A passenger flying between Los Angeles and Northern California ends up in New Zealand. Why? He boarded a flight for Auckland, instead of Oakland.

Or there’s the story of the passenger who wanted to fly to Nice, in France, and ended up in Tunis, in Tunisia.

First, you need to know your three-letter airport codes. MAD doesn’t mean Madison, Wisconsin. It means Madrid.

And once you’ve figured out the codes, always ask for a paper boarding pass. Remember those? It’s hard copy proof of where you’re actually going. Want more reassurance?

Bring along a pocket atlas. It comes in handy to double check not just your destination, but the distances between cities.