An Indian traveler claimed to have been stranded in Dubai for the past three days due to repeated flight cancellations, prompting him to seek help on social media.
Jayesh Thakkar, a SEBI-registered research analyst, shared his ordeal in a post on X and said he was unable to return to India despite several attempts to book flights.
In his post, Thakkar wrote that he tried to contact the helpline of the Indian Embassy in Dubai but did not get a response.
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“For those who think we have free, free stay and hotels, unfortunately we are not given any such thing, free stay is only available for Abu Dhabi nations,” he wrote.
He added that while he was willing to pay for accommodation, reaching out for help proved difficult.
“It’s ok, I can pay the amount, but no one attends the helpline number provided by the Indian Embassy in Dubai.”
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According to Thakkar, he tried to contact the helpline many times.
“I have called more than a hundred times, also now on the portals you can see flights from Dubai to Mumbai or any other city. And we are also trying to book them, but every time they are canceled 6-7 hours before departure.”
He further said that special flights from Fujairah to Mumbai operated by SpiceJet and IndiGo were extremely expensive.
“Support flights from SpiceJet and Indigo from Fujyarah to Mumbai are much expensive 80000 to 1L per person and Emirates flights are 40-50000 and after booking it gets canceled by & The amount is stuck on refunds for 48-72 hours.”
According to him, the refunds being processed for several days prevent him from booking new flights.
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“We can’t even book more flights because our funds are stuck. It’s urgent for me because my father is patient and I can’t stress them more here in another country. We are tourists. We came here for a good experience and we want to leave with a good experience. My kind request to whoever reads this. Please mention responsible behavior on Twitter under this post,” he concluded.
Social media users offer advice
After his post gained attention online, several users responded with suggestions and messages of support.
One user suggested an alternative travel route: “If you are a resident, take a taxi to Oman, you will get a visa on arrival, for non-residents, apply for an e-visa, it should be issued within a day. There are flights from Muscat to India.”
Another user wrote: “Jayesh Bhai. Hang in there. Don’t panic. If you are safe inside the hotel, then you might as well hang in there rather than risk a flight back. This will end soon. We all know Trump can’t afford this war and it will end sooner or later with negotiations.”
Others advised traveling via Muscat to catch flights to India.
“You can try Dubai to Muscat and create where you can catch a flight, many people do,” another user wrote.
Some expressed concern over the situation, while others offered words of encouragement as the post continued to circulate widely online.
(This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)
