A winter storm ravaged through the United States, prompting Southwest Airlines to scrub thousands of flights amid the holidays. While most travelers were left stranded, some took matters into their own hands.
Bob Mayer told NBC affiliate station TMJ4 he was trying to journey to Milwaukee from Houston on Dec. 23 after spending time aboard a Christmas-themed cruise. When he was in line to catch his Southwest plane, his flight was cancelled.
The station reported Mayer rebooked his flight for the following day, which happened to be Christmas Eve. But then, another cancellation rolled in, rescheduling his trip to Dec. 25. He locked in a flight to New Orleans, which he took to St. Louis. That trip wasn't without its share of troubles, though. After a delay, Mayer eventually wound up in the city on Dec. 26, a day after Christmas.
While at the airport in St. Louis, Mayer called his neighbor, Jeni Summers, who was back in Horicon, Wisconsin.
Summers told the station she offered to pick Mayer up, which she kept her word on. While making the six-hour drive to Mayer, Summers extended her trip to others who might be in need of a ride.
"I've been hearing on the news that there's a lot of people stranded," Summers recalled saying to Mayer over the phone, according to the station. "So, if you find anybody else that wants to come along that's coming to Milwaukee, we might as well grab as many people we can fit in the car."
That's when Mayer spotted Alex Trick, a man sporting a Green Bay Packers hat at the airport. He asked if Trick and his wife wanted a ride to Wisconsin, and the couple took the offer up, despite being complete strangers, the station reported. Originally, the two were supposed to fly to Milwaukee from St. Louis.
The station said Summers arrived at the St. Louis airport around midnight Dec. 27. The four hopped in the car, with Tick taking the wheel for the trip home.
"We found out that we had a decent amount in common, so it was fun," Tick told the station. "Made a couple of new friends we didn't expect to make."
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