Millions of people in Florida are being told to flee and seek shelter due to the approaching hurricane Milton, forecasted to be one of the most dangerous cyclones in the history of the US state.
Tourists who arrived before the warnings are now being confronted with epic traffic jams, hotels in safe areas fully booked and airports - including those in Tampa and Orlando - ceasing operations.
How can visitors in Florida find help? What do travel companies offer in the event of an impending natural disaster like this? And what can you do if you were planning a Florida holiday in the near future? Here are some answers.
What do holidaymakers in Florida need to know?
Forecasts project that the hurricane will hit the west coast of Florida on Wednesday evening (local time) and move east across the state. The cities of Tampa, Naples and Fort Myers (among the most popular with tourists) are particularly at risk from what US President Joe Biden says looks to be the "storm of a century."
Anyone in the area should follow the instructions of the authorities and keep an eye on the news. The US Hurricane Center is providing detailed updates on the path of the storm.
Anyone who has booked a package holiday should be contacted by the organiser and informed about the current situation. Where necessary, guests will be asked to go to the evacuation zones.
Return flights are being rebooked according to circumstances, and the trip is then either ended prematurely or extended.
German operator Dertour for example says it helped evacuate around 100 package holiday guests from the Tampa area and some regions of Fort Myers, as well as round-trip guests to Miami on Sunday night and Monday.
"We are organising such evacuations, rebookings and route adjustments at no extra cost to package holiday guests," says Melanie Gerhardt from the company's crisis management team.
What applies to flights cancelled due to the hurricane?
That depends on which airline you are flying with and where. If you are flying from an airport in the European Union to the United States, the EU air passenger rights always apply, which are quite comprehensive. They provide for care services in the event of long delays and flight cancellations, and also the choice between a refund of the ticket price or alternative transport.
EU rights also apply in some cases to flights from the United States to the EU – provided the airline is based in the EU.
US rights apply to anyone flying within the US or flying to Europe with a US airline. Particularly in the case of natural disasters such as a hurricane, which are beyond the control of the airlines, care services, for example, are not yet mandatory here – this is left to the goodwill of the airline, unlike in Europe.
The situation is better for delays caused by the airlines themselves: Here, the majority of US airlines, including United, Delta and American, have already committed to making rebookings free of charge and, if necessary, to paying for hotel accommodation. However, they do not pay compensation.
New regulations are only expected to come into force in the US for flight bookings made from the end of October. In the event of long delays and cancellations, there will then be a choice between rebooking or an automatic refund.
What if I'm supposed to start a trip to Florida soon?
Package holiday guests with an imminent departure for Florida in the next few days should contact their organiser to find out about the situation on the ground and to explore options, such as rebooking.
It is not advisable to just cancel the trip, since you may be hit with cancellation fees. Fear of being injured or a general unease are not grounds for a free cancellation.
The situation is different if the planned trip is actually significantly affected - for example, if there is major destruction at the holiday destination. Then there are exceptional circumstances that entitle you to cancel your trip free of charge, according to EU law.
In such a situation, however, organisers usually cancel trips in the near future anyway. The money is then refunded.
On Florida's west coast, there was a situation like this only about two years ago, when Hurricane Ian devastated parts of the Fort Myers area. It took weeks and months before tourism could get back on its feet there.
It is important to know that, unlike package holiday travellers, people who have booked their own flights and hotels cannot cite extraordinary circumstances and cancel their trip for free. They are dependent on the terms and conditions of the individual providers, such as the airline and the accommodation.
Local News
Comments / 0