Help! Last minute airfare, fiasco advice

[Taclin01]

Hey, we are leaving on Friday to go to San Juan to board the millennium. The airport we are flying out of is supposed to have 63 mile an hour, wind gusts, possible, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. Would you try to fly up tomorrow? I’m scared if they cancel our flight on Friday that we will miss this ship on Saturday

[markeb]

1 minute ago, Taclin01 said:

Hey, we are leaving on Friday to go to San Juan to board the millennium. The airport we are flying out of is supposed to have 63 mile an hour, wind gusts, possible, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. Would you try to fly up tomorrow? I’m scared if they cancel our flight on Friday that we will miss this ship on Saturday

Are they offering no cost changes? I’d at least look at it. What airport? That would help a lot!

[Taclin01]

Sorry, we are flying out of Louisville. They are not offering anything but they will give us a credit for the canceled flight and I have a credit with Delta so all I would cost me was $100 extra on Delta.

[mahdnc]

7 minutes ago, Taclin01 said:

Hey, we are leaving on Friday to go to San Juan to board the millennium. The airport we are flying out of is supposed to have 63 mile an hour, wind gusts, possible, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. Would you try to fly up tomorrow? I’m scared if they cancel our flight on Friday that we will miss this ship on Saturday

 

Yes, I would seriously consider moving up my flight by a day.  Alternate airports near you may not be better.  I believe we are supposed to get snow here in Chicago on Friday.

Edited March 1, 2023 by mahdnc

[OUBaylor1]

I would also fly the day before.

[wrk2cruise]

For $100 plus an extra night hotel, might be inexpensive insurance!

[KEN31VA]

Leave a day early!  It has been my experience that a call to the airline will help work something out for you.

[horseymike]

I would definitely leave a day early if possible.

[Fly and Sail]

Have an eye on this advisory maybe they update it:

 

https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/weather-alerts/upper-midwest-northeast-region

 

Or talk to an agent and tell them to look at the forecast.

[PH2]

Not sailing or flying on Friday but I live in Kentucky and yes it's going to be nasty on Friday. In fact, it's storming right now. I'd definitely try to get out tomorrow.

[Arizona Wildcat]

Flying all the way to San Juan arriving the evening before your cruise departs is risky.  Too many things can go wrong.  Fly out tomorrow is my advice.

50mph winds just started with snow down to 2500'.  Worse tomorrow am.

Flights will be chaos in Texas tomorrow and further East on Friday. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Arizona Wildcat

[kayehall]

Let us know how you make out with your flights.

[Cruise a holic]

Definately fly a day before.  You never know about weather.  That is why I am packed a week in advance for any cruise- 

[dunrobbin]

17 hours ago, Taclin01 said:

Hey, we are leaving on Friday to go to San Juan to board the millennium. The airport we are flying out of is supposed to have 63 mile an hour, wind gusts, possible, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. Would you try to fly up tomorrow? I’m scared if they cancel our flight on Friday that we will miss this ship on Saturday

Still kicking myself for not leaving Toronto the day before the Xmas storm of the century.  Lost our Xmas cruise as all airports were closed for days.  Leave now!  LOL

[SbbquilterUT]

I would see if I couldn't book a flight from Atlanta -  the drive is pretty easy 7 hours on the interstate and you would be south of the worst weather.

[NevadaCruiser2023]

With all the, shall we say ineptness, shown by the airlines, I think "day of" arrivals for a cruise is in the past. We're going to San Juan in about 2 weeks - we're getting there 3 days early and will hang in OSJ. 

[CNSfromHI]

8 minutes ago, NevadaCruiser2023 said:

With all the, shall we say ineptness, shown by the airlines, I think "day of" arrivals for a cruise is in the past.

Totally agree with this. Our "policy" is to arrive at least one day earlier than departure, regardless of where we sail from, just in case...

 

We figure one extra night's lodging is more than offset by the months of planning, the joy of expectation, etc., that would be spoiled if we missed the boat. Hope that doesn't happen to you @Taclin01 🤞

 

cjr

[soniam]

San Juan is fun too. Go a day early.

[Northern Aurora]

I also hope our OP updates us.

 

We also fly in to the embarkation port at least a day early, and generally two or three days early.  Weather patterns are just becoming so strange with odd weather events becoming more common.

[NevadaCruiser2023]

4 hours ago, NevadaCruiser2023 said:

With all the, shall we say ineptness, shown by the airlines, I think "day of" arrivals for a cruise is in the past. We're going to San Juan in about 2 weeks - we're getting there 3 days early and will hang in OSJ. 

I suppose I should qualify that statement.  If I'm sailing out of San Pedro, I usually do go "day of" as it's an hour flight and about that same ride from LAX to the pier. Spending a day or two extra in LA isn't my idea of a good time. (stated by someone who grew up less than 5 miles from LAX) 

[C-Dragons]

48 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

I also hope our OP updates us.

 

We also fly in to the embarkation port at least a day early, and generally two or three days early.  Weather patterns are just becoming so strange with odd weather events becoming more common.

You are correct about the weather patterns!
We always fly in 2 days early for U.S. embarkations  and 3 days prior for International embarkations.

[ckck]

$100 + existing credit + cost of hotel night = peace of mind

With that kind of weather report, fly out earlier. Hope you were able to get out today  - perhaps Delta posted an advisory and you could change for minimal cost! What did you decide to do, Taclin01?

Edited March 2, 2023 by ckck
edit text

[Mr. Click]

KEN31VA  has it right, call the airline and ask, don't do it online.  A real person can "bend" the rules for you.  With the weather you are talking about I would get out ASAP and enjoy some extra time in OSJ.   When we did cruises out there in years gone by we always went 2 days early....and the last year we did it there was a blizzard forecast for the NE on our scheduled travel day so I called the airline and moved us to the next day when work said I could not go 3 days early..of course the snow was a day late but we did get out after a delay.....go early, do it now.

[Taclin01]

Update!!! We changed our flight and flew in last night for our cruise on Saturday. When I went to go and book our flights they kept drastically changing prices and it took me hours to do this but in the end we want to paying $224 per person plus our credit. And then I went and bought Hyatt points and booked Villa points to get us a hotel room for one night. We saved 200 dollars buying points versus paying the cash price. We do have to switch hotels, but thankfully our hotel for tonight is across the street from where we are. We both said that we were happy that we changed our plans. The flight from Louisville to Atlanta was extremely rough yesterday so I can’t even imagine what would happen today and we’re just gonna have a leisurely day and board the ship tomorrow. Thanks for your advice everybody. 

[Xyla]

17 hours ago, NevadaCruiser2023 said:

I suppose I should qualify that statement.  If I'm sailing out of San Pedro, I usually do go "day of" as it's an hour flight and about that same ride from LAX to the pier. Spending a day or two extra in LA isn't my idea of a good time. (stated by someone who grew up less than 5 miles from LAX) 

We are in Vegas and are doing the same for sailings out of San Pedro. If the early morning flight gets canceled, we can still comfortably drive to the port that same morning. Anything further wouldn't risk it though.