Hurricane Florence

Ok. Ill try to calm some of your fears. I’m a pilot for a major airline. When a weather system like a hurricane is approaching, the airline takes whatever alternative (AND safe) measures it deems necessary to operate the flight. Believe me, the last thing that airlines want to do is cancel a flight unless it’s not safe and absolutely necessary to do so.

 

As long as conditions at the origin and destination airports are within limits and suitable for a safe operation, most likely your flight will operate. If the weather system is situated along the flight route, an alternate route will be filed around the storm. It’s not unheard of to file a route that will take you hundreds of miles in one direction and around the weather before turning towards your destination. The flight may be longer, but you’ll get there.

 

Last year, we operated flights into airports that were about to be hit by hurricanes as long as it was safe to do so. We operated the last flight into San Juan, Puerto Rico just hours before hurricane Maria hit. I can’t speak for other airlines, but at mine, we have an extremely qualified and experienced team of weather professionals and flight dispatchers who will come up with the best course of action, and who must all agree, along with the pilots, that it’s safe to operate the flight. Trust me when I tell you that you won’t be placed in harm’s way

 

What I recommend is that you keep a close eye on this hurricane. As soon as it becomes evident that your city of departure will take a hit, the airline will be proactive to get passengers out before the storm hits. As soon as the airline issues a change fee waiver, DON’T wait and get yourself confirmed on the earliest flight that you possibly can, even if it’s a few days early. Some flights closer to the storm’s arrival may need to get pre-canceled so it’s always smart to take the earliest flight they can accommodate you on so that you can give yourself as much wiggle room as possible.

 

Another option that you can consider if your airport (and airports south of your location) are closed due to the hurricane, and driving through that area is not a possibility, is to drive NORTH to an airport that’s not affected and take a flight from there around the weather.

 

I know how stressful all of this can be, but don’t stress more than you need to. Stay informed, be proactive, and be ready to walk out the door in short notice in order to get on a flight. Good luck!

 

 

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Thank you so much for your reassurance. It is wonderful to hear from a pilot. I was wondering if they would reroute the flight more to the west to avoid the coast. My local weather , philly, just did a very in depth report and is anticipating the storm to hit Thursday night. We leave Thursday morning. I will be waiting to see what AA does with relation to this as NOAA provides more details on location of landfall and when. Hoping they waive change fees and we are totally ready to book on Wednesday if indeed Thursday is the day

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We are also

 

 

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Good luck! American will allow no fee changes if Phily is expected to impacted. Hard for some to fly early though and thankfully I have some flexibility :)

Good luck! American will allow no fee changes if Phily is expected to impacted. Hard for some to fly early though and thankfully I have some flexibility :)

How do you know that? If there is a storm coming why wouldn’t they waive change fees? Saw that happen during a hurricane in the Caribbean a few years ago. We can fly out earlier and will do that if there is a weather alert from AA

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See what happens to the possible track forecast by Monday before you switch...often at great cost..we have been through this with snow storms...

Forecast is still quite uncertain..and you never know for sure. Charlie was supposedly headed directly to Tampa, Fl...surprise.! ..It turned and hit Punta Gorda...miles south

We no longer book E coast cruises for hurricane season..not worth the stress. Ironically, we are headed to FL on Fri to make sure things are secure at our condo!

How do you know that? If there is a storm coming why wouldn’t they waive change fees? Saw that happen during a hurricane in the Caribbean a few years ago. We can fly out earlier and will do that if there is a weather alert from AA

 

 

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They will. I think you misread my post.....

I would watch the airlines websites carefully. If they think it is going to impact the flight they will offer free rebookings. Grab that right away, and be prepared to leave earlier if at all possible.

This is solid advice. We're on south shore of eastern long island and as such we pay close attention this time of year. Current tracks indicate a more northerly route so I would be more concerned about getting out of Philly than into Miami. So far it looks like Florence is skipping Florida and heading for the mid-Atlantic and northeast...If it does change course and head for Miami, Atlanta won't be much help....under those circumstances I would rebook as soon as your airline posts notice on their site. They usually do not wait until the last minute with hurricanes and I don't know of any them that would refuse to rebook you without charge....the more passengers rebook the less hassle they have to deal with. This is one of those things over which you have no control...try to relax and make adjustments where needed and start thinking about going early...better to spend an extra day or two in Miami than Philly!! If it's any comfort to you, keep in mind that if planes can't get into Miami due to a hurricane chances are your ship won't be able to get in/out either....but don't use that as a reason not to fly in early!!

We were supposed to fly down Thursday but changed our flight to Tuesday morning. We would rather be in Miamimthan be in Delaware and not be able to fly out of Phila. When I called the hotel at the airport to change the night, she said I was the 3rd one to change due,to weather.

They will. I think you misread my post.....

I did. You said “ American will allow no fee changes “

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We were supposed to fly down Thursday but changed our flight to Tuesday morning. We would rather be in Miamimthan be in Delaware and not be able to fly out of Phila. When I called the hotel at the airport to change the night, she said I was the 3rd one to change due,to weather.

Good move and since OP said they could fly out early without any problem, I would start working on it asap.

Good move and since OP said they could fly out early without any problem, I would start working on it asap.

Good to know. I do not want to pay the $200 change fee if I don’t have to Want to wait a bit to see the projections and if AA waives the fee by monday

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I did. You said “ American will allow no fee changes “

 

 

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Correct. Just another way of saying they will waive change fees.....

Correct. Just another way of saying they will waive change fees.....

Lol you are right. My nerves are impacting my reading comprehension

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My nerves are impacting my reading comprehension

I am not a pilot but I AM a beverage professional & I feel strongly that it's time for an intervention MlMbar

This is situation has gotten quite serious and there is only one possible solution. Tequila. Immediately. :tropical-drink:

It's also important for cruise-beverage-training. (So... 2 stones, one bird - brilliantly efficient!)

(Wishing you safe, easy, wonderful travels!)

We paid the 200per ticket which for us was peace of mind. I would have been so stressed since they might not waive till Wed which wouldn’t do us any good.

I am not a pilot but I AM a beverage professional & I feel strongly that it's time for an intervention MlMbar

 

 

 

This is situation has gotten quite serious and there is only one possible solution. Tequila. Immediately. :tropical-drink:

 

 

 

It's also important for cruise-beverage-training. (So... 2 stones, one bird - brilliantly efficient!)

 

 

 

(Wishing you safe, easy, wonderful travels!)

Lol I needed that! Had I not upgraded my drink package to premium, you can bet I would be doing it now

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We paid the 200per ticket which for us was peace of mind. I would have been so stressed since they might not waive till Wed which wouldn’t do us any good.

Beginning to lean in that direction. I am waiting til maybe Sunday when NOAA has said they can project out five days.

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Hate to say it, but I would be more concerned with Invest92L! If that stays on track it could be around Grand Cayman the day we are there! Yes, I’m on this same cruise, but not too worried...yet. If there is a chance that I will be close to GC then we can just keep sailing and get to Aruba earlier....which is out of the hurricane belt. Since it’s a tender port we might have to skip it anyway. As long as you can fly out of Philly earlier, I would just look at doing that and get to Miami early!

I will see you at the Martini bar and we can put this hurricane stuff behind us! ;)

Hate to say it, but I would be more concerned with Invest92L! If that stays on track it could be around Grand Cayman the day we are there! Yes, I’m on this same cruise, but not too worried...yet. If there is a chance that I will be close to GC then we can just keep sailing and get to Aruba earlier....which is out of the hurricane belt. Since it’s a tender port we might have to skip it anyway. As long as you can fly out of Philly earlier, I would just look at doing that and get to Miami early!

 

 

 

I will see you at the Martini bar and we can put this hurricane stuff behind us! ;)

I honestly don’t care where the ship goes as long as I am on it. Yep, need that martini bar!!!

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We paid the 200per ticket which for us was peace of mind. I would have been so stressed since they might not waive till Wed which wouldn’t do us any good.

We,ve done that before..in advance of an ice storm, we left 2 days earlier. Worth it for peace of mind and YES our orig flight was severely delayed . So we had an extended pre cruise vacation.. on another cruise we had to switch to day of the cruise...very nervous but worked out fine too

We do not cruise in hurricane season anymore or in winter except when we are already in Fl..

Hope it works out for everyone!

As Florence right now is predicted to possibly hit New York and Southern New England, big concerns for cruisers should be sailing out of NY/NJ ports and the effect on Canada/New England Cruises.

Ok, here are the forecasts. It shows H Florence off the coast of N Carolina as the most high priobbable or well south of the Chesapeake Bay as the most north approach but still off the coast on next Thursday (144hrs), the time you are to leave. The US mainland is west of the storm when you leave which is the weak side of Hurricanes, so the wind and rain should be still pretty low. You are departing from PHL which shouldn’t be affected until at least late Sat or later, if much at all, which it isn’t forcast, except residual rain. See the two graphic below. Airlines can either skirt the weather bands on the west side of the storm or fly over them. Your chance of being impacted is pretty low. I’d worry more about getting sunburned on your cruise, but easy for me to say. Sept and Oct are the worst months for the Caribbean and East Coast and Florida for hurricanes. Life in the tropics. Without Hurricanes, the tropics would be unlivable.

Airlines and Cruise Lines have faced them for 50+ years. The two Depressions that 8 and 9 just formed in the East Atlantic behind Florence have minimal initial info on them. TD 8 that someone mentioned, that is the third graphic and should curve (right now) into the Mid-Atlantic. But the other may stay south. No real prediction yet.

You have no control over the paths they could take. The only ‘control’ you have is to either fly down to Miami a few days earlier, cnx the cruise (big loss of money since they won’t accept this as a reason), or plan on your cruise and get ready to enjoy it, and look at the wx on Wednesday. Sitting here looking at it each day will not give you any relaxation because even if the path stays south away from you and not cross into the US until after Thursday, you’ll still worry it could turn. It could, but very low chance from what the experts are showing.

Den

As Florence right now is predicted to possibly hit New York and Southern New England, big concerns for cruisers should be sailing out of NY/NJ ports and the effect on Canada/New England Cruises.

And what are you using as the source of info. All the Hurricane tracking sites show Florence probably going to Georgia or N Carolina. It will curve up north after it makes landfall and rain, but not as a hurricane, but as a normal storm. It isn’t ‘predicted’ to hit north of the Chesapeake Bay as a Hurricane at all, unless there is a major change in it’s path. Anything is possible, it could turn around and hit Ireland also??

There are going to be more storms forming in the Eastern Atlantic and coming across all Sep and well into Oct, these are the high Hurricane months. And with the changes in our climate, they are more powerful and more numerous. There will be storms forming in the Gulf and turning into Hurricanes.

I think I’ll drop off. None of our predictions will be very firm at all until Monday or Tuesday at the earliest, then we’ll have more storms forming up to worry about.

Den

Cruise lines stopped doing Carib cruises in hurricane season for awhile but folks wanted them back.so here we are ..

We had a hurricane threat on a Bermuda cruise...never materialized..Chased another one up to Canada...just the luck of the draw and risk you take..

Hope it goes well and storm moves away

Cruise lines stopped doing Carib cruises in hurricane season for awhile

When was that?

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Awhile ago.. .many fewer ships in Carib summer into aug..they went elsewhere....but then I believe it was Equinox that started in the Carib again....

Families are off for summer vacation and like to cruise..

We pass on rainy season, and hurricane season but you jever know about weather .

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