Has the flight been redirected? Take advantage of this chance to explore an unexpected destination.

Behind the cloisters of Basel’s grand cathedral, the Munster, stands a viewing platform that commands one of the finest urban views in Europe. Beneath you flows the Rhine, with handsome townhouses on the far bank and the pines of the Black Forest beyond.

I was completely unaware that I would be in Switzerland later that morning, when the Ryanair Boeing 737 departed from London Stansted three hours prior. According to my ticket, I was headed to Baden-Baden, a charming spa town in southwestern Germany. However, Baden-Baden Airport is often affected by fog.

After meandering along the Rhine for a bit, the captain programmed the controls to head towards Basel – giving me the opportunity to appreciate my luck in being able to visit Switzerland’s second largest city before continuing my journey by train.

I am curious if any of the numerous travelers who landed in the incorrect location on Sunday evening experienced a sense of good fortune.

During the storm, many flights were redirected after attempting and then cancelling landings. I have never seen so many “go arounds” (cancelled landings) and diversions caused by the weather. Some notable examples include Ryanair passengers traveling from Manchester to Dublin ending up in Beauvais, France and an easyJet domestic flight from Edinburgh to Bristol being diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Heaven knows what the mood was on board those planes when the announcement was made. On the Ryanair aircraft, at least everyone had their passport (or a European national ID card). Pity the poor easyJet passenger who never imagined they would end up in France on a flight from Scotland to England. On arrival at CDG they could not leave the terminal and be placed in a hotel. They spent the night in the transit lounge.

It is wise to keep your passport with you, even if you do not plan on leaving the UK.

Another great idea: remain adaptable. I make an effort to leave plenty of free time after a flight. This is partly because I am constantly searching for any potential compensation in case the airline has oversold tickets and all passengers have arrived. However, I am also aware from past experiences that I may not end up at the destination stated on my ticket.

There have been multiple instances where I found myself in Mallorca without a definite plan for my departure from the lovely island. In these situations, I have simply gone to the airport to purchase a ticket. On one occasion, the only available flight to London was with Spanair to Manchester. While others may have been frustrated when the pilot announced we would have to land in Birmingham due to thick fog, I was actually happy because it brought me 70 miles closer to my intended destination.

I was disappointed to encounter an unusual occurrence in the flight industry, known as “irregular operations”: a diversion after landing. As I have mentioned before, my flight with Emirates from Dubai arrived at Heathrow on time, but with a delay. After a long wait on the runway, the captain informed us that the passengers for our return flight were waiting for us at Gatwick. The Emirates headquarters team had determined that our late arrival would cause our departure back to Dubai to violate the curfew at Heathrow.

The passengers were all gathered at Gatwick, which did not have a curfew, so they did not have to worry about being stuck on the plane overnight. However, the captain did not receive the order to change course.

All passengers, including those with only carry-on luggage, were not permitted to disembark. Despite arriving at the correct airport, we were delayed by one hour and ended up being three hours late at the incorrect airport.

On my second try to fly with Ryanair from Stansted to Baden Baden, I ended up in the incorrect country again. However, this time it was France and the beautiful city of Strasbourg.

Germany can wait.

Source: independent.co.uk