Airlines Provide Travel Flexibility as Hurricane Fiona Strikes the Caribbean

Major U.S. airlines are allowing changes and cancellations for many flights to and from the Caribbean as Hurricane Fiona approached the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday after causing significant damage in Puerto Rico over the weekend.

Following the suspension of operations at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in Puerto Rico on Sunday, flights resumed at 11 a.m. local time on Monday, as per a tweet from Aeropuerto SJU, the entity managing the airport. The tweet stated that runways had been inspected and the traffic control tower was intact. 'It is up to each airline to decide when they feel ready to resume flights,' the message added.

The airports in Ponce and Mayagüez were closed on Monday due to flooding, according to the Puerto Rico Emergency Portal System (PREPS). Aguadilla airport was fully operational, as reported by PREPS, while inspections were ongoing at Arecibo and Humacao on Monday.

However, with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi describing the devastation in Puerto Rico as 'catastrophic' and many residents still lacking water and electricity, it may take days or even longer for many services to be restored on the island.

Hurricane Fiona struck the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday as a Category 3 storm, following its destructive path through Puerto Rico, where most residents were still without electricity or running water on Wednesday. Late Tuesday night, the storm was located approximately 75 miles north of North Caicos Island, with hurricane-force winds reaching up to 30 miles from its center. Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour and was advancing north-northwest at 8 miles per hour, according to the Hurricane Center, which indicated that the storm could strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Bermuda on Friday, as reported by the Associated Press.

For those needing to adjust their travel plans to the area, all major U.S. airlines have thankfully eliminated change fees during the pandemic, with the exception of Basic Economy fares. This makes it easy and convenient for travelers to cancel or modify their flights, even during emergencies like this. The updated policies permit travelers to cancel their flights and instantly receive flight credit that can be used for future travel.

Additionally, some airlines have taken further steps by waiving fare differences or eliminating change fees for Basic Economy fares for flights during and shortly after Hurricane Fiona.

Airlines' Rebooking Policies for Hurricane Fiona

United has announced a travel waiver due to Hurricane Fiona for flights to and from Puerto Rico. Tickets must have been purchased by September 17, 2022, for travel occurring between September 19 and 25, 2022. The airline will waive the change fee and any fare differences for travel between the same cities, with rebooking required by October 2, 2022. If travelers need to change their departure or destination city, the change fee will be waived, but fare differences will still apply.

American is not waiving the fare difference but is eliminating the change fee for Basic Economy fares as well as all other fare classes for a significant portion of Caribbean travel, provided the ticket was purchased by September 14, 2022, for travel scheduled between September 17 and 23, 2022.

Delta has waived the fare difference for most Caribbean travel through September 23, 2022, as long as travelers stick to the same cabin class they originally booked. However, bookings for travel after September 23, 2022, will incur a fare difference, though the change fee remains waived as usual.

Southwest passengers who were scheduled to travel to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic or San Juan in Puerto Rico between September 17 and 20, 2022, can rebook in their original class of service at no additional cost.

JetBlue is waiving both change fees and fare differences for travel that was planned from September 16 to 19, 2022, to and from Puerto Rico, as well as for travel scheduled on September 18 and 19, 2022, to and from the Dominican Republic. Additionally, JetBlue has issued waivers for change fees and fare differences for travel to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, scheduled for September 19 to 20.

How can travel insurance be beneficial?

Travel encompasses more than just the flight itself. Some passengers might find themselves in the middle of their journey and require additional rebooking help, or they may have accommodations, car rentals, and other activities booked that may not be fully refundable.

If your trip was booked using a credit card, it's important to review the benefits offered by your credit card provider. Many credit cards come with travel insurance benefits like coverage for trip cancellations, interruptions, and delays.

If you lack travel insurance coverage through a credit card and are considering adding it at the last minute to safeguard an upcoming trip, be aware that it won’t cover disruptions related to Hurricane Fiona. Once a natural disaster like Hurricane Fiona has occurred and is recognized as a known or expected event, it typically falls outside the coverage of most travel insurance plans. The sole exception is “Cancel for Any Reason” (CFAR) coverage, which is an optional upgrade to a standard travel insurance policy that generally needs to be acquired within 7 to 21 days after making the initial trip deposit. Therefore, if you purchased travel insurance before Hurricane Fiona's arrival or opted for CFAR coverage within the specified timeframe, you should have some degree of protection.

Reporting contributed by the Associated Press.