People inspect damage from flooding after Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina.
Sean Rayford | Getty Images News | Getty Images
As the southeastern United States recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, consumers looking to change air travel plans to and from affected areas without suffering financial losses may be out of luck, experts say.
“One of the big problems with U.S. air travel is that when there are major disruptions, air passengers have very, very limited rights in terms of compensation,” said Eric Napoli, AirHelp's chief legal officer. of passengers.
'catastrophic damage'
The North Carolina Department of Transportation urges people Avoid unnecessary travel In the west of the state, hundreds of roads were closed due to downed trees, landslides and “catastrophic damage”.
What do airlines owe passengers?
Amid this disruption, travelers hoping to change flights for free or cancel refund plans may find airlines unwilling to offer that financial flexibility.
Airlines are generally like this Owing a “prompt” refund According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, passengers will be affected if they cancel or make “significant changes” to their flights, regardless of the reason. This is true even for consumers with non-refundable tickets.
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However, weather-related events such as Hurricane Helene are often considered beyond airline control, meaning passengers have relatively few rights to compensation, experts say.
Naples said the airline's liability in such cases typically depends on the passenger's specific fare, such as economy or business class.
If your meeting is canceled and you don't have a ticket with free cancellation or free change, “(the airline) won't do anything for you,” he said.
Airlines make concessions in some cases
A store in Valdosta, Georgia, was damaged by Hurricane Helene.
Michael M. Santiago | Michael M. Santiago Getty Images News | Getty Images
Some airlines are making concessions in response to Hurricane Helene, but specific measures vary by airline and geography.
“All the rules are different,” said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.
Many major U.S. airlines have dedicated travel alert webpages outlining their policies for specific events, she said.
For example, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines There is a flood warning in place for the South East. Many people pay attention to the surrounding area Asheville (North Carolina)as well as some areas of Georgia such as Valdosta City.
For example, United will waive change fees and fare differences for customers whose flights were affected by flooding and choose to reschedule.
United's policy has some parameters: Passengers must purchase tickets by September 26 for travel between September 30 and October 31, 2024; new flights must depart before the end of 2024 and be to or from the same city where they were originally booked United Airlines flights. Those who cancel can receive a full refund.
American Airlines is also offering leeway to passengers planning to fly through Augusta, Georgia, between September 29 and October 4.
Delta passengers planning to fly to Asheville or Valdosta must take a rebooked flight by Oct. 18 to avoid paying the fare difference. However, the change fee will still be waived after that date.
Read the details of the policy
Experts say travel insurance isn't always a panacea if consumers can't get reimbursement for air tickets, hotels or other travel expenses from the travel provider.
If you don't purchase a cancel-for-any-reason policy, your travel problems generally must be a specific, covered cause. Additionally, policies purchased after Helen became a named storm typically would not cover claims related to it.
“Be sure to read the fine print and what the policy actually covers,” Naples said.
French said consumers who use their credit cards to purchase travel may receive certain travel reimbursement benefits from their card issuers, sometimes even in the event of severe weather. Credit card companies typically require “quick turnaround” on claims, usually within 21 days, she said.