Ike on Way to Texas Coast – What Flyers Should Know

[DandyDon]

Cheap Travel seems to be the only site at the moment with comprehensive advisories. Travelers would probly be wise to check their own airlines' respective sites. I'd certainly not want to be grounded in Houston as a million people evacuate low lying areas between Houston and the nearby coast...

From: Ike on Way to Texas Coast – What Flyers Should Know

With Hurricane Ike expected to hit the mid to lower Texas coast sometime early this weekend, here’s what flyers to and around the area need to know. Cheapflights will focus on flight plans by the state’s three dominant carriers - Continental Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines:

- A check with Continental Airlines, whose major hub is Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), finds IAH open, but airline officials preparing for contingencies. Continental says any flyers booked to, through, or from Houston through Saturday, September 13, can change their flights without penalty or additional fare if they re-book in the original class of service, between the same two cities, and that rescheduled travel begins on or before September 20. If you start your trip after September 20, CO will still waive the change fee, but you may have to pay extra for the fare itself;

- Continental says if you’re bound to, through, or from Baton Rouge (BTR), Beaumont (BPT), Brownsville (BRO), Corpus Christi (CRP), Gulfport/Biloxi (GPT), Harlingen (HRL), Lafayette (LFT), Lake Charles (LCH), McAllen (MFE), Mobile (MOB), New Orleans (MSY), Alexandria (AEX), or Victoria (VCT), change fees and extra fare will be waived if your original travel dates were September 8 through September 11. You’ll have to reschedule in the original class of service, between the original city pairs, and start on or before September 18. Should you choose to travel after September 18, CO will dispense with the change fees, but you may have to pay a higher fare;

- Should the Bahamas or the Keys have been your destination between September 6 and September 8, specifically Governor’s Harbour GHB), Grand Exuma Island (GGT), Key West (EYW), Nassau (NAS), North Eluthera (ELH), or Marsh Harbour (MHH), Continental is waiving change fees and extra fare levies – provided you begin your trip on or before September 15. If travel starts after September 15, CO waives the change fee but could charge a higher fare;

- American Airlines says if you were due to fly to Corpus Christi, Houston (IAH or HOU), or McAllen between September 10 and 15, and your ticket was issued no later than September 9, you can change your reservation to begin the trip no later than September 20. If your flight plans fall into those time slots there’s no change fee;

- Discount airline Southwest is a major Texas player too. WN (that’s Southwest’s code) says it will not operate flights to and from Corpus Christi or Harlingen on Friday, September 12, or Saturday, September 13. Southwest says if you have reservations to or from Austin (AUS), Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Houston Hobby (HOU), or San Antonio (SAT) from noon on Wednesday, September 10, through the close of business on Monday, September 15, then you can change travel plans and re-book without having to pay extra. You’ll have to fly between the city pairs you first booked, and begin the trip within 14 days of your initially scheduled date.

Stay with Cheapflights Flight News for breaking developments about Texas travel and Hurricane Ike.