Traveling to a Different Time Zone? Here’s How to Outsmart Jet Lag!
26/03/2025
When Every Segment of Travel Spins Out of Control
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Planning is key… but it’s no guarantee the universe will dance to your rhythm.
Cancelled trains, delayed flights, missed connections, an emergency landing… + a global twist no one could have predicted. Here’s our story of a return trip where nothing went according to plan. Here’s our story of a return trip where nothing went according to plan.
The plan
Check out, one last look at the door to Lapland, then a train from Abisko to Kiruna. Next stop – the Ice Hotel.
Reality
We learned a new Swedish word – inställt (cancelled). The train is not coming. We’re in the middle of the Arctic Circle, in a village with barely 80 residents, no taxis, no buses. The road is iced over, and we’re told no sane person from Kiruna would drive under these conditions.
New plan
One of us grabs the phone, the other heads out in -20°C searching for anyone who might be going to Kiruna today. Or at least tomorrow. Even if it means missing our night at the Ice Hotel, we have to be in Kiruna by tomorrow for our flight to Stockholm and our way home.
Reality
No one on the other end of the line is willing to come for us. We’re hopping in place on the snow with no alternative, hoping for a miracle. Then suddenly, a car pulls into the snow-covered parking lot. A taxi. He had just dropped off a girl from Kiruna but was told not to get back on the road today. Still… if he managed to drive a child here, how bad can the road be? Total turnaround. With some persuasion, persistence, a bit of charm, and a slightly larger dose of euros – we’re on our way to Kiruna and, against all odds, spending the night at the Ice Hotel.
The plan
Arrive at the airport, drop off our luggage. We’re full of impressions. Our flights: Kiruna – Stockholm – Munich – Zagreb. It’ll be a long travel day, but we’ve got more than enough time between connections. We’ll be home in Zagreb by evening.
Reality
An hour past scheduled departure, we’re still patiently sitting on the plane, waiting for updates. If we leave soon, we’ll make the first connection. The pilot informs us the cargo door latch is frozen and they’re working with technicians in Stockholm to resolve the issue. What magical defrosting techniques Stockholm has that snow-hardened Kiruna doesn’t – we’ll never know.
New plan
Patience is a virtue. We have no control over what happens next, we don’t know when we’ll leave, or if we’ll catch the next flight. We wait, curiously, for updates on the frozen cargo latch.
Reality
In our minds we play out different “defrosting” strategies on the spot. Two hours later, we’re calmly teaching the cabin crew some basics of guest service while eagerly watching for the first drops of water. We miss our connection. The pilot cheerfully announces we should take off soon. They’re now spraying the plane to prevent it from freezing during take-off and flight.
New plan
Will we overnight in Stockholm or Munich? With a big delay, we finally take off. We hope for a snack as soon as the plane levels off and, with pressure in our ears, we start seriously calculating where it would be better to spend the night. We’ve already been to Stockholm on this trip, and we’ve visited Munich multiple times before.
Reality
The pilot announces a red-light warning for the cargo door. Our latch saga gains a new dimension. We must make an emergency landing at the nearest airport. Silence in the cabin. Luleå – here we come! Maybe they have the magic formula for our latch. Maybe we’ll still catch an evening flight to Stockholm. As we descend, it’s snowing. We’re hungry, eager to stretch our legs, eat something, drink some water. That’s all we want.
Bonus Reality
Instead of landing, the plane suddenly ascends again. The pilot announces we can’t land – too much snow on the runway, but snowplows are on their way. For the next 20 minutes we circle above the airport, joking about what Luleå must be like and laughing that we’ve barely made it 150 km from Kiruna
Newest plan
Buy food and water at the airport and wait for the airline to tell us what happens next. Priority is given to passengers with intercontinental flights – which is totally fair. We’re clearly staying in Luleå and hoping to get at least a few hours of sleep. We haven’t made much progress toward Zagreb. Tomorrow will be a long day.
Reality
Instead of strolling through Luleå or resting in a hotel, we’re stuck at the airport drinking beer. Thanks to the quick reactions of the cabin crew and everyone’s general thirst, by the time we reached the airport store, all the water was long gone. No sandwiches, no juice, no snacks. We start drafting claims for refunds and compensation. We know our rights – and we plan to use them.
The plan
With a one-day delay, we arrive in Zagreb. The only change in our itinerary is the departure airport. Claims were submitted from Munich airport. We expect a refund for taxi expenses and compensation for obvious reasons. The airline took care of the hotel and breakfast.
Reality
We learned a new term – SARS-CoV-2. We saw the first people at airports and on planes wearing face masks, completely unaware of the global disruption that was about to unfold in the weeks ahead. We’re home. Everything’s fine. Refund for the full taxi fare was approved. Thank you, Swedish Rail. Compensation was also approved. Thank you, SAS. Payment is on the way – within 48 hours, they said. The Swedish way. Until our next flight, next complication, and next approved claim.
