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A popular YouTuber has sparked a wave of mockery and criticism online after claiming he was “stranded” due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, only to reveal that flights were indeed available—he simply refused to fly in economy class.
Airline reviewer Nonstop Dan recently released a video claiming he is unable to get back to Europe from Singapore due to a lack of flights. But halfway through the video, viewers realized he had been looking for premium cabins only, as economy seats with various airlines are still available.
YouTuber Claims To Be Stuck In Singapore
On Wednesday, YouTube reviewer Nonstop Dan — a well-known influencer in the aviation scene with over one million subscribers — published a video titled ‘There Are No Flights Left’, telling viewers that he was stuck in Singapore with no way to get home to Europe. This is a similar situation that hundreds of thousands have faced in the past week, following the sudden closure of Middle Eastern airspace and the suspension of operations at major hubs like 
Dubai International Airport(DXB) and 
Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH).
The influencer said in the video that he was ticketed to fly from Bali to Dubai via a stopover at 
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), but airspace closures occurred mid-way through his journey, leaving him marooned in Singapore. However, after claiming that there were no available seats to fly back to Europe, viewers realized there were still economy tickets available, but Nonstop Dan was only considering premium cabins.
In a pinned comment on his video, Nonstop Dan said,
“Lots of you saying “just fly economy!” and I totally get that. The few remaining economy seats are going for $1500+ per person one-way and even those will be booked up soon. I mentioned premium cabins because that’s what this channel usually covers.”
Video Title And Content Have Since Been Changed
With scores of comments pointing out the contradiction in his stranded narrative, the YouTuber has since re-titled and edited the video, renaming it to ‘Millions Of Travelers Are About To Be Stranded’ and reducing its length by over a minute. He did at least address the controversy in a pinned comment below the video, claiming that the “few” remaining seats were all priced exorbitantly at $1500 or above each way.
He added that there is “barely anything available for the next two weeks,” and that these remaining fares would likely be booked up imminently. Some commenters pointed out that he could likely find premium capacity by transiting through the US, although this would be a longer itinerary than a direct flight to Europe.
Nonstop Dan — a Swedish-American whose real name is Daniel Goz — has over 700 videos published to his YouTube account, with the average video attracting hundreds of thousands of views. His most popular video is titled ‘Brutally Honest Review Of Etihad’s A380 First Class Apartment,’ which currently has over 12 million views. The channel’s content focuses on premium cabins, as well as travel hacking tips, such as maximizing points and miles.
Chartering Out Of Chaos: The Risky Business Of War-Zone Extracts
Amidst escalating hostilities, a two-tier evacuation unfolds, with private jets ferrying the fortunate few while others face uncertainty.
Repatriation Flights Step Up
The outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East has left hundreds of thousands in the lurch, with repatriation flights currently active to bring stranded citizens home. While this will primarily be handled by commercial aircraft, some military aircraft are also getting involved. According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, over 23,000 of approximately 44,000 flights scheduled to fly to and from the Middle East since Thursday have been canceled.
Some have also resorted to private charters, which typically involve a lengthy trip by road to a neighboring country’s airport, as well as a very expensive plane ticket. Regular economy ticket prices have also skyrocketed, given the huge demand for capacity. As Nonstop Dan noted, seats that would ordinarily sell for a few hundred dollars are now priced in the thousands.
