When their flight was canceled, these 13 strangers got creative and rented a van together to make it to their destination on time
Remember that scene in Home Alone when Catherine O’Hara’s character gets in the van with the polka band to drive to Chicago because no flights are available? That’s pretty much what happened IRL in this viral story. While there was no polka band involved, 13 strangers banded together at the Orlando airport after their flight was canceled, rented a huge van, and road tripped together to Tennessee, documenting the whole strange journey on TikTok where it naturally went viral.
“They were like, ‘Well, we can get you out on the next flight, which is Tuesday night,” Michelle Miller, one of the van people, told Today.com. “That’s like 48 hours later! We can’t wait two days to go back, people have things to do!”
Miller said that while people were milling around near the gate, one woman named Amy stood near the counter and yelled that she was going to rent a car and drive from Orlando to Knoxville, and that anyone else affected by the canceled flight could join her. When the group interested in driving grew to 13 people, they realized they needed a van, not a car—but they still made it happen.
Along the way, Alanah Story shared the group’s hilarious circumstances in a TikTok video, which went viral almost immediately.
@alanahstory21 I cant make this up. Road trip! 🚐 @The Farm Babe @StarrPuck @doerksen92 @Renee @robinwharton976 @CozumelAutentico
♬ original sound – Alanah
The video introduces the cast of characters, which includes Story, who works in media in Knoxville, her mom, and her godmother, who is an agriculture influencer. There’s also a student, a a family taking their daughter to a college visit at the University of Tennessee, and two European farmers.
“So we post the video and, like, we’re not really thinking anything’s gonna come of it. But within, like, 30 minutes, it is starting to get hundreds of thousands of views,” Story said. “People in the van are refreshing my page the entire time. They’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re at this many views’ … and they’re reading the comments out loud the whole time.”
@alanahstory21 ♬ original sound – Alanah
Throughout the drive, Story posted updates online, including when the group arrived at their destination at about 8:30 a.m. the next morning.
@alanahstory21 Replying to @lul.ken and thats a wrap folks! #roadtrip
♬ original sound – Alanah
Mikayla, the student on her way to a college tour, also posted a hilarious video from her mom’s TikTok account.
@laurapuckering My Daughter Mikayla.. 🤣 Love you so much!
♬ original sound – laurapuckering
In the end, the group made it safely and enjoyed their bit of viral fame.
“This is the key take-home message: Why did this go viral? Why did we have 20,000 comments of people that were happy (about) the viralness of it all?” Miller said. “(Because) it’s about coming together when life gives you a sh*tty situation, you turn it into something awesome.”
The group is still in touch via a group chat, so maybe give Miller a follow if you want to see if their story continues to unfold.
