2nd attempt: From Punta Cana (PUI) via Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX)

Yesterday Saturday we were rejected at the PUI airport because we missed the 14-day pre-stay by one day. Now we were curious, because American Airlines (AA) rebooked our flights as follows:

From PUI to MIA: Departure: 14:21 Arrival: 16:55
From MIA to LAX: Departure: 19:35 Arrival: 21:54

So we had about 2.5 hours in MIA for the connecting flight. Since these were 2 different booked flights, we also had to pick up our baggage at baggage claim in MIA and check it in again. It could be tight and we drove to the airport in PUI with anticipation at 12:00.

The car rental company also contacted us again on Saturday. In the meantime, the tone had changed: failure to pick up the car on time would be considered a 'No Show', which would inevitably result in the immediate termination of the contract without any refund. Out of goodwill, the deadline for picking up the car was extended until Sunday evening at 23:59 (We paid for the rental car 50 days in advance....).

Already on the way to the PUI airport, countless emails from AA came in: Delayed departure from PUI. Wow, that's just what we needed. And the delay got longer with each email: In the end, we didn't take off until 16:00. So it was clear that we would miss the connecting flight in MIA at 19:35 anyway.

That's why I rebooked the flight from MIA to LAX again (!) in PUI: Here we got the last two seats (departure from MIA: 21:55 arrival LAX: just before midnight. Well, I thought, AVIS will probably turn a blind eye if we are about half an hour late.

In MIA, we quickly changed gates, which worked really fast for once. And we had enough time until the departure (21:55 to LAX). Suddenly, the mobile phone started going crazy again. As it turned out, our rebooked flight from MIA to LAX was also delayed. In the end, it didn't take off until 23:30 in MIA and landed in LAX at 02:30 (now Monday).

After we had our luggage, we went to AVIS with a slightly uneasy feeling: I already had all possible scenarios running through my mind... We arrived at AVIS around 03:15 and entered the entrance door in a fighting mood.

There was only one person present, a younger man for whom it was a matter of course that due to the COVID pandemic and the resulting regular flight delays, the car rental companies also have to show flexibility. So out of sheer joy, I gave him a $20 tip and he brought our car from the huge parking lot and explained everything to us.

So around 04:15 we arrived at our hotel in Venice Beach. The reception is not staffed at night (not until 08:00). So we looked for an open Starbucks and drank coffee until 08:00. Our first night of freedom after a long, long time...