Some desperate travelers turn to U-Haul as the government shutdown cuts flights and sends car rentals soaring

That could mean more business for rental cars, long-haul buses and rail lines like Amtrak — especially if flight delays and cancellations continue to pile up as the U.S. approaches Thanksgiving and other holiday travel peaks.

Amid the recent stampede, Hertz has already announced a sharp increase in one-way car rentals. One-way bookings are up more than 20% over the upcoming weekend compared to the same period last year, according to the company, which also pointed to the ongoing pressure the lockdown has put on travel overall.

“We join the airlines in urging congress to quickly pass a clean, continuing resolution and restore certainty for travelers,” Hertz CEO Jill West said in a statement. “Every day of delay creates unnecessary disruption.”

A press contact for peer-to-peer car-sharing company Turo said Friday that bookings for the platform nationwide were also up 30% year over year. Avis similarly noted that it has also seen “an increase in one-way rental activity as airlines adjust flight schedules,” stressing that it will continue to “serve customers in the best way possible as travel conditions evolve.”

Meanwhile, Amtrak is forecasting record numbers for Thanksgiving.

The rail service said it began seeing growth in those bookings before the shutdown began — but told The Associated Press on Thursday that it was “also reasonable to expect increased share shift to Amtrak” if flight disruptions escalate. Amtrak confirmed that its lines are operating normally amid the closure.

Flix North America, the parent company of FlixBus and Greyhound, is also bracing for more demand.

“Our message is simple: You still have options,” said Kai Boysan, CEO of Flix North America.

Boysan emphasized that intercity buses are “one of the most reliable ways to get around” – and are not affected by the lockdown like flights. He added: “We expect more travelers to resort to ground transportation in the coming days, and we are monitoring demand closely and are ready to add capacity when needed to ensure people are able to continue moving.”

A Flix spokesperson said Friday that many of its reservations are typically made within 24 to 72 hours of departure, noting that the company should have a “clearer picture” of the overall impact in the coming days.

However, train and bus lines are sometimes more available in certain parts of the country than others. Some have also experienced sold-out tickets or rentals in recent days — rather than turning to other creative options.

Karen Soyka of Greenwich, Connecticut, discovered on Friday morning that her flight departing from Newark, New Jersey, had been rebooked an hour earlier. But she later learned that her plane was actually departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, at least an hour away.

She tried unsuccessfully to book a rental car to get to Utah for a weekend trip, before settling on another option: booking a U-Haul.

“I’m going to go to U-Haul and drive a truck across the country,” Soyka said.

Meanwhile, others hope to avoid lengthy alternatives.

Christina Schlegel, of Arlington, Virginia, watches the Wednesday flight she booked to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When news of the cancellation spread, her husband suggested they drive only if their flight was among those affected, but Schlegel says she would rather switch to a different flight or airport.

“I don’t want to drive 12 hours,” said Schlegel, who is heading to Florida before taking a cruise in the Bahamas.

It can be difficult for travelers to determine whether their flights will be affected – especially if the flight is far down the road. The costs of purchasing backup options can increase in general. This has caused some to sit on their existing reservations.

“Everything is so smooth right now that many travelers are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach, especially looking to travel on Thanksgiving,” Axa Diaz, a spokeswoman for the auto group AAA, said in an email on Friday.

Diaz urges consumers to stay informed, make flexible backup plans and take steps to minimize future issues — such as cutting out more travel time overall or taking a taxi or public transportation to the airport instead of parking your own car, in case your return flight is canceled or rerouted.

“Controlling what you can is key,” she noted.