More than 1,000 US flights canceled as Tropical Storm Debby looms; cruises changed

Posted by Admin August 4, 2024 Travel

Flight cancellations mounted in the U.S. on Sunday as Tropical Storm Debby neared Florida. The storm is expected to make landfall as a hurricane on Monday.

More than 1,000 flights had been canceled and nearly 2,400 were delayed as of 10:30 a.m. ET, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. American Airlines saw the highest cancellation numbers, scrapping 8% of its schedule, followed by Southwest Airlines.

The following airlines are issuing waivers related to the weather, allowing impacted travelers to change their flights without penalty:

Passengers are entitled to refunds if their flights are canceled, according to Department of Transportation rules.

Cruises adjust itineraries

Flights weren’t the only kind of travel impacted. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Elation rescheduled its return to Jacksonville for Sunday, rather than Monday as planned. The ship departed from the Florida city for a Bahamas cruise on Thursday, according to CruiseMapper.

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“The safety of our guests and crew is our priority, and we are continuing to monitor forecasts and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities to provide timely updates to our guests as more information becomes available,” the cruise line said in an emailed statement.

Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas will also skip a planned stop at Port Canaveral on Sunday, spending the day at sea instead, parent company Royal Caribbean Group said. The ship is on a week-long Bahamas cruise that left from Bayonne, New Jersey, on Friday.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.