While it’s possible to cancel or reschedule flights, travelers who want to change their destination this week may face additional challenges. “Unfortunately, people are pretty slow to pivot at this point,” said Brett Snyder, president of aviation support company Cranky Concierge. “Airlines have flexibility for people traveling to most Florida airports to avoid hurricanes. If you want to delay your flight, you can do that for free. But if your destination If you want to change it completely, you can do so by simply paying the difference in fare.
Airlines have been adapting throughout Tuesday by adding flights out of Florida and offering travel exemptions. After adding five new flights in Tampa and Orlando on Monday, United Airlines will add flights from Orlando on Tuesday, with two flights from Sarasota using larger planes to accommodate more passengers. was. The company is also waiving change fees and fare differences for flights scheduled through Oct. 12 to and from most South Florida airports. Please see the airline’s travel exemption page for more information.
American Airlines added more than 2,000 seats to flights from Tampa and Sarasota late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The company also issued a travel alert that allows customers to rebook travel to and from 12 Florida airports without change fees.
Other airlines with similar travel exemptions include JetBlue, Delta, Southwest, Spirit, Allegiant, Frontier and Sun Country.
Cruise interruption
The Port of Tampa suspended all vessel operations Tuesday morning after the U.S. Coast Guard placed a port condition of Zulu, meaning high winds are expected to hit the port within 12 hours. Three cruise lines are scheduled to sail from Port Tampa this week, including Carnival Cruise Line, Margaritaville at Sea and Royal Caribbean International.
All three cruise lines are making itinerary adjustments to keep passengers safe. Carnival said in an update Monday afternoon that all ships will continue to sail at a safe distance from the storm. Travelers planning cruises departing from home ports that may be affected by the storm are encouraged to select the line’s text alerts for the latest information.
Margaritaville at Sea has moved the Sea Islander ship’s departure from Tampa one day to Monday, October 7th, instead of Tuesday, October 8th, to avoid the impending storm.
A “Port Condition Yankee”, which indicates strong winds are expected within the next 24 hours, was placed in place late Tuesday at the remaining cruise ports in Florida, including the Ports of Miami, Port of Everglades, Port of Palm Beach and Port of Fort Pierce. As of Tuesday morning, the Port of Miami remained open and urged travelers to check with their cruise line for the latest information.
If you’re planning a cruise from Florida or within the Gulf of Mexico this week, be sure to monitor email or text alerts from your cruise line to stay informed of the latest changes.
hotels and resorts
Many resorts along the Florida Gulf Coast are closed this week in anticipation of the storm. The St. Regis Longboat Key is closed and cancellation fees are being waived until October 14th. All hotels in St. Pete Beach, including Don Caesar, Sirata and Tradewinds Resort, are closed, according to trade publication Travel Weekly. And of course, hotels are also closed in areas under mandatory evacuation orders, including the Tampa Bay area, Anna Maria Island, and Fort Myers Beach. Please contact your hotel directly for the latest information regarding closures, trip cancellations, and refunds.
Site closure
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will be closed on Tuesday, October 8th, Wednesday, October 9th, and Thursday, October 10th.
