There’s little that throws off an airline more than an excess of weather. Unless, of course, it’s an excess of weather over a holiday weekend. Hope they’re ready for a couple of hurricanes.

Weather Warning

In the southeast, Hurricane Hermine is threatening Florida and will be moving up the coast. According to several news sources, it could work its way as far north as New England.

Out west, the weather is going to ruin a lot of romance, as Tropical Storm Madeline and Hurricane Lester threaten Hawaii. Madeline seems to have slowed down, while Lester is accelerating.

Change Fee Waiver – Check Your Carrier

First things first: You need to call your carrier to determine how the waivers apply to you, if at all. Most airlines are offering waivers on at least a few days over the next several, and a number of them are even offering to ditch the fare increase if the price goes up. Of course, at an airline like Southwest, which doesn’t charge change fees, none of this matters much. If you don’t want to go, you can simply cancel your ticket. They’re also giving you a full two weeks to reuse it without a price increase. It’s so bad that even Spirit is waiving fees and the fare difference. That is, if you’re flying on September 1 through Tampa. After that, you’re on your own.

Important Note: These details change throughout the day. Contact your airline for the most recent information.

Getting through to Your Airline

This is where the entertainment starts. Getting through to a representative at a call center is difficult in the best of times. This is not the best of times. Here are a few hints in case you don’t feel like waiting for an hour:

• If all you need to figure out is your airline’s change policy, just go online. No need to call for that one.
• Use a site like Get Human to figure out which branch on the phone tree will get you to a person.
• Try calling the airline in another country. If you can’t call internationally, press whichever button gets you through to somebody who speaks Spanish. Those representatives all speak English, as well, and the wait times are often shorter.
• Let them call you back. Several airlines will give you the option of having a representative call you when it’s your turn. You shouldn’t lose your place in line.
• You can always try Twitter. You might be able to get the information you need to make the necessary changes.
• Be patient. The phone representative is having a worse day than you are.

The Bottom Line

Weather interruptions are bad. Weather interruptions on a holiday weekend are a nightmare. Stay apprised of your situation and good luck.

Cover Photo: Creative Commons