Spending the night at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport wasn’t what Kathrine Ravnevand had in mind when she planned the family’s vacation to Disney World and SeaWorld.

Instead of a smooth journey from Norway to Orlando, Ravnevand, husband Kristan Ravnevand and their four sons, ages 5, 8, 11 and 12, had to pitch some blankets and sleep in a balcony in the airport atrium Wednesday night.

And that was after flights from Norway to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Atlanta.

“(The kids) are disappointed and very tired,” Kathrine Ravnevand said Thursday morning, 12 hours after they were supposed to leave Atlanta.

They were Delta passengers, and the airline canceled 300 flights during Wednesday’s severe storms. Hundreds of stuck passengers were still at the airport Thursday.

Kathrine Ravnevand said the family looked for a hotel, but found no vacancies. They also came up empty when they searched for a rental car.

“So we bought some blankets and have been sleeping here,” she said.

Kathrine Ravnevand's family from Norway stranded at Hartsfield-Jackson after flight delays. Video by John Spink/AJC

Kathrine Ravnevand also said customer service in the terminal was disappointing.

“Yesterday,” she said, “we were four hours in a line.”

The ordeal likely won’t end soon.

“I think we have to stay here until tomorrow,” she said. “I’m trying to think positive.”

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