Men survey flood damage in the wake of Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina.
Sean Rayford | News Getty Images | Getty Images
As the U.S. Southeast recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, consumers looking to change their air travel plans to or from the affected areas without taking a financial hit may be out of luck, experts say.
“The big thing going on in air travel in the U.S.: When there’s a significant disruption, air passengers have very, very limited rights” when it comes to compensation, said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, an online service that helps passengers airlines.
“catastrophic damage”
The North Carolina Department of Transportation urged people to avoid unnecessary travel in the western part of the state due to hundreds of road closures from fallen trees, landslides and “catastrophic damage”.
What airlines owe passengers
In the midst of this disaster, travelers hoping to change flights for free or cancel their plans for a refund may find airlines reluctant to provide this financial flexibility.
Airlines generally do “immediate” refunds are due to passengers if they cancel or make a “significant change” to a flight, regardless of the reason, according to the US Department of Transportation. This applies even to consumers with non-refundable tickets.
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But weather-related events such as Hurricane Helene are generally considered beyond an airline’s control, meaning passengers have relatively few rights to compensation, experts said.
The airline’s duty in such cases generally depends on a passenger’s specific fare, such as economy or business class, Napoli said.
“There is nothing [airlines] will do for you” if your conference was canceled and you don’t have a ticket that provides free cancellation or comes with no charge for changes, he said.
Airlines make concessions in some cases
Damage to a store in Valdosta, Georgia from Hurricane Helene.
Michael M. Santiago | News Getty Images | Getty Images
Some airlines are making concessions linked to Hurricane Helene, although they vary by carrier and geography.
“Every rule is different,” said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.
Many major U.S. carriers have dedicated travel alert websites that outline their policies on specific events, he said.
For example, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines they have flood warnings for the southeast. Many focus on areas around Asheville, North Carolinaand some parts of Georgia like the City of Valdosta.
United is waiving change fees and fare differences for passengers whose flight was affected by flooding and who choose to reschedule their flight, for example.
United’s policy comes with parameters: Passengers must have purchased their ticket before September 26, for travel between September 30 and October 31, 2024. the new flight must be a United flight departing by the end of 2024 and between the same cities as the original booking. Those who cancel can receive a full refund.
American Airlines is also giving leeway to passengers traveling through Augusta, Georgia from September 29th through October 4th. Changes must be booked by October 4th.
Delta passengers scheduled to fly through Asheville or Valdosta must travel on rebooked flights by Oct. 18 to avoid paying a fare difference. However, change fees will still be waived after this date.
Read the details of the insurance policies
Travel insurance isn’t always safe if consumers can’t get reimbursed from the travel provider for flight, hotel or other travel expenses, experts say.
If you didn’t buy a cancellation policy for any reason, your travel problems must usually fall under specific, covered reasons. Additionally, policies purchased after Helene became a named storm generally will not cover claims related to it.
“Make sure you read the fine print and what the insurance actually covers,” Napoli said.
Consumers who purchased their trip with a credit card may receive certain refund benefits from their card issuer, sometimes even in the event of inclement weather, French said. Credit card companies generally require a “fast turnaround” on a claim, often within 21 days, he said.