NEW YORK — Thousands of flights in and out of the U.S. have been canceled this week as Hurricane Milton barreled into the Gulf of Mexico and plowed across Florida — causing many airports to close their doors in the path of destruction.
And airlines across the country grounded flights as a result. There were more than 2,250 U.S. flight cancellations as of midday Thursday, according to tracking service FlightAware, following 1,970 on Wednesday.
After battering the southeastern U.S. and parts of Cuba Wednesday, the hurricane moved into the Atlantic Ocean Thursday. Dangers still persist — with officials pointing to storm-surge warnings for much of Florida’s east-central coast and farther north into Georgia, for example, as well as tropical storm warnings reaching South Carolina. That means travel disruptions across the region will likely continue.
Airlines can’t control the weather, but they are still required to provide refunds for customers whose flights are canceled. Earlier this week, President Joe Biden and other government officials also warned companies not to overcharge people fleeing the storm — as some travelers reported unusually high prices — but airlines defended themselves, with some noting they had recently imposed fare caps.
Here’s what to know about your rights, and what to do when cancellations start piling up.
The widespread damage of Hurricane Milton, which arrives as the region is already reeling from Hurricane Helene, is still being assessed. And, again, storm-surge warnings continued to be in place on Thursday.
Watching weather forecasts and checking your flight’s status ahead of time is key. In recent days, many airports in Florida ceased commercial operations — with Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport, for example, both remaining closed to the public Thursday.
While both airports said they were assessing damage and hoped to provide an update soon, Orlando and Tampa still saw the largest number of cancellations on Thursday, per Flight Aware. And people currently in the region have been instructed to stay inside and shelter in place until officials say it’s safe.
“If you’re traveling out of Florida, please do not head to the airport unless that airport is open and it’s safe to drive there,” the U.S. Transportation Security Administration wrote Thursday on social media platform X. “Always check with your airline(s) to verify flight status.”
While Florida has been hit hardest by Milton, travel disruptions spread across the country. For those not in the storm’s path, some might be able to reroute their trips — but capacity will be limited. And it’s better to be stuck at home or in a hotel than to be stranded in an airport terminal, so use the airline’s app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading out. Carriers try to cancel flights hours or even days before departure.
And with nearly two months of Atlantic hurricane season left to go, it’s possible that we could see other severe storms in the near future. Keep an eye on weather forecasts leading up to your trip.
Airlines should rebook passengers automatically, but that could take much longer as carriers recover from the hurricane, so passengers may have to take more initiative. And be more creative.
People already at an airport usually go to an in-person help desk — but lines are long when there’s widespread disruptions. Travel experts suggest calling the airline and using an international help-desk number, if there is one, to reach an agent more quickly.
Another tactic is to post a few words to the airline on the social platform X. Many airlines have staffers who will help rebook passengers who contact the carrier through social media.
Use your airline’s app — it may have more-current information about flight status than delays and cancellations displayed in the airport terminal.
You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including the biggest ones except Southwest, say they can get you to a partner airline, but even then it’s often hit or miss.
A good tip is to research alternative flights while you wait to talk to an agent. It may also be worth checking nearby airports for other routes.
Passengers whose flights are canceled are entitled to a full refund in the form of payment they used to buy the ticket. That’s true even if the ticket was sold as non-refundable.
A refund may be acceptable to travelers who no longer want to make the trip, but many people just want another way to reach their destination, and buying a last-minute replacement ticket could cost more than the refund will cover.
There is no provision for additional compensation under U.S. law, and airlines set their own policies for reimbursing stranded travelers for things like hotels and meals.
However, the Biden-Harris administration has been working to change that — and in other recent moments of widespread travel disruptions, Transportation Department has appeared to be taking the view that many cancellations and delays are within the airlines’ control, pressuring carriers to cover passengers’ costs.
“We have reminded the airlines of their responsibilities to take care of passengers if they experience major delays,” Buttigieg said earlier this year, when a widespread technology outage also canceled thousands of flights in July.
And last year, the Transportation Department fined Southwest $35 million as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve an investigation into nearly 17,000 canceled flights in December 2022.
The department maintains a “dashboard” showing what each airline promises to cover during travel disruptions.
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Koenig reported from Dallas.
