Airlines plan ahead for Hurricane Frances
(CNN) -- Mother Nature is forcing Labor Day weekend travelers who were heading into or out of Florida or the Caribbean to make other plans.
As Hurricane Frances moves over the Bahamas toward Florida's east coast, residents in the storm's path are moving to safety and travelers who were headed south are rethinking their plans.
Many of the major airlines have canceled flights in and out of some of the major airports in Florida and the Caribbean islands and are expected to adjust schedules to weather patterns throughout the weekend.
Fortunately, the airlines have devised policies to help travelers reschedule. Fliers should check their carrier's Web site for specific flight information and updated information on Hurricane Frances scheduling polices as the storm advances.
American Airlines
American Airlines passengers traveling to, from or through Florida between September 2 and September 6 may make ticketing changes through September 30 for travel originating by September 30. Passengers may make one ticketing change without incurring fees or penalties. Travel to or from locations in the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Maarten, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and the British West Indies between August 30 and September 30 also may be rescheduled to travel as late as September 30.
Continental Airlines
Continental is offering passengers traveling through September 10 the option to re-route or reschedule travel once without penalty if they are traveling to, from or through designated locations in Florida and the Bahamas; Charleston or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; locations in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic; Antigua and Barbuda; and locations in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Netherlands Antilles. Travel must be completed by November 15. Continental's Web site notes that this information is subject to change.
Delta Air Lines
Delta passengers scheduled to travel to, from or through 16 Florida cities or Brunswick or Valdosta, Georgia, on September 1 through September 7, may make ticketing changes without penalty through September 30 for travel to be completed by March 1, 2005. Ticket holders for flights to, from or through Nassau or Freeport, Bahamas, from August 31 through September 7 may also make changes under the same conditions. Passengers with tickets to, from or through San Juan, Puerto Rico; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; St. Lucia, West Indies; or St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, from August 30 through September 1 may change their tickets and travel by September 6 without penalty.
Northwest Airlines
Northwest passengers holding tickets for travel between September 1 and September 6 for travel to, from or through six Florida cities may reschedule without penalty for outbound or return travel beginning by September 13. The cities included under the policy are Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and West Palm Beach.
United Airlines
United Airlines ticket holders for travel to or from Florida through September 8 may change their flights without penalty by calling United's reservations line (1-800-241-6522) by 11:59 p.m. on their original travel date. Standard change fees, day or time restrictions and Saturday night-stay or minimum-stay requirements have been waived for customers already in transit who would like to return to their point of origin. These rules apply to any available flight on or before September 8.
U.S. Airways
U.S. Airways passengers who planned to travel to or from affected destinations through September 6 may make penalty-free ticket changes through September 30 by calling 1-800-428-4322. All Florida destinations; Turks and Caicos Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico, and six islands in the Bahamas are locations eligible for this policy.
