Vacations delayed and flight missed pale in comparison to the human toll Irene took along the East Coast of the United States this past weekend. At latest count, at least 20 are dead. Monetary damages will easily exceed $1 billion, and the flood waters continue to flow. Everything is relative, and in relative terms airline passengers got off relatively easily – despite the cancellation of some 12,000 flights since Friday.

The Federal Aviation Administration says New York City’s three commercial airports — JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia — would all open by 7am Monday morning. United/Continental, which operates a major hub at Newark, says it will resume flights out of all three airports by noon Monday. Look for the carrier also to be back in business also in Boston, White Plains, Hartford, Portland, Manchester and Albany.

JetBlue spokesman Mateo Lleras says the discount airline expects to resume flights out of New York airports Monday afternoon – pending the ability of mass transit to get passengers to the airports, and airport infrastructure to handle them. Both those pieces have fallen into place.

Now, the issue is how fast will airline schedules fall into place. You just don’t throw a switch and return the nation’s massive air transport system to normal, not after a disruptive storm like Irene. US Airways is looking at a limited re-start Monday, and hopes for full service by Tuesday.

Other airlines look to follow a similar route in rolling out their full flight schedules.

If you were booked to fly over this past weekend know that virtually all airlines put in place their severe weather waiver policies. Depending on when you were schedule to fly, and when you booked your flight, they’ll waive change fees. To determine your carrier’s specific parameters bet is to visit their website.

The worst thing you can do, even now that Irene’s passed, is get on the phone and call them. Phone lines were overloaded this past weekend, and wait times were measured in the hours. Online is the best route to go – that or contacting your travel agent.

 

(Aug. 26): As of Friday morning, airlines were ramping up flight cancellations in reaction to, or anticipation of, Hurricane Irene. Expect those cancellations to turn into a flurry Friday afternoon.

“The main reason is that Saturday is projected to be much worse in places like New York,” says American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith. “I’m quite sure we will have some cancellations later in the day Friday, when we know more about the timing.” Thursday, American and American Eagle axed 126 flights, focusing on Florida and the Bahamas.

Discount airline JetBlue spokeswoman Allison Steinberg says, “We’re still finalizing our plans for operations in the Northeast this weekend.”

This much is sure: virtually all airlines are waiving change fees for select airports in Florida and along the East Coast. American Airlines’  line-up is fairly representative: Baltimore, Boston, Hartford, Newark, Norfolk, New York JFK and LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Washington, DC Dulles and Regan National, White Plains, and Wilmington. AA is waiving the ticket reissue charge for one ticket change for flights through Aug. 30, assuming the ticket was issued no later than Aug. 25. You can begin your re-booked flight as late as Sept. 4.

There, of course, are variations on this theme. Continental, for example, adds airports such as Charleston, and Providence to the list. It says, “When rescheduled travel commences by September 6, 2011 change fees and fare difference will be waived.” As for refunds, “They’re permitted only if your flight is cancelled or delayed at least two hours.”

Delta’s  policy waives change fees for affected East Coast cities for flights scheduled Friday Aug. 26 through Monday Aug. 29. In a prepared statement, Delta says it’s “proactively reduc[ing] flight schedules to minimize delays.” That’s where you, the flier, come in. Check your airline’s website often to see what flights have been axed. Likelihood is there will be an avalanche of them. Since the Valentine’s Day ice delay debacle at JFK in 2007, airlines have made it a point to cancel flights well ahead of time so travelers won’t be caught at airports, or out on the tarmac.

As this post got set to go live, Irene was a 110 mph-category hurricane, with gusts up to 135 mph. She was expected to turn a bit more to the north/northeast Friday according to the National Hurricane Center. That would track her a bit farther off shore – at least for a while. Irene was still forecast to hit the North Carolina coast and continue to head north.

That could put the storm on a collision course with Norfolk International Airport. When Cheapflights spoke late Thursday with airport Executive Director Wayne Shank he said the storm’s path was “beginning to cause us some real concern.”

ORF (Norfolk’s airport code) occupies the highest ground in the area. That mitigates chances of flooding. High winds are another matter. What the airport doesn’t want to do is lose power. “We’re checking our emergency generators,” says Shank.  “All of those generators are being double-checked. We’re checking emergency airfield backup lighting systems. We secure any items that can be airborne in high winds. jet bridges will be lashed to the side of the terminals.”

Shank says while “individual airlines will make the determination as to when to cease operations…We’re confident we’ll keep the terminal and the airfield complex open.”

That’s standard procedure for airports, even in the worst of conditions. Airlines may not fly, but airports remain open nonetheless.

Just what flights fly where is very much in the air. From all indications Cheapflights is receiving, there could be thousands of cancellations this coming weekend. To see if your flight is affected, check with their website. Calls to overtaxed reservations agents could well prove futile.

 

 

(Aug. 25): Having beaten up the Bahamas, Hurricane Irene – projected to reach Category 4 status Thursday – is skirting the East Coast and threatening the coast of the Carolinas

The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch from just north of Surf City, N.C. to the border of Virginia. That puts Norfolk in the sites of the storm. Projections are she could reach the Norfolk International Airport area by 2am, Sunday Aug. 28 with sustained winds of 105 mph.

While it’s not a hub airport, ORF (that’s Norfolk’s airport code) is nonetheless an important East Coast airport. Airports Council International – North America says it was the 73rd-busiest airport on the continent last year, handling some 3.3 million passengers.

North of Norfolk lie not only Richmond, but the Washington, DC area’s three major air fields: Reagan Washington National, Washington Dulles, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. IAD is a major United hub, and BWI a focus city for discount airline Southwest. Should Irene track a bit farther to the west, they could be hit.

Whether the storm slams these airports or not, look for delays and possible cancellations of flights up and down the coast in the coming days – especially between northeast and Florida.

As Irene heads north, most airlines are allowing you latitude to alter travel plans without incurring a financial penalty. A case-in point is discount airline JetBlue. The carrier is waiving change fees and any fare differences for flyers booked to key Florida destinations Thursday Aug. 25 or Friday Aug. 26. The cities: Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, and West Palm Beach. You can re-book flights through Sunday Aug. 28.

Look for larger swaths of the East Coast to get the same treatment from airlines as the hurricane’s path becomes more evident. We’ll keep you updated here at Cheapflights.

 

 

(Aug. 24): Hurricane Irene is a Category 3 storm – a formidable 111 mph-plus force of nature that could have a real impact air travel along the East Coast in the coming week.

Late Tuesday, Cheapflights talked with airlines and airports that have major operation in Florida and the Carolinas. Here’s what we found:

Miami International Airport. American Airlines is the largest player here, and spokesman Tim Smith says, “We expect the storm to go generally east of Miami, with no major [flight] disruptions.” He says there’s the possibility of thunderstorms, “but nothing of a hurricane nature.” The only flight cancellations today could be “to and from the Caribbean areas affected by the storm.” Smith says the Bahamas are the key concern just now. American Eagle laid on extra flights to the islands Tuesday to help evacuate tourists. Right now, American is letting passengers booked to, through, or from Freeport and George Town in the Bahamas Aug. 23 through 26 alter their travel plans without having to pay a change fee.

Charlotte-Douglas International. The Carolinas look to be next on Irene’s itinerary. American Eagle operates a number of flights from Raleigh/Durham, but it’s US Airways’ operations at Charlotte that everybody’s watching. “Charlotte is the largest hub in the US Airways system,” says carrier spokeswoman Michelle Mohr. While no travel advisories had been issued for CLT as of late Tuesday afternoon, Mohr says flyers booked to, through, or from Charlotte are advised to check their flight status on US Airways’ website. “Our main concern is keeping our customers and employees safe,” she says. “If we feel it’s not safe to leave our airplanes [in Charlotte] overnight, we will act accordingly.”

Wilmington International Airport is playing a waiting game just now, all the while preparing for the worst. This airport is the gateway to North Carolina’s beaches. Lots of flyers pass through this time of year. When Cheapflights talked to airport Operations Director Gary Broughton, he’d just gotten off a conference call with the National Weather Service and the news was better. Irene had initially been forecast to come ashore at Wilmington about 2am Saturday morning, Aug. 27. Now Broughton says “it may move farther to the east…We’re waiting to see.” Nevertheless, “we’re getting ready…We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

So too is the rest of the East Coast. There’s real potential for major travel disruptions this week. After the Carolinas, flights out of Washington, D.C.’s three major airports – Dulles, Reagan National, and BWI – could be affected. After that, Philadelphia, and the New York area’s three fields could be in Irene’s path. That would mean cancellations at JFK, Newark and LaGuardia. Assuming the storm continues up the coast, Hartford, Providence and Boston Logan operations could be next.

None of this is certain at this point. Literally, and figuratively, the situation is fluid. Hub-by-hub, we’ll keep you clued in as to what’s happening here at Cheapflights Flight News.

Story by Jerry Chandler

(Image: Official Navy Page)