Hurricane Helene travel impacts: Flight cancellations as storm leaves trail of destruction
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with the latest information about the storm. Check back here for the latest.
Much of the Southeast was walloped by Hurricane Helene late Thursday night through Friday, after the storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in northwestern Florida shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday night.
The storm quickly moved north leaving a wide swath of destruction, with flooding across much of Florida's Gulf Coast, North Carolina and Georgia. At least 22 people were confirmed dead by early Friday afternoon.
With impacts and damage across much of the Southeast, travel operators have made changes around safety hazards and damage. Here's what you need to know.
What airlines and airports are affected?
The impact on flights was less severe than it could have been, with the timing of the storm's landfall and northerly track avoiding some of the busiest times for takeoffs and landings. About 941 flights to, from and within the U.S. were canceled as of 1:45 p.m. Friday, according to FlightAware.
After closing on Thursday as effects from the storm were felt ahead of the official landfall, Tampa International Airport (TPA) reopened on Friday after reporting that it did not sustain significant damage. Other airports that had closed on Thursday, including St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) — where Allegiant Air operates commercial flights — were also open on Friday. About a third of TPA's departing flights were canceled, along with about 10% of inbound flights.
Although Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) lay directly in the storm's path, the timing of the storm's movements kept disruptions to a minimum. Just shy of 80 flights from ATL were canceled by 1:45 p.m. Friday, or 6% of those scheduled, while another 92 inbound flights — or 7% — were also canceled.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), however, was impacted more significantly than forecasts had suggested, after Helane's strong eastern edge spun through the region. About 190 departing flights — 21% — and 205 inbound flights — 23% — were canceled as of Friday afternoon, while several hundred more were delayed.
Delta issued a travel waiver for passengers scheduled to fly to, from or through ATL on Friday, Sept. 27; the waiver allows them to rebook travel for Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 without paying a difference in fares. The new flight must be booked and occur by Oct. 1.
The airline issued a broader waiver for travel to or from airports across much of the forecasted path, including ones in cities in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mexico and Cuba. That waiver applies to travelers scheduled to fly Sept. 25 to 27. Travel must be rebooked and occur by Oct. 4.
Other airlines issued similar waivers ahead of the storm. American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue each offered various waivers for travel scheduled between Wednesday and Friday, as did Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Allegiant.
Even as the storm passes, if you’re scheduled to fly over the next few days, make sure you check your reservation and check in with your airline to understand your options.
Will it affect cruise line operations?
Port Tampa Bay, Port Canaveral and Jacksonville cruise ports are currently closed. Additionally, some cruise lines — including Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Margaritaville at Sea and Carnival Cruise Line — have altered their itineraries due to the hurricane. Cruise ship departures from PortMiami and Port Canaveral cruise ports are delayed. Additionally, ships currently at sea and set to return to Tampa and Jacksonville cruise ports will return later than scheduled.
Cruisers who plan to depart from those two ports over the next few days should call their cruise line for updates on Hurricane Helene’s potential impact on their itinerary.
Any impact on theme parks?
Some parks in the Orlando and Tampa areas — including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Universal’s Volcano Bay water park — have decided to close on Thursday.
At Disney World, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and its miniature golf courses are closed on Thursday. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is also canceled for Thursday night, with Magic Kingdom park hours extending from 6 to 8 p.m. for regular guests. Disney Halloween Party tickets are being refunded.
At Universal Orlando, Thursday night’s Halloween Horror Nights event is also canceled. Those with tickets dated for that event Thursday night can have them honored for a different night through Sunday, Sept. 29.
Legoland Florida Resort and SeaWorld Orlando are currently operating as normal.
Is it safe to travel to Florida and Georgia?
If you have an upcoming trip to Florida or Georgia scheduled, stay ahead of the developments in your specific area. It might be best to rearrange travel.
Airlines have issued travel alerts offering free changes and more flexibility, so if you have flights booked Thursday or Friday, it may make sense to rebook for a later time or cancel altogether. Florida declared a state of emergency for 41 of the state’s 67 counties; Georgia has also declared a state of emergency in parts of that state.
Tropical storm warnings are in place for much of Atlanta. If the storm ends up making a big impact there, it could mess up flights across the country since ATL is a massive hub.
Bottom line
If you have travel booked in the next few days, you should pay special attention to airport delays and cancellations as a big hurricane can impact travel across the country. If you have plans to travel to Georgia or Florida, it might be best to reschedule or cancel altogether. If you are traveling to a destination that could potentially be affected, you should make alternative plans now.
Airlines have activated more flexible change and cancellation rules. If you booked a trip with a credit card that provides some built-in trip insurance, look at the terms of those benefits to learn what expenses you may be able to recoup in the event of any nonrefundable charges.
Although this goes without saying, you should not travel to any hurricane-impacted part of a state where officials have told people to stay off the roads.
We will continue to update this developing story as the storm progresses.
For more helpful tips on navigating travel during hurricane season, read:
- Top travel mistakes to avoid during hurricane season
- Hurricane season is here: TPG’s storm guide for travelers
- Cruising during hurricane season: What to know — and should you go?
- Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?
- Is travel insurance worth it?
- Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next
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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)Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- 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.