CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – It was an adventure 12 Pennsylvania Boy Scouts didn’t quite bargain for — trapped in Charlotte for at least three days on their way to a seven-day sailing and coral reef exploration excursion in the Florida Keys.
Their original trip was scheduled as a direct flight from Philadelphia to Florida around 6 a.m. Saturday morning. It was unfortunately canceled.
The group says their second flight from Philly was also canceled, this time as they were actually boarding it.
Finally, they say American Airlines got them on to a third flight, only it had a stop in Charlotte. A short delay on the front end caused them to miss their connection by mere seconds.
“They were just closing the door. We missed it by that much,” said Troop One Senior Patrol Leader Brody Cole.
So instead of spending a night by the sea, the group of boys spent it by the tarmac at Charlotte Douglas. But the good news about Boy Scouts is that they usually come prepared for anything.
“We had our sleeping mats, so it wasn’t that bad. But it was kind of stiff on the back,” said Cole.
After two days of cancellations and delays, the troop ended up having the cancel their excursion. But the trip back up north has proved just as much of a challenge.
They say American Airlines told them they won’t be able to get them back home until at least Tuesday morning. So, it’s two more unexpected nights in the Queen City for this frustrated group of travelers.
To avoid spending two more nights on the airport floor, the troop ended up checking themselves into a nearby hotel.
“I think it’s a learning experience for them that no matter what, you can still kind of get through things. But you have to keep a calm head,” said Scout Master Rob Langman.
Thankfully, the sea excursion company is working with them to reschedule their adventure for another week.
Flight tracking website flightaware.com reports Charlotte Douglas had around 125 cancellations from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday.
