Airline ticket agents in South Florida spent Saturday dealing with long lines and telephone calls from passengers stranded by Eastern Airlines.

"Most people have come in out of sheer desperation," said George Tragas, a travel agent with Jacaranda Travel in Plantation. "They don't know what to do."

Fred Nugent, the president of Access Travel in Lauderdale Lakes, said he sold Eastern tickets until his agency closed for the evening on Friday.

"I think it's pretty shabby. ... As travel agents, we didn't know" that the airline was about to fold, Nugent said.

Dan Carrier, an agent with Travel Professionals in Boynton Beach, handled three telephone lines full of anxious passengers on Saturday afternoon.

"I'm inundated," Carrier said.

Many passengers literally paid the price for finding another airline at the last minute: High fares.

"TWA wants $334 per person, one way. They're insane," said Gen Jenkinson, in line at Palm Beach International Airport with husband, George. The part- time Deerfield Beach residents wanted tickets to Syasset, N.Y.

At the American Airlines ticket counter at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, David Klonsky was among hundreds waiting to exchange Eastern tickets.

"I'm not looking to save $10 or $20 anymore," Klonksy said. "I just want to get a ticket at this point. I need to get home."

Tragas told about one woman with a $230 roundtrip ticket to Atlanta on Eastern. Tragas was able to get her a Delta flight, but the fare was more than $600.

At Fort Lauderdale International, Adam Fischer said American offered him a one-way ticket back to Maryland for $360. With a credit for half of his $213 Eastern round-trip ticket, he had to pay $254.

Juanita Grande at Palm Beach International was looking at a first-class fare back to Newark, N.J., after visiting her sister in Port St. Lucie.

"I'm totally disgusted. It's so frustrating. This was supposed to be a nice, relaxing trip," she said. "What do I do, start thumbing it?"

Staff Writers Gary Rice, Karen Samples and Tracy Kolody contributed to this report.