TUCSON, Arizona (KOLD News 13) - Rental car companies are busy this time of year, but they're even busier with flight cancellations across the country and in this town. Business is pouring in at Tucson International Airport.
"This is a busy time of cancellations," said Raymond Maynard, a car rental company.
Maynard and his family live in Sahuarita. They wanted to plan ahead of the weather and avoid flight disruptions. They drove to Los Angeles and he picked up his rental car on Wednesday.
"The manager gave us a $50 credit for the inconvenience. As a family, we appreciate it."
When flights are canceled, travelers like Raymond think twice before booking flights.
“All of our flights to LA are layovers from somewhere else.
Thousands of flights have been delayed or canceled across the country, leaving travelers stranded.
“I would rather spend eight hours in the car with my family than eight hours at the airport,” Maynard explains.
But now, a few days before the New Year, passengers are saying that air travel isn't so bad, and neither are rental cars.
“Our flight was delayed by an hour and a half, but we got here. Everything was smooth.
"The car rental was amazingly fast and I didn't know what to expect, especially during the holidays," said car rental agent Sussane Roman.
"It was easy, but I heard there was a line out the door yesterday," said Eric Demirzian, a car rental company.
A rental car employee who couldn't point the cameras said Tuesday was full of chaos.
The Tucson International Airport car rental company provided the following statement to KOLD News 13:
"...the last week's bad weather and widespread flight cancellations have increased demand for new bookings, rebookings and one-way rentals..."
They said they work hard to meet their customers' needs.
Nearby hotels declined to comment on whether the flight cancellations affected their business.
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