Hurricane Ida prompts Southwest, American, Delta airlines to suspend operations, issue travel warnings
American Airlines added 'reduced, last-minute fares' to help residents evacuate
Airlines have suspended operations and issued travel alerts for customers as one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. continues to slam the Gulf Coast region.
Southwest Airlines suspended service in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as Jackson, Mississippi, and Pensacola, Florida, until at least midday Tuesday due to Hurricane Ida.
However, a spokesperson for the airline said that is "subject to change" as the airline continues to actively monitor the situation.
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Delta said that just under 50 flights between Delta and Delta Connection partner flights have been canceled Monday following Hurricane Ida. The airline's operations at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport remain suspended until Tuesday.
The airport tweeted that it expects all flights to and from the airport Monday will be canceled due to the storm.
Delta also issued a travel waiver for impacted customers through Tuesday.
"With this, the fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel in the same cabin occurs on or before Sept. 4, 2021," the airline said.
Additionally, Delta is also capping fares for customers that are transiting from select airports in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama through Tuesday.
Likewise, American Airlines is also closely monitoring the hurricane's impact on its operations. The airline has a current travel alert for 12 of its airports in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, giving customers the ability to rebook without change fees.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 14.37 | +0.17 | +1.20% |
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 63.30 | -0.03 | -0.05% |
| LUV | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. | 31.97 | +0.18 | +0.57% |
"If a customer chooses not to fly to/from an airport covered by the current waiver, American will waive change fees for future travel," the airline said.
However, if a flight has been canceled or excessively delayed, customers who cancel their itinerary can request a refund, American said.
The airline canceled nearly 100 flights for Monday and has already proactively canceled nine flights Tuesday.
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At the same time, American is also trying to help customers evacuate from the storm by adding "reduced, last-minute fares for the cities in the central U.S. Gulf Coast" through Tuesday.
Still, many residents in the storm's path avoided flying altogether over the weekend. On Saturday, coastal highways saw heavy traffic as people moved to escape the storm’s path. Trucks pulling saltwater fishing boats and campers streamed away from the coast Interstate 65 in south Alabama. Traffic jams clogged Interstate 10 heading out of New Orleans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.