With Hurricane Helene disrupting travel, here’s what passengers need to know

As the southeastern U.S. recovers from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, consumers who want to change their air travel plans to or from affected areas without suffering financial loss may be out of luck, experts say.

“The big problem that’s happening in U.S. air travel: When there’s a significant disruption, airline passengers have very, very limited rights” when it comes to compensation, said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, an online service, providing assistance to airline passengers.

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 due to fallen trees, landslides and “catastrophic damage.”

Amid this devastation, travelers looking to rebook their flights for free or cancel their plans for a refund may find that airlines are unwilling to provide this financial flexibility.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines generally owe passengers “prompt” refunds if they cancel or make a “significant change” to a flight, regardless of the reason. This also applies to consumers with non-refundable tickets.

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However, weather-related events like Hurricane Helene are generally beyond an airline’s control, meaning passengers have relatively few rights to compensation, experts say.

The airline’s duty in such cases generally depends on a passenger’s specific fare, such as economy or business class, Napoli said.

“The airlines can’t do anything for you” if your conference is canceled and you don’t have a ticket that allows free cancellation or doesn’t incur change fees, he said.

Some airlines are offering concessions related to Hurricane Helene, but these vary by airline and region.

“All rules are different,” said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.

Many major U.S. airlines have dedicated travel alert websites that outline their policies regarding specific events, she said.

For example, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines have flood warnings in the Southeast. Many are concentrated in areas around Asheville, North Carolina and some parts of Georgia such as the city of Valdosta.

United is waiving change fees and fare differences for passengers whose flights were affected by flooding and who, for example, decide to rebook their flight.

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 in late 2024 and between the same cities as originally booked. Anyone who cancels can receive a full refund.

American Airlines is also giving leeway to passengers planning to travel through Augusta, Georgia, between September 29th and October 4th. You must book changes by October 4th.

Delta passengers planning to fly through Asheville or Valdosta must travel on rebooked flights by October 18 to avoid paying a fare difference. However, rebooking fees will continue to be waived beyond this date.

Travel insurance isn’t always fail-safe in the event consumers don’t receive reimbursement from the travel provider for airfare, hotel or other travel expenses, experts say.

If you have not completed a cancellation for any reason, your travel problems must typically be due to specific, covered reasons. Additionally, policies purchased after Helene became a named storm generally do not cover related claims.

“Be sure to read the fine print and what the insurance actually covers,” Napoli said.

Consumers who purchased their trip with a credit card can receive certain travel refund benefits from their card issuer, sometimes even during severe weather events, French said. Credit card companies generally require “quick processing” of a claim, often within 21 days, she said.