I hardly ever watch TV -- except with the kids. I distinctly remember this as a plot about ten years ago on a show with the twins Ashley and Kate Olson. One of the Olson girls, whose fictional home was San Francisco, decided to play a trick on her Dad by sneaking on a plane to Oakland, but wound up you know where.
As for the confusion of the two San Joses, I'll bet it happens from time to time. And don't St. Johns and St. John's, in Canada, both have commercial airports? That's an even easier mistake because you don't need different visas.
You're right. The exact same thing happened to another ditzy tourist lady about 5 years ago. It might have been the reverse - headed for Costa Rica but ended up in California . . .