Newlyweds planned to watch World Cup in Salvador, Brazil - ended up in San Salvador, El Salvador
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Orin and Melissa van Lingen had carefully planned their long-awaited honeymoon around the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
After marrying in June, the couple postponed their trip to save enough money to attend the global football tournament.
However, an extraordinary mix-up by their travel agent meant the pair were flown to San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, rather than Salvador, the Brazilian city hosting the match they had tickets for.
Key takeaways
- Australian newlyweds were mistakenly sent to El Salvador instead of Brazil for the World Cup.
- The couple missed the Spain vs Netherlands match they had tickets for.
- The travel agency admitted the error and arranged flights to Brazil.
World Cup dream turns to disappointment
The newlyweds had purchased tickets to watch the Group B clash between Spain and the Netherlands, one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.Instead of sitting in the stadium among thousands of fans in Brazil, the couple were forced to watch the match on television - in an entirely different country.
Speaking to the Sunday Territorian, Mrs van Lingen said:
We were completely devastated.
The hardest part was seeing my husband's face - it was heartbreaking.
Travel agent admits error
The confusion reportedly occurred because the booking listed San Salvador rather than Salvador, a mistake that dramatically altered the couple's destination.Salvador is a major coastal city in Brazil and one of the host cities for the World Cup, whilst San Salvador lies more than 4,000 kilometres away in Central America.
After learning about the error, the travel agency responsible for the booking stepped in to resolve the situation.
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Shop Featured Deals (Fast Checkout)Couple finally headed to Brazil
Following the blunder, the agency arranged new travel plans to send the couple to Brazil so they could continue their honeymoon and experience the World Cup atmosphere they had planned for months.Whilst the unexpected detour left them disappointed, the van Lingens were relieved that their trip could still be salvaged.
Their story has since become a cautionary tale for travellers, and a reminder to double-check destination details before boarding a plane.
