How do Airlines handle hurricanes?

[Crazy4mandms]

I am traveling to WDW with a youth group Aug 28-Sept 3 on Us Airways. I'm just curious how the airlines handle weather delays like a hurricane. Also, if anyone knows how WDW handles hurrican travel delays (such as we are holed up at WDW for an extra night...wondering if they help you out with cost of hotel like some sort of decent rate or kill youwith rack?). Thanks!

 

[seashoreCM]

Airlines cancel a boatload (no pun intended) of flights when hurricane warnings go up. They even cancel incoming flights that might leave the planes sitting in the affected city(ies) overnight. So after the hurricane is over, it takes longer to get the schedules back to normal since planes have to come in to take the first batch of bedraggled waiting passengers.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[ducklite]

I am traveling to WDW with a youth group Aug 28-Sept 3 on Us Airways. I'm just curious how the airlines handle weather delays like a hurricane.

Pretty much they stop flights in and out about 12 hours before the hurricane is expected to hit. You will be reaccomodated without a change fee on the next available flight. That means the next flight with open seats. Passengers already booked on a specific flight will not be bumped to make room for people who have missed cancelled flights.

Also, if anyone knows how WDW handles hurrican travel delays (such as we are holed up at WDW for an extra night...wondering if they help you out with cost of hotel like some sort of decent rate or kill youwith rack?). Thanks!

I've heard of both things happening, but I would buy travel insurance and be prepared to pay rack rate and be reimbursed by the insurance. Keep in mind that it could be three or four days after the airlines begin operations again before everyone in your group gets out--and it will be highly unlikely you'll all be on one flight. You'll also need to plan for additional meals.

Anne

 

[DanenRox]

It's no wonder free dining shows up in Sept....a little incentive is needed to help us forget about hurricane season.

 

[renda460]

We traveled to WDW during a hurricane in Sept. 2004. The hurricane was scheduled to hit around the same time as our flight would arrive. About 24 hours in advance the airline started allowing changes to flights without a charge. (Prior to that we were not allowed to make any changes without paying a fee.) We got on an earlier flight to make it there before the hurricane. The airport closed around Sat afternoon/evening and did'nt reopen until Tues. We were very, very glad that we made it in. I can imagine it would be a nightmare to try and re-book after the hurricane, along with everyone who missed their flights.

Aside from losing some dinner reservations due to everything being closed, we did'nt have any other issues such as extra nights in our room so I cannot comment on that. I will say that during the hurricane Disney was very good about providing entertainment in the hotel (once it was declared safe to come out of our rooms).

 

[shoes99]

We were delayed coming home a few years ago in March for a major snow storm projected to hit the northeast. We called the airline and they changed our flights to extend 2 additional days, no fees. We were at the Coronado Springs and we had to pay for 2 additional nights at the discounted rate that we already had. No free nights.
The Gov on NJ declared a state of emergency, then the storm missed the state. We enjoyed our two additional nights.

 

[snugglepeas]

last feb. dh and I were at disney for 8 nights with a great AP rate, well the day we were to go home a blizzard was headed for the northeast so not only did they cancel are flight home(delta) they didnt even try to let us know, we found out by going down to the lobby to check are bads in the morning and they said these was a problem getting are boarding passes so they called delta and that's when we found out, well all of disneys resorts were booked so we wended up at the dolphin for a night and that evening we found out they had canceled the flight they had rebooked us on for the following day(sunday) again without any notice, we were watching the weather channel and they news caster said that alot of flights were canceled for the next day well after calling delta and being on hold for 2 hours we finally got the last 3 seats on the last flight back to boston on tuesday night, so the 3 nights that we were stuck at disney ended up costing us as much as the 8 nights before it. The airlines just say weather is an act of God and will not take a hit in the wallet for an act of God.

 

[ParrotBill]

Here's the tricky part of a hurricane affecting WDW. Typically the hotels and parts hunker down for a short period - a day or so. Hurricanes usually move quickly across central Florida. Flights can be held up for a longer time. If they are, you could find yourself checking out and trying to get a flight. Try hard to work with your airline on the phone before you have to check out so if you need to ask to stay you have not yet checked out.

 

[gigi1313]

we were at wdw for hurricane frances... disney was great... allowed us to stay in the same rooms for the extra nights 'til the airline could get us on a flight and charged us well below rack rate ($45/room/night at a value)... because we had length of stay hoppers they gave us each two days of ultimate park hoppers good for the next 20 years... overall i was quite impressed...

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Try hard to work with your airline on the phone before you have to check out so if you need to ask to stay you have not yet checked out.

This is what I would try to do. I know it will be difficult to get all these kids on a flight together if something like that happened...we have 3 chaperones so the best we could hope for is to divvy up the kids between the three of us and try to get flights that way. I let the parents know that the trip did not include insurance and I offered to any of them a group insurance rate if anyone wanted to go in but I had no takers. These parents are great and I'm sure if we had to hole up for an extra day or two they'd be offering to charge it on their cards...so not really worried about additional cost, just worried about recheduling the flight with so many kids in tow (19!!). I guess I wouldn't be able to count on the airlines to help us out any it seems!

 

[ducklite]

This is what I would try to do. I know it will be difficult to get all these kids on a flight together if something like that happened...we have 3 chaperones so the best we could hope for is to divvy up the kids between the three of us and try to get flights that way. I let the parents know that the trip did not include insurance and I offered to any of them a group insurance rate if anyone wanted to go in but I had no takers. These parents are great and I'm sure if we had to hole up for an extra day or two they'd be offering to charge it on their cards...so not really worried about additional cost, just worried about recheduling the flight with so many kids in tow (19!!). I guess I wouldn't be able to count on the airlines to help us out any it seems!

The chances of getting seven seats on a flight within the first three days after a hurricane are slim to none. You will very likely need to send the kids alone 3-4 at a time, which might incur unaccompanied minor charges. The other option could be to wait the better part of a week for a flight with that many open seats. That could be a real problem with the start of school. A good travel agent will be a blessing in a situation like this. Did you book this yourself or through an agent?

Anne

 

[CarolA]

This is what I would try to do. I know it will be difficult to get all these kids on a flight together if something like that happened...we have 3 chaperones so the best we could hope for is to divvy up the kids between the three of us and try to get flights that way. I let the parents know that the trip did not include insurance and I offered to any of them a group insurance rate if anyone wanted to go in but I had no takers. These parents are great and I'm sure if we had to hole up for an extra day or two they'd be offering to charge it on their cards...so not really worried about additional cost, just worried about recheduling the flight with so many kids in tow (19!!). I guess I wouldn't be able to count on the airlines to help us out any it seems!

I would NOT be chaperoing a trip without INSURANCE!!! When you take Jr to the hospital, guess who will be held responsible... (Look in the mirror! LOL!) When the flights are cancelled it's your credit card on the line etc. On my Girl Scout trips, I always just include the insurance as part of the cost, it's not an "option" (and most of my parents are good parents too, but I don't really know if they have good healthcare insurance for example!)

 

[ducklite]

I would NOT be chaperoing a trip without INSURANCE!!! When you take Jr to the hospital, guess who will be held responsible... (Look in the mirror! LOL!) When the flights are cancelled it's your credit card on the line etc. On my Girl Scout trips, I always just include the insurance as part of the cost, it's not an "option" (and most of my parents are good parents too, but I don't really know if they have good healthcare insurance for example!)

Very wise woman you are!

Anne

 

[Crazy4mandms]

The insurance was offered but not one parent opted for it (which there was disclosure about responsibility if they did not buy insurance). The contracts have disclosures about responsibility and costs incurred above/beyond so I'm truly not worried about cost issues. But continue to be worried about getting them on flights...not too, too worried as I think chances of hurricane is slim. But I appreciate everyone's advice and personal experiences!! I'm going to go over the airline contract with a fine-tooth comb...we dished out BIG bucks for group rate so I'm hoping that comes with some sort of help above and beyond what they would normally do.

 

[ducklite]

The insurance was offered but not one parent opted for it (which there was disclosure about responsibility if they did not buy insurance). The contracts have disclosures about responsibility and costs incurred above/beyond so I'm truly not worried about cost issues. But continue to be worried about getting them on flights...not too, too worried as I think chances of hurricane is slim. But I appreciate everyone's advice and personal experiences!! I'm going to go over the airline contract with a fine-tooth comb...we dished out BIG bucks for group rate so I'm hoping that comes with some sort of help above and beyond what they would normally do.

Usually a group rate is lower. In all honesty, it probably won't do you a bit of good. Airlines have a specific priority that they use to accomodate passengers. It begins with the most elite frequent fliers to the least elite frequent fliers, then special needs and unaccompanied minors (on a case-bycase scenario they will be accomodated before the FF's--like if they were stuck in a connecting airport) then after that it goes by price paid.

As much as the parents might have declined the insurance, what happens if there is an emergency? What if they can't or won't pay? Who is going to get stuck footing the bill?

Anne