No Way Out, No Way Home For American Travelers Stuck In Missile-Targeted UAE
"It’s so easy to ignore what the U.S. is doing until you are in the middle of it. Until you are hearing missiles get intercepted by the UAE from your bed.”
An American couple headed to vacation in Malaysia ended up in a war zone instead. Nantucket-based travel enthusiast , Sam Rae Roy and her globe-trotting partner landed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amidst Iran’s first retaliation strikes. They had a layover at the Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi — a common stopover for international flights, the hub services 100+ destinations across 40 countries. Within minutes of deplaning, the couple heard “three loud explosions and the sound of jets,” Roy told The Counterprogramming Club (TCC).
(@SamRaeRoy on Instagram, June 2025)
As soon as the couple made it through customs, all flights were cancelled out of Abu Dhabi. They’ve since spent 6 days stranded “in the missile targeted UAE” with no assistance from the U.S. State Department, Roy tells TCC.
The Al Dhafra Air Base is just miles from the Zayed International Airport where Roy landed.
Abu Dhabi is a waterfront city on the Persian Gulf, directly across the southern shores of Iran.
Roy is spending her time sheltering in place, “manifesting” and “praying.” Working out a new travel plan with the airline is challenging. The couple tried to get on a flight to Thailand, they were told it was full, but later learned from a passenger that it took off with 13 empty seats. The only flight available for less than $2,000 per person takes off on March 9th, but it departs from an airport in Muscat, Oman, a 5 hour drive from Abu Dhabi.
The misadventure began when Sam Rae Roy and her partner took off from the Boston Logan airport on Friday, February 27th at 4pm. The Trump Administration would launch Operation Epic Fury within hours of their flight departing.
TCC reached out to the State Department and Department of Defense for comments as to why flights took off from U.S. airports with destinations within the area of Operation Epic Fury, within hours of the first offensive strikes, but has yet to hear back.
Sam and her partner arrived in Abu Dhabi at 1pm local time, just before Iranian retaliation strikes made landfall in the UAE. 15 minutes after landing, an emergency alert came through on their phones “that the UAE had intercepted missiles fired by Iran at the Al Dhafra U.S. air base in Abu Dhabi.”
At this point in time, Roy didn’t know how much their travel plans would change. She told TCC: “We thought ‘oh I guess we shouldn’t go to the grand mosque on our layover.’ But as we deliberated our options, we saw that all flights had been cancelled.”
“We hit the internet and realized that not only was the air space closed in the UAE, but how close we were to landing around the time of Iran’s retaliation, which I believe was ~1:15pm.”
The couple, now stranded in the UAE amidst a regional war, went to the airline for next steps.
“‘As we made our way to the Etihad counter to find out our next steps, we heard three loud explosions overhead followed by the sound of jets. A 2nd attack. The airline told us to book our own hotel and request a refund later and off we went.”
The couple followed the State Department’s instructions, and registered for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which allows U.S. citizens and nationals abroad to receive emergency information from. They also “emailed the embassy” with their “information and whereabouts,” then proceeded to stay “inside the hotel.”
The U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs posted on Instagram, “We have no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” and instructed Americans in the Middle East to enroll in STEP.
Roy detailed the couple’s first few nights in the Abu Dhabi:
“It was eerie to us how calm everyone seemed, trusting in the UAE government to keep us safe despite the sonic booms we would hear every so often. On the third night, at ~2:30am we were woken up by the booming. It went on for 30-45 minutes pretty consistently. An alert came around the 15 minute mark. We were terrified but remained safe. It was the next morning that the state Department urged Americans to flee countries like the UAE by whatever commercial means necessary but there was no guidance for how.”
The couple made a constant effort to relocate, but to no avail. Attempts to solicit guidance from STEP were fruitless. “Calling the number posted by travel.gov led to a recording.” That recording communicated the following: “Please do not rely on the US.. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time. There are currently no U.S. evacuation points.” Roy shared a video of the automated recording that plays when you call the State Department number for “24/7” assistance:
Roy shared a message with Americans back home, writing:
“USA please reach a ceasefire agreement. It’s so easy to ignore what the US is doing until you are in the middle of it. Until you are hearing missiles get intercepted by the UAE from your bed.”
She’s documented the couple’s unplanned stay in Abu Dhabi on her travel-focused Instagram page.
Unlike the Dubai and Doha-based influencer crowd, some of whom arranged an evacuation by private jet with the help of Saudi and Qatari officials, Roy’s travel plans don’t revolve around luxury high-rises and private flights. She was just passing through the UAE, and hoped to see the local landmarks during her layover in Abu Dhabi.
Roy describes her travel-style since 2017 as “off the beaten path”, typically wearing hiking attire and carrying backpack, Roy frequents national parks and spent weeks in Central America roadtripping “potholed roads over dicy border crossings in a manual car.” For the typical American traveler, like Roy, getting caught in the Middle East at the beginning of the U.S. war on Iran is a harrowing experience.
After 5 days in the UAE, the couple didn’t give up on finding a flight anywhere outside of the war zone. “We are hopefully, possibly, manifesting, praying that all goes well, potentially getting on a flight to BKK [Bangkok, Thailand].” Roy told TCC. The couple found a potential route out of the Abu Dhabi, not thanks to the U.S. State Department or the airline, but a business class passenger on Etihad who flew to Thailand Tuesday, on a flight with “13 empty seats.” This was shocking news, as Roy had inquired about getting on that flight, but was told it “was completely full.”
After hearing flights were taking off to Thailand with more than enough room for additional passengers, the couple “called the airline to ask about this, essentially begging to get seats on [Wednesday’s] flight to Thailand and after two hours of pleases and thank you’s they finally agreed to,” Roy told TCC.
She was relieved and “interested to see how full it is, knowing there are thousands of people who would gladly go to Thailand instead of staying in the missile-targeted UAE. But still no flights to the U.S. are happening,” Roy explained to TCC.
The young traveler managed to keep her spirits up, joking that she now runs an “Abu Dhabi fitness influencer account” from the hotel gym.
In a sad but inspiring way, Sam Rae Roy turned her situation into a teaching moment for Americans watching back home, writing on her Instagram story: “When it’s calm, it’s a beautiful place. Hopefully we can continue on soon. For those that live here, it’s not an option. Our actions have consequences.”
Roy and her partner made it safely to Thailand on Thursday, March 5. They enjoyed a cold beer in Bangkok. Roy shared a photo with the caption: "I have a lot to unpack from our last ‘travel experience’ but I’ve never needed to live in the moment more.”
As U.S. aircraft travel back and forth from the region, and a multi-billion dollar offensive against Iran continues, it’s clear the U.S. has both the capacity and funds to bring Americans in the region to safety. The decision to abandon U.S. citizens and nationals in a war zone, especially after initiating the conflict, will be a permanent stain on the Trump Administration’s legacy, — not just in the minds of Americans, but for the rest of the world, who now see the U.S. government can no longer be depended upon to keep Americans safe while they travel abroad.
The POS president. 🤦😡