Teacher With a 48

Trevor Boffone was part of the 31-person group that was stranded in Osaka, Japan, earlier this week.

As Insider previously reported, Boffone, a Spanish teacher at Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston, Texas, was on a nine-day Japan trip booked through EF Tours. He traveled with 30 other students, teachers, and parents.

Boffone said the group had an American Airlines flight reservation that would get them from Osaka to Tokyo via American's partner, Japan Airlines. From Tokyo, the group would take a long-haul flight to Dallas and make a final connection to Houston.

But when they arrived at the Osaka airport on August 11, Boffone said they were told that American Airlines did not send their flight information to Japan Airlines, and therefore they didn't have tickets for the flight to Tokyo.

After two days, the tour operator worked with American Airlines to get the group home, Boffone said.

The teacher said he and others embarked on a 48-hour journey that took them to Bangkok, Thailand; Munich, Germany; Charlotte, North Carolina; and finally, Houston.

After getting some rest, Boffone shared with Insider what he thinks he did right and wrong during the trip — as well as his advice for others handling a travel nightmare.

Boffone and the group booked their trip through American Airlines with EF Tours. He said the flights had been paid for and the group had received flight confirmations.

The restrictions of a group booking meant that they had to check into the airport on the day of their flight. When they reached the check-in desk for American's partner, Japan Airlines, representatives told them that they didn't have a booking, Boffone said.

In a statement sent to Insider, Japan Airlines confirmed that the group didn't have a reservation on the flight from Osaka to Tokyo.

"Unfortunately the flight was already full and we were not able to make a reservation for the passengers on this record," the statement from Japan Airlines said, adding that they "believe the tour agency was aware of that situation."

A representative for EF Tours told Insider that its "booking records have always designated the group's flights as confirmed in our system."

"We regret that the group's flights were disrupted due to what appears to have been a booking miscommunication between American Airlines and Japan Airlines," the tour-group representative said.

American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.

"You're handcuffed to the restrictions of a group booking," Boffone told Insider.

"I really don't know if there's anything we could have done differently in terms of preventing this from happening," he added.

Boffone said he travels frequently, so when the long-haul flight home was approaching, he prepared items to make the trip easier.

For example, he said he made sure to bring multiple changes of clothes and toiletries like body wipes, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and face wipes.

Twice on the 48-hour journey, Boffone "showered" in the airport bathrooms. He'd soap up using a washcloth and airport soap and then wipe his arms, underarms, and face clean. Then he'd change into a fresh set of clothes and brush his teeth.

"That is something I definitely recommend," he said. "The people I was with who did not change seemed to feel a little grosser."

Boffone said other items in his backpack also became essential. He packed snacks so he'd never be hungry, energy patches to give him a boost, and a neck pillow for rest.

"The idea is that you're doing all of these things to put yourself in a position to succeed," he said. "To succeed in not being miserable, to succeed in sleeping, to succeed in feeling better."

With 48 hours spent on planes and in airports, Boffone said there were a few things he regrets not packing.

While having a toothbrush was handy, he said he wished he had mouthwash as well.

He also said slippers would've been a major help — a tip he learned from the TV host Samantha Brown. Boffone said he remembered the tip and packed a pair of single-use hotel slippers, but they quickly fell apart in the Bangkok airport.

As a traveler who gets swollen feet and ankles, Boffone said having other shoe options will be something he prioritizes in his carry-on for all future trips.

Finally, Boffone forgot to pack his glasses and the case for his contacts.

"I essentially had to do the entire 48 hours without taking my contacts out," Boffone said, adding that it wasn't comfortable at all.

He'll be double-checking for both of those items before all future flights, he said.

After landing in Houston, Boffone hopped in an Uber home. He was delirious, and during the entire ride home, he said he felt both nauseous and dizzy.

He attributed this to exhaustion.

Looking back, Boffone was thankful that these feelings were short-lived. He said he thinks that if he hadn't prioritized sleep on every flight, that feeling would've set in earlier and lasted for longer.

"We were very aware from the beginning that we needed to sleep as much as possible," he said. "I didn't watch a movie, I didn't read, I didn't listen to music. I forced myself to sleep — or at least try to sleep."

Boffone and the group had a nine-hour layover in Bangkok.

The Bangkok airport had a hotel attached to it, but Boffone remembers thinking that it wasn't worth the cost.

If he made the trip again, though, he would pay for a hotel room.

"There were four adults that were with me," Boffone said. "And we could've split that room four ways, and it wouldn't have been a lot of money."

Having a hotel room would have allowed Boffone to get a proper nap in a bed and take a shower.

"I think sometimes it seems like a big expense, but once you look at what it does for you, it might actually be worth it in the long run," he said.

Boffone said he had no desire to lug a heavy carry-on suitcase through three different airports and deal with it for 48 hours.

He had strategically taken out anything that was important in the bag, so all it held was clothes.

Navigating the airports was easy, he said, but his suitcase was left behind in Munich and he arrived home without his bag.

"It's just clothes," Boffone said. So as long as he gets his bag back or is compensated for it, he said he doesn't regret the decision.

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