Nice, comma, France, wrote Brittney Dzialo, a 26-year-old from Arizona, in a final update that confirmed she and her friend did reach the French Riviera after an unexpected detour to North Africa, according to the Mirror. The pair said they secured a last-minute flight after a day of scrambling, and their social-media chronicle continued to draw reactions as they wrapped up their journey.
The two American tourists initially planned to spend their vacation in Nice, imagining white pebble beaches, a baguette, and a glass of French wine. During a trip that included a stop in Rome, they missed their Rome-Nice flight and asked at the airport counter for an alternative. They said an agent misunderstood them and booked them on a Tunisair flight to Tunis, with Tunis printed on their boarding passes. They boarded without realizing the mistake.
The error became clear in the cabin. A flight attendant asked where they were going, and crew and passengers explained the plane was headed to Tunis, not the French Riviera. They checked a map and realized Tunisia was in Africa. They tried to get off before departure but were told their luggage was loaded and were advised to continue and change planes after landing. The pilot suggested they stay on board and sort out a transfer on arrival.
Upon landing, they were confused by local procedures and faced a language barrier while trying to explain how they had arrived in Africa. Attempts to get rebooked led to stress; they alleged that supervisors shouted at them and initially told them they could not get on the next flight. They messaged the airline, cited EU regulation, and eventually encountered a new supervisor who, they said, took their situation more seriously. They reported being placed on another flight, which they paid for, and added that a captain held the plane so they could leave Tunis for the Riviera as soon as possible.
Their account, posted under @brittneydzialo_ on TikTok, became a travel saga in real time. They documented the mishap in more than 25 clips showing airport conversations, waits in Tunis, and the scramble to find an alternative route. A TikTok clip showing them asking crew members to confirm the destination went viral, and one video of them boarding and seeking reassurance that the flight was going to Nice gained more than 16 million views in the first day, according to Tengrinews. They kept filming as they laughed at the situation despite the initial shock, used the trend jet2holiday, and turned the misstep into a series that drew attention.
They presented their explanation for the mix-up: after missing the Rome–Nice flight, the request for “to Nice” resembled “Tunis” in sound, and the booking process produced tickets to the Tunisian capital instead of the intended French city. They noted this similarity while repeatedly referring to Tunisia as Africa in their clips, which provoked negative reactions from some viewers. The moment one of them admitted to having perceived Africa as a single country also drew ironic comments.
The online reaction was intense. Many commenters expressed amusement at the oversight. Others criticized them for not checking the boarding passes and gate screens. Some blamed the airline and a travel agent, while others argued the responsibility was the travelers’ alone. Some said they should have stayed to appreciate Tunisia. At the same time, many users admired their ability to stay positive, praised their sense of humor, and said such mishaps happened. Several posts congratulated them when they said they were finally boarding a plane to Nice after hours of effort.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.