Hurricane Laura: Delta, American, United and other airlines to issue fee waivers to change flights

Photo from Weather.com

Eric L Martin | Chubby Diaries

Hurricane Laura is set to make landfall on the Gulf of Mexico late Wednesday and Thursday.

Major airlines including Delta, United, American, Southwest and Spirit are issuing fee waivers for those traveling in the path of Hurricane Laura. The fee waivers will allow travelers to adjust their flight plan ahead of the storm without a charge.

As a result, airlines have already started canceling flights, with 408 flights to and from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Wednesday morning already canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware. There are already 190 flights canceled for Thursday, by which time the hurricane is expected to make landfall on the southeastern Texas or southwest Louisiana coasts.

At 7 a.m. EDT Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, Laura had winds of 80 mph and satellite images showed an eye forming.The National Hurricane Center said to expect sustained winds of 75 mph and higher gusts well inland in western Louisiana and southeastern Texas, with widespread wind damage and power outages.

American Airlines

American Airlines is allowing passengers who booked by Aug. 25 to fly between Aug. 25 and Aug. 27 to rebook between Aug. 25 and Aug. 31. In order to avoid a fee, passengers rebooking must not change their origin or destination city and rebook in the same cabin.
Airports included:

Alexandria, Louisiana (AEX)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (BTR)
Beaumont / Port Arthur, Texas (BPT)
Gulfport / Biloxi, Mississippi (GPT)
Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH)
Houston Hobby (HOU)
Key West, Florida (EYW)
Lafayette, Louisiana (LFT)
Lake Charles, Louisiana (LCH)
Mobile, Alabama (MOB)
Monroe, Louisiana (MLU)
New Orleans (MSY)
Shreveport, Louisiana (SHV)

Delta Air Lines

Passengers scheduled to fly on a Delta flight in the Gulf Coast area between Aug. 25 and Aug. 27 are eligible for a no-fee one-time flight change to be booked by Aug. 30 — rebooked travel must also take place by Aug. 30.

Impacted airports include:
Alexandria, Louisiana (AEX)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (BTR)
Gulfport / Biloxi, Mississippi (GPT)
Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH)
Houston Hobby (HOU)
Lafayette, Louisiana (LFT)
Monroe, Louisiana (MLU)
New Orleans (MSY)
Shreveport, Louisiana (SHV)

Travelers also have the option to receive a full credit to be used within a year of the original issue date for the unused ticket’s value.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier passengers who were supposed to travel Aug. 24 through 27 and who booked by Aug. 23 can make one itinerary change (including origin and destination city) without incurring a fee. Travel must be completed by Sept. 3.

Monday-Thursday, Aug. 24-27 New Orleans (MSY)
Tuesday-Thursday, Aug. 25-27 Houston George Bush Intercontinental (HOU)

JetBlue

Passengers who were due to fly JetBlue between Aug. 26 and 27 and who booked by Aug. 25 can reschedule their flight through Sept. 1 without paying a change fee. They should update their itinerary in the Manage Flights section of the airline’s website.

Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 26-27 New Orleans (MSY)
Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 26-27 Houston George Bush Intercontinental (HOU)

Southwest Airlines

Due to the weather and that scheduled flights may be delayed, canceled or diverted Southwest has given customers holding reservations under specific circumstances the option to rebook in the “original class of service” or on “standby” within two weeks of their original travel date between original origin and destination locations for no additional charge.
Dates and locations:

Monday-Thursday, Aug. 24-27 New Orleans (MSY)
Tuesday-Thursday, Aug. 25-27 Houston George Bush Intercontinental (HOU)

Spirit Airlines

Spirit has also introduced “Flexible Travel Policies” for a certain set of travelers.Modification charge and fare difference will be waived for travelers booked on flights:

- Scheduled to depart: Aug. 25-27 And scheduled to go to, from or through: Houston (IAH), New Orleans (MSY)

The airline is allowing customers to complete booking for no fee and will waive fare difference through Sept. 2, after which the fee will remain waived but the fare difference may apply.

United Airlines

United passengers who booked their ticket by Aug. 24 and were scheduled to fly Aug. 26 or Aug. 27 in the Gulf Coast area can rebook to fly on or before Sept. 1 on the same itinerary in the same cabin.Airports included in the waiver:

- - Baton Rouge, Louisiana (BTR)
  - Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas (BPT)
  - Gulfport, Mississippi (GPT)
  - Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH)
  - Lafayette, Louisiana (LFT)
  - Lake Charles, Louisiana (LCH)
  - Monroe, Louisiana (MLU)
  - New Orleans (MSY)
  - Shreveport, Louisiana (SHV)