Hurricane Irma is currently a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. The storm is moving through the South Central Bahamas west northwest at 14 mph. The current forecast suggests Irma will begin to impact Southern Florida overnight Friday and continue Saturday night into Sunday.
The exact path of the storm is still unknown so locals should follow the direction of state and local government officials.
Hurricane Irma is affecting travel to and from the Caribbean and southeastern U.S. If your trip is impacted, you may be eligible to change, cancel, or receive a refund. Here is a breakdown of how airports, airlines, and cruises are preparing for the storm and what they’re offering travelers affected by the weather.
Airports
Travel alerts have already been issued for more than 40 airports in the path of Irma.
Current airport closures:
Starting Friday afternoon (September 8)
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – through Sunday, September 10
Fort Myers (RSW) – through Sunday, September 10
Miami (MIA) – through Sunday, September 10
West Palm Beach (PBI) – through Sunday, September 10
Starting Saturday afternoon (September 9)
Orlando (MCO) – through Sunday, September 10
Dates may change as new information becomes available.
Passengers are being warned not to go to the airport unless you have already purchased a ticket, you have a confirmed seat, and the flight status shows “On time.”
Stay up-to-date by checking airport closures.
Airlines
American Airlines
Travelers who purchased tickets by September 5, 2017 for travel between September 5 – 17, 2017 to Florida (Daytona Beach(DAB), Destin / Fort Walton Beach (VPS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Myers (RSW), Gainesville (GNV), Jacksonville (JAX), Key West (EYW), Melbourne (MLB), Miami (MIA), Orlando (MCO), Palm Beach (PBI), Pensacola (PNS), Tallahassee (TLH), Tampa (TPA), Sarasota (SRQ)) may be eligible to change without penalty or cancel for a refund. Check here for all areas affected and eligibility criteria.
Delta Airlines
Flights that are cancelled or facing significant delays (over 90 minutes) are entitled to a refund for the unused portion of the ticket. A one-time change to your ticket may be made if you are scheduled to travel to/from/through the specified destinations. When rescheduled travel occurs beyond September 30, 2017, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply. Check here for a full list of affected cities.
Frontier Airlines
Travelers who purchased tickets on or before September 4, 2017 for travel between September 5-12, 2017 to/from/through Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL), Orlando, FL (MCO), Miami, FL (MIA), Fort Myers, FL (RSW), Tampa, FL (TPA), San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) 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. Check here for more information.
JetBlue
Customers traveling September 6, 2017 through September 17, 2017 to/from: Daytona Beach, FL (DAB), Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL), Jacksonville, FL (JAX), Fort Myers, FL (RSW), Orlando, FL (MCO), Sarasota, FL (SRQ), Tampa, FL (TPA), West Palm Beach, FL (PBI), Charleston, SC (CHS), Savannah, GA (SAV) – may rebook their flights for travel through September 27, 2017. Customers with cancelled flights may also opt for a refund to the original form of payment. Original travel must have been booked on or before Tuesday, September 5, 2017. Check here for a full list of cities affected.
Spirit Airlines
Travel to/from/through certain airports in Florida scheduled for September 6-11, 2017 may be modified with no penalty through September 16, 2017. After this date, modification fees may be waived but a fare difference may apply. Check here for a full list of cities and applicable re-booking policies.
Southwest Airlines
Travelers holding reservations for the effective dates and cities listed at the link may rebook in the original class of service or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city-pairs) without paying any additional charges. Check here for additional options that may be available based on locations/dates.
United Airlines
Baggage fees are being waived for certain airports in the Caribbean region and southeastern U.S. Changes to travel scheduled to/from/through certain airports in Florida and Georgia departing between September 5, 2017, and September 30, 2017 can be made without penalty as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed. Check here for a full list of cities affected and other restrictions.
Cruises
Carnival
Five cruise ships have already been cancelled and passengers can expect a full refund to be processed to the original form of payment within three weeks. Other ships are being watched and may have may have a shortened schedule based on potential weather. Check here for a full list of cruise schedules.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream have been cancelled. Refunds will automatically be processed back to the original form of payment used for the cruise booking. Future Bahamian and Eastern Caribbean Sailings have no scheduled changes but will be monitored. Updates regarding any necessary itinerary changes will be posted beginning September 12. Check here for up-to-date information.
Royal Caribbean
Current sailings of Oasis, Harmony and Allure of the Seas have decided to delay the return of these ships until the storm has passed. Due to the unpredictability of the storm, guests will continue sailing on these ships to stay safely out of harm’s way. Check here for a full list of changed, cancelled, and scheduled departures.
Travel Alerts
Check your airline or cruise line for the most up-to-date information on itinerary changes or cancellations. Visit our Travel Resources for airline and airport contact information.
For the latest storm developments, visit the National Hurricane Center.