With weather conditions affecting travel in Atlanta due to Hurricane Helene, Delta Airlines is taking action to ensure affected customers can quickly resume their plans through flight waivers.
According to 11 Alive, Delta Airlines, whose hub is in Georgia, will issue travel waivers to customers impacted by travel delays and cancellations caused by Hurricane Helene. The storm, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area late Thursday (Sept. 26), hit the area as a Category 4 hurricane and is expected to weaken as it continues on its path up the southeast region of the nation.
More than 200 flights at Atlanta’s primary airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International, were canceled before the storm pummeled the area, with high winds and heavy rain impacting travel. The worst of Hurricane Helene for the Atlanta area began in the wee hours of the morning on Friday (Sept. 27) and is expected to last through midday, mainly having a direct effect on customers traveling to and from the Atlanta area as well as those in Florida, where some airports have even closed its doors due to the severe nature of the storm.
“Delta
anticipates possible changes to Friday morning’s scheduled operations at ATL as weather conditions (primarily winds) affect the airport early in the day,” said Delta Airlines in an official news release. “Delays and some cancellations may be necessary to safely serve our customers after peak weather concerns have passed by midday Friday.”The Delta flight waivers apply to individuals with affected travel plans for Friday, Sept. 27, and to qualify, a new ticket must be issued on or before Tuesday, Oct. 1. Price differences for rebooked flights will only be honored for the same
booking class that was initially issued for the original ticket and the flight must be rescheduled for on or before the aforementioned date next month. Customers will only have to come out of pocket if their travel is rescheduled for a date after Oct. 1 or if they decide to switch booking classes on the new flight.A CBS News report revealed that roughly 840,000 people in Georgia were without electricity due to the storm. Approximately 552,000 individuals in South Carolina and 191,000 in North Carolina were also directly impacted by power outages. The number of people without electricity continues to increase steadily, with customers in the far north, such as Virginia, experiencing disruptions.
The outlet also revealed that at least three weather-related deaths, two in Wheeler, Georgia, and one in Florida’s Tampa area, have occurred as a result of Hurricane Helene.
RELATED CONTENT: How Carnival Restored Joy In St. Lucia And Across The Caribbean After Hurricane Beryl