You DID offer to help, a very generous offer, and so did the rest of us. I find it nearly improbable that AA/BA would refuse to take him home given their liability to do so. We gave him many options, and as far as we know, none were taken.

I'd still go with rationalizing a decision to stay in the country illegaly, IMHO.

It's like when it snows out before I need to go to work. I know the roads are probably ok, but I'll call colleagues to see if they're not going. I'll watch the weather and pick up on even the slightest suggestion it's not safe to go out. I'm rationalizing my decision to not go to work! It's all very fact based, but that's what I'm doing.

Even down to the dog tripping incident. I'm sorry, but just short of actually breaking his leg (which he didn't suggest happened) you can get on the plane. I'm not saying it would be comfortable, but if you REALLY need to get on that plane, you'd find a way.

The OP seems to keep suggesting issues or roadblocks to every solution given to him - even now, seemingly turing down offers to pay for his plane ticket!

He seems to be pushing us towards coming to the conlusion "you're right, it's impossible... you might as well stay!".

Which of course, none of us are going to say. And 31 pages later he's gotten bored and buggered off.

maybe he's stowed away on a container ship...that'd take a few months to get back, and he'd have no internet access whilst on board???...

Oooh, I suggested he do that - or something else