Hurricane Beryl threatens Texas Gulf Coast with flight cancellations. Airlines have More than 1,300 flights were cancelled Monday amid concerns about the storm’s heavy rain and high winds, which are expected to create dangerous storm conditions and disrupt travel in parts of the country.
After Beryl made landfall overnight as a Category 1 hurricane, coastal cities in Texas are expected to feel the effects of the storm by Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Monday’s flight disruptions are most concentrated at Houston’s two main airports.
About 80% of departures at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) have been canceled for Monday, with 519 canceled and counting as of 7:30 a.m., according to data from the flight-tracking site. FlightAware.
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Overnight, the airport took to social media to warn travelers of upcoming disruptions. The airport said it was working to “streamline operations” amid the storm. United Airlines flights operated out of the airport’s Terminal C on Monday, with Terminal B temporarily closed. The TSA checkpoint at Terminal D is also operating at reduced capacity, the airport said.
United Airlines, which operates a major hub out of Houston’s Intercontinental, led all U.S. airlines with more than 400 cancellations for Monday, about 14% of its operations, FlightAware data showed.
Southwest Airlines was second with 268 cancellations, network-wide — about 5% of its Monday schedule. William P. of Houston. Southwest is the top carrier at Hobby Airport (HOU), where nearly 60% of departures have been canceled for Monday.
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Several airlines have issued travel alerts amid the storm. These advisories allow customers to fly from or between certain affected cities even when flying on normally restricted tickets. Notably, both United and Southwest have issued alerts for major airports in Texas, including Houston’s two main airports, as well as Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT).
Beryl’s flight to the US is interrupted after the storm left a trail of destruction In parts of the Caribbean and Latin America. The storm caused significant damage in Jamaica before hitting Mexico, causing major flight cancellations at Cancun International Airport (CUN) and the new Tulum International Airport (TQO) over the weekend – but the area was spared further catastrophic effects, According to reports there
Monday’s disruptions in the US followed more than 600 cancellations on Sunday, one of the busiest air travel days of all time, with travelers returning from Fourth of July getaways.
If you have travel plans for Monday, be sure to heed warnings from the National Weather Service and local authorities, first and foremost, when deciding whether to head to the airport or travel to a potentially affected area.
Download your airline’s app and monitor it closely for possible signs of trouble and rebooking options in case your itinerary is affected.
Also read about your rights as a flyer. Keep in mind, under US Department of Transportation policy, you’re entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your trip if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed for any reason — although that only applies if you don’t actually fly. Choose to, and do not accept rebooking from the airline.
If you face travel disruptions due to a hurricane, consider whether you have a travel insurance plan or credit card trip insurance protections that can help reimburse you for any expenses incurred. Generally, any insurance plans must be purchased before a hurricane is named to be claim-eligible. And, in most cases, if you have travel insurance through a credit card, you must book the trip with that card to be eligible for coverage.
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