Thousands of flights in and out of the U.S. have been canceled this week as Hurricane Milton barreled into the Gulf of Mexico and plowed across Florida
Thousands of flights in and out of the U.S. have been canceled this week as Hurricane Milton barreled into the Gulf of Mexico and plowed across Florida — causing many airports to close their doors in the path of destruction.
And airlines across the country grounded flights as a result. There were more than 2,250 U.S. flight cancellations as of midday Thursday, according to tracking service FlightAware, following 1,970 on Wednesday.
After battering the southeastern U.S. and parts of Cuba Wednesday, the hurricane moved into the Atlantic Ocean Thursday. Dangers still persist — with officials pointing to storm-surge warnings for much of Florida’s east-central coast and farther north into Georgia, for example, as well as tropical storm warnings reaching South Carolina. That means travel disruptions across the region will likely continue.
Airlines can’t control the weather, but they are still required to provide refunds for customers whose flights are canceled. Earlier this week, President Joe Biden and other government officials also warned companies not to overcharge people fleeing the storm — as some travelers reported unusually high prices — but airlines defended themselves, with some noting they had recently imposed fare caps.
Here’s what to know about your rights, and what to do when cancellations start piling up.
The widespread damage of Hurricane Milton, which arrives as the region is already reeling from Hurricane Helene, is still being assessed. And, again, storm-surge warnings continued to be in place on Thursday.
Watching weather forecasts and checking your flight’s status ahead of time is key. In recent days, many airports in Florida ceased commercial operations — with Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport, for example, both remaining closed to the public Thursday.
