ONE FOR THE ROAD!
Stranded passengers turn airline ordeal into adventure of lifetime
THIRTEEN stranded strangers piled into a rented van for an overnight road trip after their flight was suddenly canceled — finding friendship and internet fame as their spontaneous adventure went viral like the holiday movie classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy! After the unlucky folks w were grounded in Orlando, th they were stunned to learn Fr Frontier Airlines couldn’t ge get them on another plane to Knoxville, Tenn., for at le least 48 hours! That’s when one peeved pa passenger announced she w was renting a vehicle and sh shouted out an invitation for others to jo join her!
Alanah Story recalls milling about at the customer service center when he her mom, Renee, said, “We’re headed do downstairs to get this van with all these pe people!”
In addition to Alanah and her mother, the th gang included a family with plans to visit the University of Tennessee, agriculture ag expert Michelle Miller, who was w slated to make a keynote address in the Marble City, two Mexico-based Europeans Eu and some solo travelers — including one who admitted hitching a ride “for a good time!”
Alanah shared a clip of the boisterous band’s journey on TikTok, and the video soon amassed nearly 4 million views! Michelle believes their story attracted attention because it was about turning a “sh**ty situation” into “something awesome.”
After more than ten hours, the baker’s dozen arrived at their destination, and now Alanah says she’s planning another trip with some of her new pals — to a karaoke bar!