As Hurricane Irene is getting closer to hit the East Cost and has New York on its map, the travel industry is getting ready to face this tremendous weather, and so are people in the targeted areas. While some people are moving away from the hurricane, with Long Islanders and those living in Lower Manhattan moving to the heart of Upper Manhattan, and others leaving the affected area, airlines are canceling flights, hotels are shutting down or preparing for the worse. Those that will accommodate people in charge with operations during the hurricane are either maintaining current rates or increase them a little, if they are in high demand.
Hurricane Irene is expected to hit the USA East Cost this weekend, and most airlines serving the area have canceled some flights. US Airways announced cancellations of flights along the East Coast following Hurricane Irene’s projected path. New flight schedules have been issued for Washington Reagan, Philadelphia International Airport, New York’s LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark airports. Other cities, such as Boston Logan and some in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic will be served by a lower number of flights, in an attempt to ensure the safety of both customers and airline employees and equipment.
United Continental also said it will suspend operations at New York airports starting Saturday, August 27, due to the expected hurricane. At that time, there will be no flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport. United and its airlines will also suspend regional operations, United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection having to suspend flights starting Saturday for Raleigh-Durham, Richmond and Norfolk. Other regions, such as White Plains, Boston, Hartford, Providence, Portland, Manchester and Albany will only have cancellation starting on Sunday, August 28.
Southwest Airlines and their subsidiary AirTran also expect to cancel about 400 and respectively 300 flights along the Eastern region to keep customers and employees safe from hurricane Irene. Â All the cities that will experience disruptions are listed here. Â Frontier Airlines also announced a number of flight cancellations from Saturday through Monday. The air carrier has also added extra flights on Saturday for those who want to travel away from Irene before it strikes. In the New York region alone, 250,000 people were advised to leave their homes.
All the airlines publishing flight cancelations so far have indicated they will resume normal schedule on Monday, after Irene leaves the area. But airlines are not the only ones getting ready for the extreme weather conditions expected on the US East Coast this weekend. Empire State Building has also announced an earlier opening hour on Saturday, to allow tourists in New York City to visit this popular landmark before Irene takes over the area.
Check all travel schedules if you’re in the path of hurricane Irene and you want to move further away and if you remain In the affected areas, make sure you take all necessary precautions. Stay safe and lets hope for amazing post-hurricane news on Monday!
By Olivia GrilHey Folks! I'm Olivia from California, United States. I'm a blogger, travel lover, I can travel anywhere, whether it's a new place or already visited. I love meeting new people, clicking photos of every movement, and documenting my adventure. I also, write about travel, travel movies, the best places to visit, etc. Read my stories.
