The nationwide ground stop disrupted my flight to a Vegas conference, but I hitched a ride and got there in 6 hours

Flights halted at the gate

Santos, a 43-year-old business consultant for female founders from Phoenix, said her flight was delayed before passengers boarded. She overheard a gate agent mention a ground stop, and passengers waited at the gate for 45 minutes before being told to get off the plane.

An announcement said the FAA had grounded all US flights. At first, passengers stayed calm, but some began asking whether they should rebook as the disruption continued.

A friend offered a seat

Santos was scheduled to speak at her friend Alexis’s business conference the next morning and worried about letting her down. Fortunately, her friend was still at home and offered Santos a place in her Kia SUV; Santos had found that no rental cars were available.

Marisol’s husband, Francisco, drove, with Marisol in the front passenger seat. Marisol’s friend Jess and Santos rode in the back.

A rainy road trip

The group stopped at Buc-ee’s for snacks and In-N-Out for meat patties. They sang along to a ’90s hip-hop playlist and talked during the drive. Heavy rain forced them to pull over several times. The 300-mile trip to Las Vegas took seven hours, including breaks, and Santos was able to moderate her panel after all.