In the lobby of a tired hotel near Doha airport, stranded travelers wear identical fake Adidas T-shirts bought from a nearby store and swap tips on where to buy underwear.
“It’s our uniform,” said Erika Macikova. The 49-year-old Slovak winemaker was returning from a retreat in Sri Lanka when she became stranded in the Qatari capital. Her luggage remains at the airport, but she was evacuated to a hotel alongside hundreds of other passengers.
With no spare clothes, Macikova tracked down open shops and began sharing their names with fellow globetrotters. Tens of thousands of travelers across the Middle East were entering a third day of limbo after escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran disrupted flights worldwide and forced the closure of major airports including Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub.
