BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Tom and Sara Rupnik celebrated their 50th anniversary in Paris. It was a trip they planned for years in advance. While their time in France was described as perfect, their flight back home was far from it.
"It was beyond our expectations," Sara Rupnik smirked.
The couple was supposed to fly from Paris to Miami, then to Jacksonville. After that, they would drive from Jacksonville to Brunswick, Georgia. Plans were thwarted when Tom Rupnik said flights were delayed. They ended up taking a 10:30 p.m. flight from Paris to Miami.
Usually, flying from Miami to Jacksonville would take 45 minutes to an hour. They made it to Jacksonville but never landed.
"I feel asleep," Tom Rupnik explained. "When I woke up, we'd been in the air for an hour and 15 minutes."
Flight records show the couple was flying in circles in Jacksonville before landing in Gainesville. The couple expressed how they have never visited the city. Tom Rupnik said they landed between 12:30 and 1 a.m., but the airport was closed. They said hotel rooms weren't available that night.
The couple scrambled to find a ride, but they were unsuccessful. They had to wait until almost 4 a.m. before they could get a taxi from Gainesville to Jacksonville.
First Coast News reached out to American Airlines for comment. AA said the flight diverted to Gainesville due to weather. Then the flight was canceled due to "crew rest requirements". The airlines said it apologizes for the inconvenience, but the Rupniks have not heard from anyone yet.
"It was hard on everyone, such a jolting experience," Sara Rupnik said.
An experience the couple said they will never forget. To the Rupniks, it is a story that will always be attached to their vacation in Paris.