NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The nationwide ground stop may be over, but the travel nightmare is far from finished for passengers at Nashville International Airport.
Long lines formed at rental car counters Friday as travelers scrambled to find another way home following widespread flight delays and cancellations. Some passengers reported extended waits on the tarmac, while others found themselves stranded in Music City with limited options for transportation or overnight accommodations.
Although the ground stop has been lifted and flights have resumed, the ripple effects continue to create headaches for passengers trying to get home.
Six rental car companies report being sold out
The disruptions have sent travelers flooding into BNA’s rental car area, where long lines, limited staffing and a shortage of available vehicles have created another obstacle.
During an availability check obtained by FOX 17 News, six of the airport’s 10 rental car companies were reporting they were sold out.
Rental car availability at the time of the check:
- SOLD OUT: Alamo, Avis, Dollar, Enterprise, National and Thrifty
- AVAILABLE SATURDAY: Budget and Hertz
- AVAILABLE LATE SATURDAY: Payless
- AVAILABLE: SIXT
Availability is subject to change as companies receive returned vehicles and process new reservations.
For Anthony Sena, a traveler from Miami, what should have been a routine trip home turned into an unexpected overnight stay in Nashville.
I’m from Miami, and I’m trying to get back home. And that’s not going to happen tonight,” he told FOX 17 News.
Sena was among the travelers waiting in the rental car area, where he described lengthy lines and limited staffing at some counters.
“They just announced that if you don’t have a reservation, don’t stay in line, which I hope they’re getting notified because this line looks like it could be another few hours,” he said.
Sena estimated only a couple of employees were working at the counter where he was waiting.
And they’re understaffed. I think they got maybe two people there,” he said. “It’s almost like a movie.
With no immediate way home, Sena said his group decided to split up. Some planned to rent a car and drive back to Miami, while he opted to remain in Nashville rather than make the lengthy drive.
But finding somewhere to stay presented another challenge.
“We got lucky. So the hotel we booked had only two rooms left,” Anthony said.
He said his group managed to secure one of the remaining rooms at the AC Marriott near Broadway.
Long lines formed at rental car counters Friday as travelers scrambled to find another way home following widespread flight delays and cancellations. (WZTV)
Travelers consider 20-hour drive to avoid further flight disruptions
For some passengers, the uncertainty surrounding air travel was enough to start making alternative plans before their flights were even canceled.
Danny Whitney and his group of 10 were visiting Nashville from Maine. Although their return flight was not scheduled until Saturday, they decided to look into rental cars Friday in hopes of avoiding further disruptions.
“Our first reaction was to rent the car,” Whitney said. “We went online and tried to see what was available.”
Even with a reservation, Whitney was unsure whether his group would actually be able to secure a vehicle because of the demand.
“There’s a big line here. So we’re not sure if there’s going to be anything even though we have a reservation,” he said.
Their backup plan? A roughly 20-hour drive north.
“It’s kind of a long drive, 20 hours north to Maine,” Whitney said. “Ten of us in a couple of compact cars might make for an interesting road trip.”
Whitney said the group hoped to leave Nashville Friday evening and make it home by Saturday night.
Despite the uncertainty and crowded rental car counters, he said most travelers appeared to be handling the situation calmly.
“There’s a ton of people. We expected that. But everybody’s calm, and everybody’s been nice so far,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. Stay calm. Stay nice.”
Although the ground stop has been lifted and flights have resumed, the ripple effects continue to create headaches for passengers trying to get home. (WZTV)
Back-to-back technology disruptions leave passengers questioning reliability
Friday’s nationwide ground stop came just one day after a separate Microsoft outage, leaving some passengers questioning the reliability of the technology systems they depend on when traveling.
Shane Pitts, who was headed to Oklahoma City, said he learned about the ground stop while traveling to the airport.
He described receiving changing flight status updates as he tried to determine whether his trip would proceed as scheduled.
“I’m wondering if it has anything to do with what they were going on yesterday with Microsoft,” Pitts said. “It makes you wonder.”
There has been no confirmed connection between the two incidents.
For another traveler, Matt, the situation brought back memories of Southwest Airlines’ widespread holiday disruptions several years ago.
Matt, a Nashville resident originally from New Jersey, was headed to Philadelphia for a pickle festival when Friday’s disruption threatened his travel plans.
He recalled previously being forced to drive from the Philadelphia area to Nashville after Southwest canceled flights during the holidays.
But finding a rental car was not easy then, either.
“I remember that when I went to go get a rental car, they were all sold out,” he said.
Matt said he eventually had to travel to Toms River, New Jersey, to find a vehicle so he could drive back to Nashville in time for work.
That experience left him questioning whether the aviation system is adequately prepared for another major disruption.
“How are we not already prepared for this? You know, how do we not have a backup plan?” Matt said. “Because we’ve been through this before.”
He also expressed concern for tourists stranded in Nashville who may have jobs, family responsibilities, or other obligations waiting for them at home.
“I feel for the people that have to be at work the next day, or they were just here on a quick bachelorette trip or something along the lines of that,” Matt said. “Hopefully everybody can at least make it home safely to their family.”
Ground stop lifted, but ripple effects continue at BNA
Although the nationwide ground stop has been lifted, the disruptions at Nashville International Airport have continued.
Travelers reported significant flight delays, cancellations, and extended waits aboard aircraft on the tarmac. Those disruptions have sent passengers searching for alternative transportation, adding pressure to rental car counters and rideshare pickup areas.
FOX 17 News also received reports of major backups at rideshare pickup locations, creating additional challenges for passengers simply trying to leave the airport.
Meanwhile, travelers whose flights were canceled or pushed back were left searching for last-minute hotel rooms, with some reporting limited availability.
The combination of delayed flights, crowded rental car counters and unexpected overnight stays has created a ripple effect that may take time to resolve, even with planes moving again.
For travelers like Anthony, the immediate priority remains finding a way home.
“I’m concerned. It’s not something that happens all the time,” he said. “But I hope that the right people are doing the right things to get this resolved.”
While the nationwide ground stop is over, for many passengers at BNA, getting home remains anything but easy.
Source: fox17.com
