Hurricane Ike Takes Aim at Gulf – Your Options

A little more than a week after Hurricane Gustav got out of town, another storm is galloping towards the Gulf, leaving destruction in its path and promising to rearrange more than a few travel plans. The storm is Ike, a Category 2 hurricane at last count (although it has been as high as 4 over open ocean). Airlines are starting to gird for the weather, allowing flyers to change travel plans sans penalty or fees.

Delta Air Lines says customers who had purchased tickets by last Friday (September 5) and are scheduled to fly on or before Wednesday, September 10, can make a one-time change to their schedule without having to pay extra if they change tickets by Monday, September 15, and start travel on or before that date. The policy applies to flyers headed for Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Miami, and West Palm Beach.

If you purchased a ticket by September 5 and were scheduled to fly to either Freeport (FPO) or Nassau (NAS) in the Bahamas by today (Monday, September 8), DL will allow you to change without penalty by Friday, September 12 providing you travel on or before that date.

Discount airline JetBlue is also waiving change fees for flyers postponing their trips to Nassau. If you’re booked to NAS for yesterday (Sunday, September 7) or today, you can change your plans to and depart through Wednesday (September 10) without incurring any penalties or extra fees.

Other airlines are allowing one-time changes too. Check with your carrier. Should Ike take aim at specific cities along the Gulf, or along the Mexican coast, expect airlines to adjust their change policies accordingly.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler