Airlines offer travel waivers as Dorian reaches hurricane strength

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Several airlines are already offering travel waivers ahead of Hurricane Dorian. The storm is entering Atlantic waters and nearing the U.S. Southeast.

Dorian was about 45 miles northwest of St. Thomas Wednesday afternoon. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said top sustained winds were being recorded at 80 mph while the storm was moving northwest at 14 mph.

Dorian is expected to move away from the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and head out over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern Bahamas on Thursday and Friday, the Miami-based center told The Associated Press.

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American

American Airlines says change fees may be waived if passengers are scheduled to travel between August 28-August 31, and  can travel until September 7. Passengers cannot change their origin or destination city and must rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference. Flights to  and from Barbados, Haiti, Martinique, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia, Bahamas and Turks and Calcos Islands are eligible.

Delta Air Lines

For Delta passengers traveling to parts of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Saint Lucia through Thursday, they can rebook with a waived change fee and fly no later than Sept. 5.

For those traveling to the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos between August 30 and 31, they can rebook and fly no later than Sept. 7.

The airline also says passengers can cancel their trip and use the value toward a future flight. 

Frontier

Frontier is allowing customers scheduled to travel to parts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to make one free itinerary change. Passengers must have flights booked between August 26 and August 30. They must have purchased their tickets before August 25 and must travel no later than Sept. 20.

JetBlue

JetBlue is offering to waive change fees, cancel fees and fare differences for customers scheduled to travel Wednesday and Thursday through Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and St. Thomas.

Customers must have flights booked between August 28 and August 29. They can rebook their flights through September 1.

Spirit

Spirit says passengers scheduled to travel through August 30 to Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti can rebook through Sept. 5 to have the change fee waived and with no fare difference. After that, the change fee will still be waived but passengers will have to pay the fare difference.

Southwest

Southwest’s travel advisory affects passengers in three areas:

  • The Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic — scheduled to travel through August 30
  • The Bahamas — scheduled to travel through August 31
  • Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and West Palm Beach, and Florida — scheduled to travel August 31 through September 2

Passengers can rebook within 14 days of their original travel date. Customers with reservations for a canceled flight may request a refund for an unused ticket/travel itinerary.