Hurricane Michael Expected to Impact Air Travel for Thousands

As Hurricane Michael makes its way across the Southeastern United States, airlines have already cancelled flights to affected areas with more to come – although the impact at Pittsburgh International Airport has been minimal so far.

At PIT, Allegiant’s flight from Fort Walton Beach was cancelled today as the storm barreled toward the Sunshine State’s panhandle. Meanwhile, several airlines, along with the FAA, began advising travelers on what to do if their flight was impacted.

From the FAA:

Commercial Travelers
Because of Hurricane Michael, airlines are likely to cancel many flights in the direct path of the storm and the surrounding areas. Flights that are not cancelled may be delayed. Once Hurricane Michael makes ground fall, airports may be listed as “open” but flooding on local roadways may limit access to airports for passengers, as well as the employees who work for the airlines or at the airport. As a result, every aspect of your trip to the airport, including parking, checking in, getting through security and boarding may take longer than usual.

As always, check with airlines about the status of your flight before you leave for the airport.  Major carriers provide flight status updates on their website:

• Southwest Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• United Airlines
• American Airlines
• JetBlue
• Alaska
• Spirit
• Frontier
• Allegiant

Please continue to check the status of your flight with your airline, not the FAA. You can also check the status of some major airports in the storm path by visiting  Fly.FAA.gov, which is updated regularly. You can also check  current travel advisories provided by most U.S. airlines.

Several airlines have also posted updates on their websites alerting customers of, among other information, that change fees for tickets to affected areas during the storm are waived.

“Passengers should check with their carrier before coming to the airport if they’re traveling to any of the affected areas,” said Brian Stashak, Vice President of Terminal Operations, who oversees customer service at PIT. “Due to delays and cancellations during storms, lines at check-in counters can be lengthy so it might be easier to rebook from home.”