Matthew: Airlines waive fees for Caribbean; U.S. next?
A map released by the U.S. National Hurricane Center at 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 3, 2016, showed the latest projected track for Hurricane Matthew. (Photo: National Hurricane Center)
Air travelers were keeping a wary eye on Hurricane Matthew as forecasts continued to show it tracking toward the U.S. East Coast later this week.
Ominously for travelers to the region, the forecasts out late Monday evening showed an increasing likelihood that Matthew will at least come close to Florida and the Southeast. A U.S. landfall remained a possibility by late week, though the storm's projected path still had a large degree of uncertainty and it could still turn out to sea.
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For now, Matthew forced airlines to cancel some flights to Caribbean islands like Jamaica, Haiti and the Turks and Caicos.
U.S. fliers headed to those regions this week should prepare for disruptions. The complete cessation of flights is likely for parts of Cuba and the Bahamas.
The U.S. State Department had already issued travel warnings related to Matthew, advising Americans in parts of Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas to leave ahead of the storm, if possible.
So far, no U.S. airlines had waived change fees for airports on the U.S. mainland. But they are waiving change fees for flights in some parts of the Caribbean.
Generally speaking, the change-fee waivers allow customers to make one change to their itineraries without paying additional charges or fares. The fine print varies by airline and by destination.
Waivers covering Florida and parts of the Southeast will likely come in the next day or two if Matthew continues to track closer to the U.S. coastline.
Scroll down to links to the waiver policies in place at U.S. airlines as of 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 3.
Covers several cities in Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos.
Waiver extends to flights originally booked on the following dates: Varies by destination
Full details: American Airlines
Covers several cities in Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos.
Waiver extends to flights originally booked on the following dates: Oct. 2-6
Full details: Delta Air Lines
As of late Wednesday evening, Frontier said on its website: "We are monitoring the storm and its possible impact. As the week progresses, and forecasts become more reliable, we'll be posting further updates."
Covers several cities in Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos.
Waiver extends to flights originally booked on the following dates: Oct. 2-6
Full details: JetBlue
Covers numerous destinations in the Bahamas.
Waiver extends to flights originally booked on the following dates: Oct. 4-5
Full details: Silver Airways
Covers Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Nassau, Bahamas.
Waiver extends to flights originally booked on the following dates: Varies by destination
Full details: Southwest Airlines
Covers Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Waiver extends to flights originally booked on the following dates: Oct. 2-3
Full details: Spirit Airlines
No Matthew-related waiver had been posted to United's website as of 10:40 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 3.