Interesting travel experience

Flying one way and then returning on the same air path

My flight situation from Istanbul to Sarajevo, Bosnia was a very interesting and unique experience, due to the fact that the one way flight turned into a round trip flight, even as we flew all the way to Sarajevo.  We boarded a little late and then the flight was normal, and then we started descending normal, and then pretty much right as we were about to land, literally less than 100 feet, we pulled up suddenly and started a steep climb and kept going for more than 10 minutes without knowing anything.  Super quiet on the plane.  Finally they announced in Turkish and then broken English what was happening. I understood bad weather and fog and ice, and so we were not landing then, but then I asked the guy next to me where we were going and he said back to Istanbul.  Not to a nearby airport in Serbia, Croatia or anywhere in the area.  All the way back to Istanbul, almost 2 hours away.  Crazy.  The quiet planed turned into a loud, unhappy and argumentative group, asking loads of questions of the flight attendants, who barely had enough information themselves.  But we were going back  no matter what.  When we arrived and got off they said they were getting a hotel for all of us, and they would keep the baggage for us, unless we wanted it.

We had to give our passports again to say we were leaving the airport.  This whole process involved lots of waiting, not a lot being told to us, and took 1 and a half hours before we left the airport.  People getting pushy by this time waiting around doing nothing, as it was past midnight by then, when our flight had been supposed to arrive in Sarajevo at 8:35pm.  Then we went outside to the buses and had people pushing around cutting each other off to get into the buses.  Two babies on the flight so most people let them go on the buses first, but not everyone. 

Then to the hotel, 15 minutes away and a nice place, set up for airport problems with flight screens in the lobby.  Again the whole form a line thing didn't work out so well and people yelled at the check in people.  But I eventually got a room with the guy who shared his phone internet with me, Mehmet.  Nice guy.  Pretty sweet room with two single beds.  Got to bed around 2am, when our flight had been originally scheduled for 7:40pm earlier that night. 

Breakfast at 6:45am which was really good.  Being a traveler, I took some extras for the road.  The buses came late to pick us up, and then back at the airport we didn't know what to do at the start until finally the airline took charge and said they had all our boarding passes and had us go to a separate counter.  Again pushy people.  As I was going through security check in, they announced our flight was one hour later now.  Maybe because we were late going through everything at the airport, or because of weather.  In any case, the plane was pushed back over an hour before we finally took off.

In certain parts of the world, people applaud as soon as the airplane touches ground in the new city. This time, it as if the Beatles were coming on stage.  Lots of relief and smiles around.  And also people standing up and getting their bags as we were taxiing in to the gate.  Finally made it to Sarajevo around 16 hours later than planned, having flown to Sarajevo twice in that time period.  Not your usual flight experience.

Another blurry photo of our plane going back the way it came.