California couple arrested overseas trying to board connecting flight during COVID

Passenger planes of Swiss airlines stand on the tarmac at Zurich Airport.
Passenger planes of Swiss airlines stand on the tarmac at Zurich Airport. Photo credit Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A California couple bound for an exciting, weeks-long tour of Greece thought they had taken all the proper precautions and looked into local regulations before taking off.

They booked two seats on Swiss Air to fly from San Francisco to Athens. Unfortunately, the trip included a layover in Zurich that unexpectedly threw a wrench in their travel plans.

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As they attempted to board the flight to Switzerland — which lifted international travel restrictions — authorities confronted the couple at the gate and arrested them.

“I was shocked. I thought it was some kind of a joke, like we’d be able to just explain to them,” Cindy Miller told KGO-TV about the significant disruption to their three-week Grecian vacation.

“I’d always wanted to go there since I was a kid,” Miller continued. “We haven’t taken a trip for 18 months because of COVID.”

The couple said a passport officer barred them from passing through to their gate despite arriving two hours before departure. The man took their passports and called airport police, who took the couple to a basement police station, Miller explained.

Airport police said because their gate technically sat within Swiss borders, they could not continue their journey. An officer said Americans were banned from entering Switzerland because of the COVID-19 pandemic, informing the couple they’d be deported back to the U.S.

“They showed us deportation papers, I’m crying... they put us in this area that had bunk beds with mixed men and women,” Miller told the TV news station. She and her friend stayed awake the entire night.

After a night in custody, the pair said they convinced Swiss officials only to deport them to New York — not California. Wearing the same clothes, they flew back across the pond and booked a hotel.

Their luggage, however, didn’t make it. Or so they thought. Despite a Swiss Air text message claiming their bags were missing, the two found their belongings safely at baggage claim.

The next day they continued their trek, flying nonstop from New York to Athens.

“Swiss Airlines is aware ... they’re not only selling these tickets, they’re allowing people to fly across the Atlantic only to be deported,” Miller said, blaming the air carrier for the inconvenient international hopscotching.

Initially, Swiss Air reportedly refused to refund them for their tickets, claiming the two passengers lacked “proper travel documents.” But when KGO-TV informed the airline that Americans had been banned from entering Switzerland, the station said the company reimbursed the couple $3,400.

The couple said they were happy to get at least “a portion” of the money they spent back.

Americans are no longer barred and can visit Switzerland as long as they’re vaccinated.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images