The phrase, "We're going to the 'ship" took on an entirely new meaning as airports overflowed with Pasadena-bound travelers the days leading up to the national championship. Airports were so crowded the idea of nautical travel began to sound like a more plausible way home for many Auburn fans.
Planes stranded because of snowstorm Hercules in the North caused a chaotic domino effect sure to be a nightmare on any normal week. Thousands of people venturing to the national championship created a backup in airports throughout the country. This unfavorable weather continued for days, and by the time Auburn fans made their way home, airports were swamped.
"We made it onto our plane out of LAX [Los Angeles International Airport] without any problem," said Julia Bottcher, junior in biomedical science. "We were sitting on the runway for a long time and everyone started getting worried because we only had a 45-minute layover once we landed in Salt Lake City."
While Bottcher, her brother and her dad were in the air, their connecting flight in Salt Lake City took off for Atlanta without them.
Tuesday was filled with the unexpected for those en route to the airports, including Elise Mercer.
Mercer, a junior in chemistry, said she woke up to five missed calls Jan. 7. Her father was trying to tell her that her flight had been canceled, and she would need to get on an earlier one. She rushed out to her taxi still zipping bags shut, only to spend an hour and a half in Los Angeles traffic, where she would rack up a $121 fare.
"I finally got to the airport and just started begging for a flight home," Mercer said. "The lady said the earliest they could get me out was Thursday afternoon, so I thanked her and started looking for tickets on my phone."
Mercer found a ticket that would get her to Houston on Tuesday night. After talking to airport personnel and managers for more than an hour, she received the ticket with only the promise of a spot on the standby list in Houston on Wednesday.
"I made it to Houston and was at my friend's house for a grand total of 4 hours before I was back at the airport waiting on standby," Mercer said.
While Mercer waited, she said she listened as airline employees attempted to coax passengers off of the plane with impressive ticket vouchers.
Meanwhile, Bottcher and her family experienced their own headaches in Salt Lake City. After hours of speaking with various people, Bottcher found a flight to Atlanta with three seats still open.
"We bought the tickets, rushed through security and ran all the way to our gate," Bottcher said. "Once we got there, they turned us away and said the plane was full."
Despite the pandemonium, Bottcher said everyone remained calm and tried to make the best of the situation. She and her family eventually made it on a flight to Charlotte, then to Atlanta and finally back home. Bottcher was even able to meet ESPN sports broadcaster Lee Corso in the process.
Mercer, luckily, made it onto her flight as a standby passenger. She said she laughed about an empty seat next to hers as the plane finally lifted off the runway to take her home.
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