were canceled to avoid potential threats.
"Because the time frame of a particular threat will overlap with the window of where the flight occurs," Allen explained.
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For anyone who finds themselves stranded during a global conflict, Allen said the first step is to contact your local consulate and stay informed.
"Keep your phone charged, have your passport handy, and look at all the alternatives available to you to try to get out of that situation," advised Allen.
Thomas said the experience left her with a broader perspective.
"I think it's important to pay attention to everything as humans living on the world as a shared world rather than just focusing on one country because then— you're nearly left stranded in Dubai," Thomas said.
To see current safety travel guidance, you can check the U.S. State Department's Travel Advisory Map.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
