What to Know About Hurricane Florence If You’re Traveling This Week

Major airlines are waiving change fees for passengers as Hurricane Florence heads toward the East Coast.

Now a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Florence is expected to hit South Carolina, North Carolina and parts of Virginia on Thursday. Hurricane Florence is expected to “be a large and extremely dangerous” storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. More than 1.2 million people are under mandatory evacuation orders.

Several major airlines are allowing passengers to change their flights going through the Southeast without additional fees ahead of the storm. Here’s what to know if Hurricane Florence affects your travel plans.

American Airlines

American Airlines is waiving flight change fees for those scheduled to travel between Sept. 13 and Sept. 16 in 23 southeastern cities, including Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; Raleigh/Dhurham, North Carolina; Richmond; Virginia and Savannah, Georgia. Passengers who bought their tickets by Sept. 10 and can travel between Sept. 10 and Sept. 19 are eligible to change their tickets. See full details here.

The airline has not cancelled any flights because of the storm thus far.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has warned that its flights could be delayed or cancelled due to the incoming storm in Charleston, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Norfolk/Virginia Beach and Greenville-Spartanburg. Fliers traveling through those cities between Sept. 12 and Sept. 16 can rebook their tickets without paying the change feel.

Full details are available here.

United Airlines

United Airlines has issued travel waivers for flights going through parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. Change fees and difference in fares will be waived for flights departing between Sept. 10 and Sept. 16. See details here.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier customers traveling through cities in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia between Sept. 10 and Sept. 16 can change their itineraries without charge if they booked tickets by Sept. 10.

Full guidelines are available here.

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines said it will suspend all operations in and out of Myrtle Beach International Airport on Sept. 13 and Sept. 14.

“We will reassess our operations for Sat 9/15 after the storm makes landfall,” read a tweet from the airline.

Earlier this week, Spirit said it was waiving change fees on tickets for flights going through Asheville, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Richmond, Virginia between Sept. 12 and Sept 16. Fees will be waived through Sept. 20.

JetBlue

JetBlue said it has capped airfare at $149 on bookings to and from Savannah, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina and Richmond, Virginia to help people prepare for Hurricane Florence.

The airline will waive change and cancellation fees and fare differences for customers flying between Sept. 11 and Sept 16 to and from cities in Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, and Washington. D.C. A full list of cities affected is available here.

Passengers can rebook flights through Sept. 20.

Alaska Airlines

Travelers going to or from Charleston, South Carolina or Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina can change their flights without charge to new dates between Sept. 11 and Oct. 1. See full details here.