Airports, airlines announcing travel disruptions as Hurricane Ian aims for Florida
Companies, airports taking to the internet to announce Hurricane Ian's passenger impacts
Sarasota Mayor Erik Arroyo, R-Fla., tells 'Varney & Co.' the state has spent years training for a potentially 'catastrophic' storm like Hurricane Ian.
While Floridians prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, major airlines and airports are announcing expected travel disruptions to and from the Sunshine State.
Many airlines, including American, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit and Southwest, are allowing travelers to change their travel plans without paying additional fees or fare differences, FOX 35 Orlando reports.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) will suspend all operations on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 5 p.m. The airport will be closed to all visitors at that time.
Tampa International Airport will suspend all operations at 5 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2022. (George Rose/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) will close at 1 p.m. Sept. 27 due to mandatory evacuation orders from Pinellas County and remain closed until the evacuation order is lifted. Contact airlines for updates.
Orlando International Airport (MCO) tweeted: "Hurricane Ian Commercial operations at MCO will cease at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday [Sept. 28]. Entry to all parking facilities will be closed at that same period. Please contact your airline for flight updates."
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) tweeted that Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights for Sept. 28 and that customers should go to the airline's website for more information and to rebook.
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A Southwest Airlines plane approaches the runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on April 2, 2022. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Southwest Airlines
Southwest is also allowing people who are scheduled to fly to or out of several Florida airports this week to rebook their travel fans without facing additional charges. Travel has to be rebooked within 14 days.
The waiver is being offered at these airports:
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach, FL (VPS)
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
- Ft. Myers, FL (RSW)
- Havana, Cuba (HAV)
- Jacksonville, FL (JAX)
- Miami, FL (MIA)
- Orlando, FL (MCO)
- Panama City, FL (ECP)
- Pensacola, FL (PNS)
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL (SRQ)
- Tampa, FL (TPA)
- West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines is issuing travel waivers to people traveling to several Florida destinations, including Orlando, Gainesville, Daytona Beach, Tampa and Tallahassee, between Sept. 25 and Sept. 30, 2022. Travel waiver means the fare difference will be waived when rebooked travel happened on or before Oct. 3, 2022. For travel after Oct. 3, customers will have to pay the fare difference.
Travel waiver being offered to these destinations:
- Daytona Beach, FL (DAB)
- Panama City, FL (ECP)
- Key West, FL (EYW)
- Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
- Gainesville, FL (GNV)
- Jacksonville, FL (JAX)
- Orlando, FL (MCO)
- Miami, FL (MIA)
- Melbourne, FL (MLB)
- West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
- Pensacola, FL (PNS)
- Fort Myers, FL (RSW)
- Sarasota–Bradenton, FL (SRQ)
- Tallahassee, FL (TLH)
- Tampa, FL (TPA)
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach, FL (VPS)
JetBlue
JetBlue said it will waive change or cancel fees and fair differences for those planning to fly to or from certain airports in Florida ahead of Hurricane Ian. Flights have to be between Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, and Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, to or from the following airports:
- Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
- Fort Myers, FL (RSW)
- Jacksonville, FL (JAX)
- Miami, FL (MIA)
- Orlando, FL (MCO)
- Sarasota, FL (SRQ)
- Tampa, FL (TPA)
- West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
American Airlines passenger jets prepare for departure at Boston Logan International Airport in Boston on July 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File / AP Newsroom)
American Airlines
American Airlines is waiving change fees for people flying to or out of several Florida airports, including Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Panama City, between Sept. 23, 2022, and Oct. 1, 2022.
Full list of airports:
- Daytona Beach, FL (DAB)
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach, FL (VPS)
- Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
- Fort Myers, FL (RSW)
- Gainesville, FL (GNV)
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (GCM)
- Havana, Cuba (HAV)
- Jacksonville, FL (JAX)
- Key West, FL (EYW)
- Kingston, Jamaica (KIN)
- Melbourne, FL (MLB)
- Miami, FL (MIA)
- Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)
- Orlando, FL (MCO)
- Panama City, FL (ECP)
- Pensacola, FL (PNS)
- Sarasota–Bradenton, FL (SRQ)
- Tallahassee, FL (TLH)
- Tampa, FL (TPA)
- West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
United Airlines
The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for covered United flights, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed. View reservation and select change flight to search for alternate flights.
This option is for travelers who booked their original tickets by Sept. 23 for travel through Sept. 30, and applies to 11 Florida airports. They must rebook by Oct. 8.
Spirit
Spirit passengers traveling to or from Fort Myers, Orlando or Tampa between Sept. 27, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2022, can rebook their travel without additional charges due to Hurricane Ian. Travel has to be rebooked by Oct. 3, 2022.
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Frontier
Customers who are ticketed to travel between Sept. 27, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2022, and who purchased tickets on or before Sept. 26, 2022, may make one itinerary change — rules/restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchase, day or time applications, blackouts, and minimum or maximum stay requirements will be waived. Travel must be completed no later than Oct. 10, 2022. Origin and destination cities may be changed. Customers whose flights are canceled may request a refund.
With the expected impact to travel conditions from Hurricane Ian moving through the southeastern United States for Florida, Frontier has enacted the following guidelines aimed at assisting customers scheduled to travel between Sept. 27, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2022, to/from/through the following cities:
- Orlando, FL (MCO)
- Tampa, FL (TPA)
- Fort Myers, FL (RSW)
- Miami, FL (MIA)
- Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
- West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
- Pensacola, FL (PNS)
- Jacksonville, FL (JAX)