Backup of rental car reservations leaves travelers stranded at Orlando International Airport
Customers at Orlando International Airport said they have rental reservations but cannot get cars.
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Customers physically showed Channel 9 their reservations they had made and paid for months ago.
When they got to the counter, the rental agencies told them there were no cars available.
Hundreds of people were waiting in long lines Friday to get cars and some said it was their second day in line.
Families were forced to take Ubers to their hotels while they worked to figure out what to do next.
Travelers said they were frustrated as they tried to start their vacations.
“I got eight people, four kids and four adults so I need a car,” Tammy Pelland said. “I need a big car.”
Some travelers spent the night in garages, hoping to get lucky and grab a car coming in. Rental car companies told them to try again another day.
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Traveler Darlene Ghents said her family could not pick up their car Saturday, even though they made a reservation several weeks prior.
“We made phone calls, (and) no one could help on the phone,” she said. “They tell you to go online (but) no one could help you, so we are all just stranded.”
They were able to rebook for Sunday, but after talking to the rental agency, Ghents said she is not convinced the situation will be fixed by then.
“She said, ‘Well, you do have it booked, but we don’t know if it’s gonna be there tomorrow,” Ghents said.
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Ghents said the rental company told her there was a mix-up in booking and now there are not enough cars to accommodate the reservations.
The most significant backup appears at Hertz, Budget and Dollar and Thrifty.
Channel 9 reached out to those companies for an explanation and to see if there are cars for the people waiting.
Check back for updates to this story on Eyewitness News.
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