Hurricane Earl Spurs Airline Waivers

(MarketWatch) - As Hurricane Earl twisted its way towards the East Coast ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend, some of the nation's largest airlines rolled out waivers Thursday allowing travelers to change flights without charge.

Many major and discount airlines have announced policies that affect travel to and from Puerto Rico and much of the Eastern Seaboard to Maine, but most come with specific stipulations.

"A basic precedent for these things is you don't have any rights except in the case of a 'force majeure,' or an act of God," said Anne Banas, executive editor at SmarterTravel.com. "The airlines have been really great when weather issues like this have come up by giving you a period where they waive the change fees."

AirTran Airways customers traveling to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico; Richmond, Va.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Asheville, N.C.; Newport News-Williamsburg, Va.; Washington D.C.; Baltimore-Washington; New York; Philadelphia and Boston can get their change fees waived. Passengers will be allowed to adjust their travel plans to an alternate date starting one day before the original travel day through three days after that day.

People planning on flying with American Airlines, within the area and dates of an official hurricane watch, will be covered by the company's hurricane protection policy. The plan allows travelers to
cancel their reservations and retain the value of their nonrefundable ticket in the form a travel voucher that must be used within one year of issue.

Continental Airlines customers traveling to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico; Antigua; St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles; Norfolk, Va.; Richmond, Va.; Greensboro, N.C.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Asheville, N.C.; Newark, N.J.; New York; Philadelphia; Boston and Providence, R.I., can get change fees waived for flights scheduled through Sept. 4, but they must reschedule their flights within one year.

Hurricane Earl may hit the North Carolina coast by late Thursday and wind its way up the Eastern Seaboard, as far north as Nova Scotia. The National Weather Service issued storm warnings from Cape Hatteras on the North Carolina coast to Maine. Canadian officials also have a tropical storm watch for parts of Nova Scotia.

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