FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Spirit Airlines travelers are dealing with another day of delays and cancelations, including at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where many of them were forced to wait in long lines and even sleep at the airport while waiting to be rebooked.
“The worst experience of my life,” Deniqua Holloway told Local 10 News.
Holloway, who is stranded at FLL, is one of thousands of Spirit Airlines customers who are stranded across the country amid flight cancellations.
She said she’s trying to get home to Dallas.
“They won’t get us home,” she said. “We get our flight here and then they tell us it’s canceled.”
On Monday, Spirit reported more than 200 canceled flights, and there were scores of more canceled flights on Tuesday.
“I need a way home,” Holloway said. “I have no money and I’m stuck in this airport.”
“What is the airline telling you?” Local 10 News reporter Saira Anwer asked.
“It’s nothing they can do,” Holloway said.
On Tuesday morning, it looked like just one ticketing agent was trying to manage a long line at FLL.
“I’m stuck here with my two kids and I can’t even walk,” Lynnette Lopez said.
Lopez and her family have been trying to get back to Kansas.
She said she spent the night in her wheelchair after her flight was canceled.
“It’s just been a nightmare,” Lopez said.
And then there’s the luggage debacle. No one seems to know if they should wait or retrieve their luggage and they say they’re getting no directions from the airline.
Spirit Airlines released the following statement Monday:
“We’re working around the clock to get back on track in the wake of some travel disruptions over the weekend due to a series of weather and operational challenges. We needed to make proactive cancellations to some flights across the network, but the majority of flights are still scheduled as planned. We understand how frustrating it is for our Guests when plans change unexpectedly, and we’re working to find solutions.”
We’re also learning that American Airlines is dealing with trouble of their own.
As of Tuesday morning, the airline has cancelled 276 flights for the day after they canceled more than 400 on Monday.
The airline said Monday’s cancelations were due to bad weather in Dallas, which forced a re-positioning of planes and crews.