Flying to a Port during Snowstorm - What else can be done?

[crooser888]

OK, so we have the biggest snowstorm of the year in the midwest and northeast today. We booked a year ago for the Disney Dream next month and would hate to miss it if there is another large snowstorm like today.

 

We are already flying into Orlando a day early, what else can be done? Airlines only allow you to rebook without the change fee or higher fare for up about 10 days AFTER the storm but not before. Buying insurance is fine but we would miss the cruise even though we would get our money back.

 

I guess we will have to keep an eye on the weather, and if a storm is on its way, fly out early, pay the extra charges and then maybe contact the airline to see what they can do to reimburse us. Cruising is supposed to be relaxing but can be very stressful instead. Any other ideas?

[redsox9904]

OK, so we have the biggest snowstorm of the year in the midwest and northeast today. We booked a year ago for the Disney Dream next month and would hate to miss it if there is another large snowstorm like today.

 

We are already flying into Orlando a day early, what else can be done? Airlines only allow you to rebook without the change fee or higher fare for up about 10 days AFTER the storm but not before. Buying insurance is fine but we would miss the cruise even though we would get our money back.

 

I guess we will have to keep an eye on the weather, and if a storm is on its way, fly out early, pay the extra charges and then maybe contact the airline to see what they can do to reimburse us. Cruising is supposed to be relaxing but can be very stressful instead. Any other ideas?

 

We are also cruising in Feb, with the thoughts also about a storm to ground us. Our option is to just get into the car and drive from NH. It is a long ride, but it is flexible. We can leave around the weather if necessary.

[Hlitner]

You have already done the proper thing by flying-in a day early. Most of the time this is sufficient...but of course there is no guarantee. If you want to invest is trip insurance you can cover yourself since most of these policies will pay off if you miss a ship due to weather delay (as long as your fly in a day early or, in some cases a certain number of hourns early). One reason we like to fly with Southwest is because they do not have special fees for changes....but they are a rare breed these days. We think you have a great idea to simply monitor the weather as you get near your cruise date. If you see a big problem developing you can call the airline and plead your case.

 

Hank

[Twickenham]

Airlines only allow you to rebook without the change fee or higher fare for up about 10 days AFTER the storm but not before.

 

Don't take that as an absolute. If you see that a storm will hit near or on the day you're scheduled to fly, contact the airline and explain your situation. They just might be able to accommodate you.

Also, always inform yourself of your airlines' flights and routings, especially if you have connecting flights and get stuck mid-trip.

Last resort, of course, is get in the car and drive...

[paul929207]

Unfortunately, there is only so much any of us can do. It is not reasonable to fly in 4 or 5 days early just because there might be a storm like this one.

[6rugrats]

I am guessing there are many people who are going to miss their cruises this week. Hopefully, they purchased travel insurance, but this usually won't cover everything.

 

If the weather forecast is bad, you need to start calling your airline. Many times there is a travel waiver if a bad storm is predicted, and you can change your travel dates at no cost; don't wait until after you change your flights on your own. You aren't likely to be reimbursed by the airline in this case, as you initiated the change.

 

Just remember that when hundreds of flights are cancelled, there are thousands and thousands of people that need to be placed on new flights, and the airline won't "kick off" people already booked. You're going to have to wait for space to open up. Monitoring your flights and the weather and being proactive are about all you can do.

[euro cruiser]

We got lucky last month, the big January storm started here about four hours after our flight took off.

 

However, leading up to that day I was constantly checking on the weather, and had determined which Amtrak train we'd need to be on in order to make the ship. I knew we needed to make a choice by noon on Monday, when our flight was on Tuesday. By that time, the forecast was certain enough that I was confident we would get out. Had it been iffy, we were prepared to jump on the train.

[crooser888]

6rugrats - Thanks for the suggestion that I contact the airline first before initiating the change myself. I see on Airtran that they will allow you to rebook without charge up to Feb 10 but have omitted Buffalo and Rochester from those airports which are affected, which is currently in the middle of the storm.

 

Thanks to everyone else for their comments. Driving from upper NY state at 20+ hours to Orlando is a not an option for us with kids in tow. You never know what even worse weather conditions you will encounter on the way.

[silentbob007]

It can be a two-way street ... someone trying to stay on top of it by flying the day early can be snowed-in and unable to get a flight day-of because they are already full.

 

There's really not anything you can do other than try to stay on top of the situation. I've left on my share of flights before/during winter storms. I've done many things ... rescheduled to an earlier flight (typically will allow you to do this if there is a weather advisory in the area), spend the night at an airport hotel to not have to worry about the drive, and even made backup plans. In the end, you can try to do everything and still miss your flight/cruise ... the drawback of booking during winter months.

[cb at sea]

You've got a month to go....I'd bet you'll be just fine! Don't start stressing until you HAVE to!

[firefly333]

My friend was able to book the day before she was booked to miss a storm coming the day she was to fly out .. so its not true that the airlines wouldnt work with you if the storm is after you are booked to fly out... she went in 2 days early.

[Jobeth66]

6rugrats - Thanks for the suggestion that I contact the airline first before initiating the change myself. I see on Airtran that they will allow you to rebook without charge up to Feb 10 but have omitted Buffalo and Rochester from those airports which are affected, which is currently in the middle of the storm.

 

Thanks to everyone else for their comments. Driving from upper NY state at 20+ hours to Orlando is a not an option for us with kids in tow. You never know what even worse weather conditions you will encounter on the way.

 

the other option to consider is not driving all the way to Orlando, but just getting far enough south to make a flight - seeing if the airline can book you out of Philadelphia, Baltimore or DC, if they're not looking to be affected by the storm.

[Karysa]

6rugrats - Thanks for the suggestion that I contact the airline first before initiating the change myself. I see on Airtran that they will allow you to rebook without charge up to Feb 10 but have omitted Buffalo and Rochester from those airports which are affected, which is currently in the middle of the storm.

 

Thanks to everyone else for their comments. Driving from upper NY state at 20+ hours to Orlando is a not an option for us with kids in tow. You never know what even worse weather conditions you will encounter on the way.

 

We are 45 minutes from Toronto and about 2 hrs from the Buffalo airport and to save several hundred dollars per ticket we booked out of Buffalo a couple of summers ago. The airline was Delta and a few months before the flight I noticed that they canceled the last flight on our homebound trip. Originially the connection was in Atlanta and there were flights out to both Buffalo and Toronto. Long story short they changed our flights with no cost to us and flew us in and out of Toronto. We did not take a direct hit from this storm and usually fair better than Buffalo in the winter. With that said could you possibly get your flight changed and fly out of Toronto? BTW the flights that I have booked to the islands and Europe in the last couple of months are priced very close to those from Buffalo now so price may not be the factor that it was in the past.

[euro cruiser]

To use the train as a contingency plan you'd need to decide several days before your cruise. In order to connect to the Silver Meteor train in New York (which departs daily at 3:15 PM), you'd need to take a train from Buffalo at 4:44 AM (!). The Silver Meteor from New York to Orlando is an overnight train and arrives in Orlando around 1 PM the following day.

 

I enjoy train travel, but I don't count on Amtak being on time. Therefore, if I were using the train to get to a cruise, I'd want to arrive more than a few hours before departure ... in your case, probably arriving at 1 PM the day before your cruise, which means leaving home three days before.

[6rugrats]

With that said could you possibly get your flight changed and fly out of Toronto?

Assuming OP has nonrefundable tickets, they can't change their flights now without paying a change fee (usually around $150 pp) and then the difference in fare. The airline will only make a free change if something's happened to the original flight, and OP isn't flying until next month. Their flight hasn't been cancelled or changed yet.

[Karysa]

Assuming OP has nonrefundable tickets, they can't change their flights now without paying a change fee (usually around $150 pp) and then the difference in fare. The airline will only make a free change if something's happened to the original flight, and OP isn't flying until next month. Their flight hasn't been cancelled or changed yet.

 

Oh, I see. I personally would not book a flight out of Buffalo in the winter given any other reasonable options. I grew up 45 minutes away and being by the lake can really make a mess out of winter travel plans. Hopefully the worst of the winter is behind us now.