Airlines have canceled about 2,700 flights in advance of
Hurricane Matthew's approach to the southeastern United States and have
expanded waivers for travelers with itineraries headed there over the next few
days
Miami International Airport has canceled about 90 percent of
its flight schedule for today, and most departing flights stopped after noon,
though the airport has not officially closed, the airport reported. Orlando
International Airport, meanwhile, will close at 8 p.m. It plans to reopen on
Saturday pending a damage assessment.
As of Thursday afternoon, Oct. 6, U.S. carrier websites listed the
following waivers for U.S. cities:
American Airlines:
Itineraries for Thursday and Friday that include the Florida cities of Daytona
Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Key West, Melbourne, Miami, Orlando or
West Palm Beach may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 12. Itineraries through
Sunday that include Augusta or Savannah in Georgia; Charlotte, Fayetteville,
Greensboro, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh/Durham, Richlands or Wilmington in
North Carolina; and Columbia, Charleston, Florence, Hilton Head Island or Myrtle
Beach in South Carolina may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 14.
Delta Air Lines:
Itineraries for Thursday and Friday that include the Florida cities of Daytona Beach,
Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Key West, Melbourne, Miami, Orlando or West Palm
Beach may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 12. Itineraries including Brunswick or
Savannah in Georgia; Charleston or Myrtle Beach in South Carolina; or
Fayetteville, Jacksonville, New Bern, Raleigh or Wilmington in North Carolina
may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 14.
JetBlue:
Itineraries through Sunday that include Charleston, Raleigh/Durham, Savannah,
Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando or West Palm Beach may be
rebooked to depart by Oct. 18.
Southwest Airlines:
Itineraries through Saturday that include Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach,
Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers or Jacksonville in Florida; Charleston; Charlotte; or
Raleigh/Durham may be rebooked to depart within 14 days of the original travel
date.
United Airlines: Itineraries for Thursday and Friday that
include Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando or West Palm Beach may be rebooked to
depart by Oct. 12. Itineraries for Thursday through Sunday that include
Charleston, Charlotte, Columbia, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Myrtle
Beach, Raleigh/Durham, or Savannah may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 14.
Update: BTN posted the below on Oct. 4, 2016. Updated information appears above.
U.S. airlines have implemented travel waiver policies in
advance of Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm that could impact the
southeastern United States this week. These policies allow travelers to rebook
travel to the Southeast without incurring a change fee so long as the city
pairs and class of service remain the same. As the path of the storm becomes
clearer, carriers are likely to expand these waivers. Carriers had set up
waivers for affected Caribbean travel earlier this week.
As of Tuesday afternoon, carrier websites listed the
following waivers for U.S. cities:
American Airlines: Itineraries for Thursday and Friday that
include the Florida cities of Daytona, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Key West,
Melbourne, Miami, Orlando or West Palm Beach may be rebooked to depart by Oct.
12.
Delta Air Lines:
Itineraries for Thursday and Friday that include the Florida cities of Daytona,
Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Key West, Melbourne, Miami, Orlando or West Palm
Beach may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 12.
JetBlue:
Itineraries from Thursday through Sunday that include Charleston, S.C.;
Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Daytona, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville,
Orlando or West Palm Beach may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 16.
Southwest Airlines: Itineraries for Tuesday through Saturday that
include Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers,
Jacksonville or Charleston may be rebooked to depart within 14 days of the
original travel date.
United
Airlines: Itineraries for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
that include Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando or West Palm Beach
may be rebooked to depart by Oct. 12.