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American Airlines Capping Fares, Adding Capacity Ahead of Hurricane Maria

Sept. 19, 2017
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3 min read
NOAA Hurricane Maria
American Airlines Capping Fares, Adding Capacity Ahead of Hurricane Maria
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Forming just Saturday morning, Hurricane Maria has rapidly developed from a cluster of storms into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph top sustained winds. Monday, the storm hit hard the small island of Dominica, leaving "widespread devastation."

Tuesday, the storm is going to graze the Leeward Islands, already battered by Irma two weeks ago; thankfully, the hurricane's powerful core is expected to remain offshore. However, the vicious storm has St. Croix and Puerto Rico in its crosshairs, with landfall expected on Wednesday as a Category 5 hurricane.

Although a storm this far south is typically bad news for Florida, the consensus is that the hurricane will stay offshore from the US mainland, according to a model run on Tuesday morning:

Image compiled by Weather Underground.

American Airlines' Response

With a hub in Miami (MIA), American Airlines has a significant presence across the Bahamas and Caribbean. Many of its airports are likely to be affected by the storm. Here's how the airline is responding to the threat:

Capping Fares

To help those trying to escape the storm, American Airlines is capping one-way nonstop fares from — and back to — the following airports. The fares will be $99 one-way in Main Cabin and $199 in any premium cabin. The price cap will remain in place through September 24.

  • Antigua, Antigua (ANU)
  • Cap Haitien, Haiti (CAP)
  • Port Au Prince, Haiti (PAP)
  • Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (PLS)
  • Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (POP)
  • Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ)
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
  • Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI)
  • Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ)
  • St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX)
  • St. Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKB)
  • St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)

Adding Capacity

In addition to capping fares, the airline is adding capacity from San Juan (SJU) to Miami (MIA). The extra SJU flight (AA9240) will depart Tuesday afternoon at 2:40pm local time, operated by a 273-seat Boeing 777-200. A scheduled additional 737-800 flight to/from St. Croix (STX) for Tuesday was cancelled.

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Cancelling Flights

As of 8am Tuesday morning, 30 flights have been cancelled for Tuesday and another 30 flights have been cancelled Wednesday. Some of these cancellations are due to lingering effects from Hurricane Irma, which is still impacting AA operations at Key West, Florida (EYW); Santa Clara, Cuba (SNU); St. Maarten, Saint Maarten (SXM) and St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT).

Cancellations expected Tuesday-Wednesday at the following airports:

Weather Waivers

American Airlines also has three sets of change fee waivers for Hurricane Maria, in addition to 10 lingering waivers for Hurricane Irma. Basically, if you're flying to/from/through the Caribbean, Bahamas, Cuba, Florida, and even Georgia, Alabama or South Carolina over the next few days, open American Airlines' waiver page and search your origin, connecting and/or destination airport(s) to see if you can change your flights for free.

In addition, the following airlines have also issued change fee waivers for Hurricane Maria: Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier, Spirit Airlines, United

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.