Travelers at Pittsburgh International Airport vow to never fly Southwest Airlines again after massive cancellations
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Many travelers at Pittsburgh International Airport are frustrated after a wave of Southwest Airlines flight cancellations.
It does not take long to find stranded Southwest Airlines passengers at Pittsburgh International Airport.
"It's been a nightmare," said Daniel Ramos of Arizona on Tuesday.
Daniel and Michelle Ramos vacationed in New York City and their flight home got canceled. They found a flight in Pittsburgh, got a rental car, and then another cancelation.
They are stuck in Pittsburgh until New Year's Eve.
"We can't get on a flight until Saturday morning, for a whopping $3,300 because we have to fly first class," Daniel Ramos said.
Now their son's girlfriend's parents are picking them up and they are staying with them.
"Hell," Michelle Ramos said. "It's just been awful. Stressful. We don't even have a car."
David Cooper of Fort Collins, Colorado has experienced two cancelations while trying to fly to Nashville to see his daughter. He tried getting out of Pittsburgh via bus, train and car, but could not get out of the city.
Now his son-in-law is driving 600 miles to pick him up in Pittsburgh.
"He is driving here as we speak. He's picking me up and we are going right back to Nashville," Cooper said.
All of the car rental places at the airport are sold out, but Cindy Puhalla of Nashville was fortunate to get one.
"I was nervous I wasn't going to get it," she said. "I had to upgrade to a Dodge Durango from an economy car. It's worth it for me to get home."
A Pittsburgh International Airport spokesperson said Southwest Airlines had 50 scheduled flights for Tuesday and 39 were canceled. On Wednesday, there are 38 cancellations, all Southwest flights.
"I've made my last flight on Southwest," Cooper said. "I'm going to other airlines."
"I want nothing out of them," Ramos said.