Weather

Airlines offer change fee waivers as Hurricane Michael roars in

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Many airlines are offering waivers on change fees for passengers with booked flights to, through or from cities likely to be hit by Hurricane Michael.

Full refunds are available from some carriers as well.

 

This Weather Channel map should travelers make many travelers sit up and take notice.  Airlines certainly are.

Here’s a link to travel advisories from American Airlines and JetBlue and Tweets from some other airlines that have issued weather alerts.

If you’re getting on a plane soon, check with your airline for cancellations and complimentary changes you might be allowed to (or need to) make as this storm does its thing.

Donate to disaster relief: do good get bonus miles

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Donate to disaster relief; get bonus miles.

Want to help the people and communities trying to deal with the aftermath of Hurriance Florence, Tphoone Mangkhut, the flooding in western Japan, the California wildlfires and whatever comes next?

See below for campaigns United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are spearheading to  raise funds for a variety of humanitarian and disaster relief efforts.

 

United’s Crowdrise campaign is raising funds for six groups: the American Red Cross, Airlink, Global Giving (Hurricane Florence), Feeding America, Americares and Global Giving (Typhoon Mangkhut).

United has pledged to match the first $50,000 raised and to provide up to 5 million bonus miles as thank-you gifts to MileagePlus program members who pledge at least $50 or more before October 31, 2019.

Donate $50-$99  and get 250 miles; donate $100 to $249 and get 500 award miles; donate $250 or more and get 1,000 bonus award miles.

American Airlines if also offering bonus miles as a  thank-you to AAdvantage members who donate to the American Red Cross by October 5.  American is offering 10 miles for every dollar donated with a minimu donation of $25 dollars.

Through Delta Air Line’s SkyWish program SkyMiles members can donate miles to help get volunteers helping with disaster relief get where they need to be.

Whether you’d like bonus miles or have lots of extra miles to share, this is a pretty good time to be generous with your cash or your miles – or both.

Updated airline travel alerts: Hurricane Florence and others

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As Hurricane Florence, and others, move in, airlines are canceling flights, updating their travel advisories.  In many cases airlines are expanding the dates change fee waivers are being offered.

Some airlines are waiving bag fees and pet fees for travelers leaving affected southeast cities and capping the prices for the last seats on certain flights.

Courtesy The Weather Channel

Courtesy The Weather Channel

Here are live links to the updated travel advisories from many domestic airlines. Many International airlines with flights into the affected areaas are canceling flights and offering waivers as well

As of Wednesday morning, September 12, here are some of the airlines that have posted notices.

These likely aren’t all the airlines adjusting schedules and suggesting passengers wait until the storms blow over. And it’s very possible that the dates these waivers cover will change as the hurricanes blow through.

If you’re flying somewhere this week be sure to check with you airline before heading to the airport. Airports may say they are open, but all their scheduled flights are canceled. Read the rules for refunds and pay attention to the dates covered. Most airlines are offering no-fee refunds and waived changed fees for flights that are rebooked for another time.

Alaska Airlines: A travel alert is posted for flights to or from Charleston (CHS) and Raleigh-Durham (DUR) for those with flights through September 16. Alaska also has an advisory for its flights to and from Hawaii, due to Hurricane Olivia.

American Airlines has a travel advistory posted covering 23 airports in the southeastern United States for those with tickets through September 16. American also has travel advisories posted for flights to an from Hawaii due to Hurricane Olivia and to the Caribbean due to Hurricane Isaac.

Delta Air Lines has travel alerts posted for more than a dozen southeast U.S. airports for travel scheduled through September 16 due to Hurricane  Florence,  for flights to or from various airports in Hawaii due to Tropical Storm Olivia and for flights to the Caribbean due to Hurricane Isaac.

Seven southeast airports are affected by the travel alert posted by Frontier Airlines 

Tropical Storm Olivia is affecting flights for Hawaiian Airlines, which has posted travel waivers as well.

The travel advisory for JetBlue affects flights to and from eight east coast airports through September 16.

Southwest Airlines’ travel alert covers 9 east coast airports its expects to be affected by Hurricane Florence through September 17 and . The airline is also offering travel waivers for San Juan Puerto Rico (SJU) and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (SJU) due to Hurricane Isaac.

United Airlines’ travel fee waiver covers 16 airlines in the southeast U.S. due to Hurricane Florence. Travel alerts remain posted for the airlines’ flights to and from Hawaiian airports and for flights affected by Hurricane Isaac.

Hurricane Florence and others mucking up air travel

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Hurricane Florence – and several other hurricanes and tropical storms – are mucking up air travel and causing airlines to issue change fee waivers.

Hurricane Florence

Courtesy National Hurricane Center

Airlines are posting travel alerts and issuing change fee waivers for passengers with flights over the next few days to and from the east coast due to Hurricane Florence and to, from or within Hawaii due to Hurricane Olivia. Hurricane Issac, typhoons and other storms are disrupting travel elsewhere.

As of Monday evening, September 10, here are some of the airlines that have posted notices.

These likely aren’t all the airlines adjusting schedules and suggesting passengers wait until the storms blow over. And it’s very possible that the dates these waivers cover will change as the hurricanes blow through.

If you’re flying somewhere this week be sure to check with you airline before heading to the airport. Read the rules for refunds and pay attention to the dates covered. Most airlines are offering no-fee refunds and waived changed fees for flights that are rebooked for another time.

Alaska Airlines: A travel alert is posted for flights to or from Charleston (CHS) and Raleigh-Durham (DUR) for those with flights September 10 -September 16.

American Airlines has a travel advistory posted covering 23 airports in the southeastern United States for those with tickets for flights September 10 – September 16.

Delta Air Lines has travel alerts posted for a dozen southeast U.S. airports where flights may be affected by Hurricane  Florence and for flights to or from various airports in Hawaii due to Tropical Storm Olivia.

Olivia has also caused Hawaiian Airlines to offer one-time waivers for its flights on September 11 and 12 for flights to or from Hawaii.

The travel advisory for JetBlue affects its flights to and from Charleston (CHS), Charlotte (CLT), Raleigh/Durham (RDU), Richmond, VA (RIC) and Savannah, GA.

Southwest Airlines’ travel alert covers 9 east coast airports its expects to be affected by Hurricane Florence:  BWI, Charleston (CHS), Charlotte (CLT), Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP), Norfolk/Virginia Beach (ORF), Raleigh/Durham (RDU), Richmond (RIC), Washingtin Dulles (IAD) and Washington Reagan National (DCA). The airline is also offering travel waivers for San Juan Puerto Rico (SJU) and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (SJU) due to Hurricane Isaac.

United Airlines’ travel fee waiver covers 16 airlines in the southeast U.S. due to Hurricane Florence and the Hawaiian airports it flies to and from due to Hurriance Olivia.

 

Airlines offer change fee waivers for Hurricane Lane

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Airlines are posting and updating travel alerts and offering change fee waivers for travel to/from the Hawaiian Islands as Hurrican Lane moves in.

Here are links to change fee waiver policies of airlines in effect as of today for flights to and from Hawaii:

Alaska Airlines: Waiving change fees and the difference in the price of the ticket for travel booked to or from Kauai (LIH), Kona (KOA), Maui (OGG) and Oahu (HNL) for tickets purchased on or before August 21, if travel is completed on or before August 30, 2018.

American Airlines: No change fee for flights to or from Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL), Kona, Hawaii (KOA), Kauai Island, Hawaii (LIH) and Kahului, Hawaii (OGG) for tickets purchased by or before August 20 if you’re scheduled to travel August 23 to 26. New travel must take place by August 30.

For travel scheduled August 23 and 24,  to or from Seoul, Korea (ICN), Honulu (HNL), Kona (KOA), LIhue (LIH) and Maui (OGG), Delta Air Lines is offering change fee waivers for trips scheduled August 23 and 24. New travel must take place by August 27.

Hawaiian Airlines, as you may imagine, is keeping its site updated with news about the hurricane’s impact and has very detailed information about change fee waivers and rules posted.

Several other airlines, including United Airlines, have issued alerts for trips to and Hawaii as well. As always, if you’ve got a trip planned, keep an eye on your airline’s website and Twitter feed for the latest details.

 

Airlines offering waivers to/from Hawaii’s Big Island

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Courtesy USGS

Don’t cancel that Hawaiian vacation just yet.

Although there’s increased volcanic activity and a new flow of lava from the Kīlauea volcano on the island of Hawaii (the Big Island), the Hawaii Tourism Authority website is reassuring visitors that no flights into airports anywhere in Hawai‘i are being affected and that the area where the lava is coming to the surface is very far from resort areas.

For updates, photos and webcam views of the volcano activities, see the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) website.

That’s the good news.

The bad news: due to the volcanic activity there is a no-fly zone over Kīlauea volcano and on Friday Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park was closed until further notice because of damage caused by earthquakes and aftershocks in the area.

So helicopter tours and visit to the park are out.

There’s still plenty to do on the Big Island, but some airlines are offering travel waivers for those who don’t want to head that way right now.

For those with tickets issued on or before May 3 and scheduled to travel to/from Hilo (ITO) or Kona (KOA) on  Hawaiian Airlines through May 13, the airline is offering change fee waivers for flights no later than May 20,

United Airlines is offering to waive change fees for those traveling to/from or through the Hilo (ITO) and Kailua-Kona (KOA) airports for those with tickets for travel through May 13 for new flights departing on or before May 16.

Other airlines flying to Hawaii may post waivers later today and this, of course, is a changing situation, so be sure to check your airline’s website and the USGS alerts for current news.

 

Updated list of airline travel alerts

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Winter Storm Grayson, packing snow, wind, flood and blizzard conditions, is descending on the east coast of the United States and wreaking havoc with travel plans in the air and on the ground.

Some airports in the south closed on Wednesday and airlines are proactively canceling flights and offering refunds and change fee waivers to passengers in dozens of cities.

Here’s an updated list of links to airline travel alerts and change fee offers:

Alaska Airlines is offering refunds and waiving change fees on flights booked for January 4 and 5 for travel to or from: Boston (BOS), New York JFK and LGA, Newark (EWR), and Philadelphia. There are also restrictions on unaccompanied minors and pets in the cabin and baggage.

American Airlines has a travel alert for travel on January 4 and 5 to or from about 14 cities in the northeast and for January 3 and 4 for about the same number of cities in the southeast.

Della Air Lines has travel alert info posted for the southeast, mid-Atlantic and northeast regions for a long list of cities. Refunds are offered for canceled flight or those delayed 90 minutes or more and change fees are waived.

Frontier Airlines has a travel alert posted for flights through January 4 to or from: New York LaGuardia (LGA), New York Islip, (ISP), Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Trenton, NJ (TTN) and Providence, RI (PVD)

Hawaiian Airlines has issued a travel alert for flights to/from New York JFK for travel scheduled January 4 and 5.

JetBlue’s  travel alert covers more than a dozen cities in the northeast for travel through January 4.

Southwest Airlines has travel alerts posts for two sets of northeast cities for January 4 and 5.

Spirit Airlines has a travel alert covering flight in the southest and the northeast through January 5

The travel alet for United Airlines covers flight in the southeast, mid-atlantic and northeast.

And here is a link to the travel alert and flight cancelation notice posted for Virgin America.

As always, check with your airline as the time of your flight gets closer. And be safe!!

 

Airlines issue travel alerts for first round of 2018 storms

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Cold weather and winter storms are getting 2018 off to a rocky start for many air passengers in the northeast, mid-Atlantic and southest parts of the country.

As of Tuesday evening, here are some of the domestic airlines that have posted change fee waivers and cancellation policy notices for January 3 and 4.

As of Tuesday evening, Alaska Airlines had an undated travel advisory posted for travel in the northeast.

American Airlines has posted a travel alert for flights to/from and through 14 cities on January 3 and 4. Details here           .

Delta Air Lines has travel advisories relating to winter weather in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Details here.

Frontier Airlines had no travel alert for winter storms posted as of Tuesday night.

JetBlue’s travel alert is a winter weather fee waiver for flights January 3 to and from Charleston, S.C. and Savannah, GA. So far.

Southwest Airlines has a travel alert for winter weather in the Southeast for flight to/from Charleston, SC and Jacksonville, FL. Details here.

Spirit Airlines has a Southeast Winter Storm alert posted for Jan 3 – 4 affecting Myrtle Beach, SC.

United Airlines has posted travel and change fee waivers for the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the country for January 3 & 4. See details here.

Virgin Atlantic had not updated its travel alerts as of Tuesday night.

As always, check with your airline as the time of your flight gets closer. And be safe!!

Hurricanes havoc for airports and air travelers

Air Travel, Airports, Weather,

(Photo courtesy Keene Public Library, via Flickr)

Hurricane Irma, and the two hurricanes just behind it, continue to wreak havoc for airports, air travelers and airlines in the Caribbean and – momentarily – in the southeastern United States.

As thousands of flights to and from Florida airports and others in the hurricane’s projected path are being cancelled, some airlines are rushing to add extra flights to get passengers out of Florida and the Caribbean. Many airlines are also bringing in extra supplies for recovery efforts.

Miami International Airport released a statement reminding travelers that the airport is not a designated storm shelter and that the airport’s parking garage is already at capacity.

American Airlines has issued a statement saying it is planning to wind down its operations at Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers and West Palm Beach airports on Friday afternoon, with all operations canceled through the weekend. American Airlines’ operations at Orlando International Airport were scheduled to end by 2 p.m. Saturday, with all of its Sunday flights canceled; Orlando International Airport is planning to close for all flights at 5 pm.

In advance of the shutdowns, American added 16 extra flights out of Miami, including 12 from to Dallas/Fort Worth, one to Philadelphia, and three to New York.

Other airports are adding some extra flights as well.

Regarding fares, and the rumors of price gouging, American said it has capped fares at $99 each way for Main Cabin, and $199 for the premium cabin, on direct, single leg flights to/from cities covered under the Travel Alert, which is now in place for more than 40 airports. The carrier said the fares will apply for flights out of the affected area through Sept. 17, and returning to the affected area from Sept. 10-17.

Here are links to domestic airline travel alerts. Many airlines have considerably expanded the dates and the airports included by their advisories and are adjusting them as the storms progress.

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines. More than 40 airports currently covered by the alert.

Delta Air Lines

Frontier Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

JetBlue

Southwest Airlines

Spirit Airlines

United Airlines

Virgin America

Airline travel Alerts for Hurricane Irma

Air Travel, Weather,

 

Move over, Harvey.

Hurricane Irma has just hit Category 5 status and is headed for the Caribbean and, most likely, Florida.

Here are links to posted travel alerts from airlines and their current policies on canceling flights and waiving change fees. Stay safe out there. And if you do have travel planned to the region, keep checking the airline webistes as the travel waivers are likely to expand and be extended as the storm moves along.

American Airlines Travel alert currently covers travel to/from or through 8 airports, including, San Juan, for travel scheduled September 5-8.

Delta Air Lines – Travel alert currently covers travel to/from or through San Juan, PR (SJU), St. Croix, VI (STX), St. Maarten, SX (SXM) and St. Thomas, VI (STT) for travel scheduled September 5-6.

Frontier Airlines has a travel for   San Juan, PR and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) for travel scheduled through September 8

JetBlue Travel alert for affecting 8 airports, including San Juan, PR is in effect for travel scheduled through September 6.

Spirit Airlines Travel alert currently affecting 6 airport for travel booked through September 8.

Southwest Airlines has issued a travel advisory for flights booked through Sept 8 to/from San Juan, PR and Punta Canta (PUJ)

United Airlines has a travel alert posted for travel through Sept 7 to San Juan, PR and Aguadilla, PR (BQN).