Immigration

After being accepted by EPIK to teach English in South Korea, an agency in Canada called Orange Travel booked my flights and accommodation. The original itinerary was to have me and another teacher spend the night at the Grand Hyatt across the street from the Incheon Airport.

I received a call from my agent later that week. She informed me that due to Korea's immigration laws, I was not permitted to leave the airport since Seoul was not my final destination. So the new plan was for us to stay at the hotel inside the airport. 

When I arrived, for some reason I followed my fellow foreigners through immigration. After entering the terminal, I showed my itinerary to the woman at the information booth. She said I can't stay at this hotel because it's located before immigration and it's illegal to go back through. But I was also told that it was illegal for me to leave, which left me with one option: to sleep on a chair in the terminal. 

It took me 5 hours to resolve my issue. I had to get my luggage, take a taxi to a cheap nearby guesthouse, and transfer my connecting flight from Incheon to Gimpo. 

At EPIK Orientation I met the guy who was supposed to be my roommate. I told him it took me 5 hours to get a new hotel. He said it took him 3 hours to find the correct one.  

What's the biggest mistake you've made at an airport?