Sunday thunderstorms led to major travel disruptions for thousands of passengers at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
“I’ve never seen a scene like that at an airport. Everyone was extremely frustrated and confused wondering why for the rain, it’s not like it’s a hurricane or anything. Why are the flights canceled for so many days,” said Madison Loeffler, who is now stranded in Miami.
Most travelers were told the next available flights were on Wednesday. Many passengers then rushed to the rental car area to try and drive home.
“We had a car reservation but they told us a reservation did not guarantee you a car. They made too many reservations,” said Stephen Daniel.
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Daniel was one of the few who was able to snag a rental car. While he made a line at Hertz, his father-in-law waited at Budget and they managed to get the last vehicle late Sunday.
There is currently high demand and low vehicle supply, according to Enterprise Holdings.
“A key challenge contributing to rental availability is low vehicle supply, due in part to the recent global chip shortage impacting new vehicle availability. We have been working closely with our manufacturing partners since last summer to continue to add vehicles to our fleet to meet the ongoing increase in demand,” said a spokesperson for Enterprise.
Local
Helena Meudt and her husband just returned from their honeymoon in Antigua. After an emergency landing in the Bahamas, lost baggage, and no flight to Texas until the middle of the week, it’s safe to say the newlywed experience has already been an adventure.
“I feel like we’re kind of in that movie 'Just Married' a little bit where everything kinda goes wrong towards the end so we’re kind of making light of it. It’ll be a great ending later on down the line,” said Helena Meudt.
