While most can only dream of visiting Sydney, Australia, one man was set to complete that goal when he planned a trip Down Under. Except, when his trip was delayed in late January, he accidentally booked a flight to Sidney, Montana, instead.
Kingsley Burnett, a resident of New York state, was looking forward to his warm destination getaway. Instead, he was treated to the “Treasure State” when he accidentally booked a trip to the wrong Sydney.
After departing New York’s La Guardia airport on January 26, 2023, he landed in Billings, Montana. Burnett originally didn’t think much of it because that airport was a common location for travelers to connect to Sidney, Montana, just a few hundred miles east of Billings. The only problem is he was off by a single letter.
“I had to find out for myself that Billings, Montana, would only take me to Sidney, Montana, where there are no kangaroos waiting to welcome Mr. Burnett,” he said.
Burnett realized he wasn’t going to Sydney when he finally saw the size of his plane. “I saw the little plane with like nine passengers and wondered, ‘how is that going to get me to Australia?'” Burnett said.
He added: “My story in a bottle ended with Carol Castellano at the American Airlines counter as she tried to send me to the correct place – unfortunately that turned out to be back to NYC after a night out in Billings. Thanks, Carol.”
Luckily, Burnett has since rescheduled his trip to Sydney, Australia, for June 13, 2023.