S'porean family stranded in Argentina after outbreak of Middle East conflict, spends nearly S$5,000 to get home

A Singaporean family of three was on the tail end of their two-week holiday in Argentina when the Middle East conflict broke out, leaving them stranded in the South American country.

They had been scheduled to return to Singapore on Mar. 3 via a transit in Dubai, but were forced to remain in Argentina after Middle Eastern airports shut down.

They eventually arrived in Changi Airport on Mar. 4 after three transits, 34 hours on the plane and nearly S$5,000 in rebooked tickets.

Stranded

Liu Shanglai (transliterated), 66, embarked on an Antarctic tour holiday on Feb. 14, according to Shin Min Daily News.

While in Argentina, U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran resulted in the shutdown of multiple airports in the Middle East, including Dubai.

Flights were reportedly also suspended.

As a result, all 26 members of the tour group were unable to transit through Dubai to return to Singapore.

They were stranded in Argentina from Feb. 28, Shin Min reported.

According to Liu, they continued travelling in the region in the meantime, as they were retired and not in a hurry to return home, he said.

Others opted to fly to Paris, despite rising airfares.

Liu's daughter had to return to Singapore for work, however, resulting in the family opting to leave alongside her.

Three transits

They rebooked tickets on the same day that news of the conflict broke, opting for a four-way transit route back to Singapore.

The route went as such: 10 hours from Argentina to Houston, U.S., four hours from Houston to Los Angeles, 15 hours from Los Angeles to Taiwan, then five hours from Taiwan to Singapore.

In total, the family spent more than 34 hours on planes and eventually arrived home at about noon on Mar. 4.

They also spent about S$5,000 on the new tickets, but saw that prices had increased by another S$500 to S$1,000 just hours after booking them.

The group's tour guide had been helpfully keeping tour members updated on the situation, Liu said.

He also helped find alternative flights for those who wished to return to Singapore.

Cancelled flights

Singapore Airlines and Scoot cancelled flights to and from the Middle East after Israel launched "pre-emptive" strikes against Israel in the early morning of Feb. 28.

Among the affected cities was Dubai, whose flights have been cancelled from Feb. 28 to Mar. 7.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) also advised Singaporeans to avoid travelling to or through Middle East in the meantime, while Singaporeans in the region were asked to stay indoors.

Top images via X & Shin Min