Flight delays at Albuquerque airport force travelers to rebook and stay overnight

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Travelers at the Albuquerque airport say delays and diversions left them stranded, with some rebooking flights, renting cars or staying overnight.

KOB 4 spoke with several travelers Saturday at the Albuquerque airport after flight problems disrupted their trips.

“There’s no JetBlue people; there’s no JetBlue anything. So, we had nothing, no one knew what to do,” said JetBlue passenger Kami Ferraiz.

Ferraiz said a medical emergency forced her Lauderdale-to-Los Angeles flight to divert to Albuquerque after the national grounding.

“Albuquerque. We’re like, why can’t we be in Vegas? But it was fine because everybody was tired,” said Ferraiz.

“Nobody knew what to do. They said, ‘Hey, we’re sending you vouchers. If you need to go to get a hotel, get a hotel,'” said Ferraiz.

Other travelers told KOB 4 their flights were not canceled but delays still left them stuck and forced some to change their plans.

“I actually did not realize until I got to the airport after an hour’s drive that my flight was delayed enough that I will miss my connection. And so then just had to reschedule the entire trip,” said traveler Tara Garcia Mathewson.

Mathewson said she spent her morning at the airport while waiting to get to her hotel room.

“So I’m very grateful for these comfortable seats in the Albuquerque airport. I’ve been working and hope to take a nap,” said Mathewson.

What happens next?

KOB 4 also spoke with travelers who said they had completely rebooked with different airlines, while others planned to wait several more hours or spend the night at the airport.

“The next flight to my city is tomorrow morning, at 5:30 a.m.,” said traveler Kiana Hale.

Hale said she was supposed to be home in Las Vegas and now worries about making an international flight to Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

“Because I think it’s a domino effect from yesterday’s grounding,” said Hale. “Now everyone is trying to get on their flights. The flights are canceled. So I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.”

Hale said she planned to spend the night at the airport while waiting for that early morning flight.

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