JetBlue is taking measures to make evacuating from Hurricane Irma affordable for as many people as possible.
On Wednesday, the New York-based airline announced it had discounted the price of nonstop flights out of Florida to $99 including tax. Connecting flights out of Florida will cost a bit more, at $159.
In addition to airports in Florida, the $99 fares apply to Charleston International and Savannah/Hilton Head International, as well as select airports in Haiti, Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas.
Subject to availability, the $99 fares will be on sale through September 13. JetBlue is also adding flights to its schedule in cities where it has spare aircraft it can operate.
JetBlue’s decision to cap prices comes amid consumer anger as airfares surge ahead of Irma’s projected arrival over the weekend in South Florida, where many areas are now under mandatory evacuation orders. Fares out of Florida have increased significantly this week, with many one-way domestic flights costing more than $1,000.
Hurricane Irma, which has sustained wind speeds of 185 mph, made landfall in the eastern Caribbean early Wednesday, causing devastating damage and flooding along its path. The famed Princess Juliana International Airport on the island of St. Martin has seen many of its facilities severely damaged by the storm.
Here’s JetBlue’s complete statement:
We are taking a number of steps to assist existing customers and support new reservations for those looking to evacuate:
- For existing reservations, JetBlue is waiving cancellation fees as well as waiving change fees and differences in air fare for rebooking. Details on these waivers can be found at https://www2.jetblue.com/JetblueAlerts/WeatherUpdate.aspx.
- We have added flights to our schedule out of select cities where we have aircraft available.
- For those looking to evacuate areas in the hurricane’s path, we are offering any remaining seats in select markets at a reduced fare of $99-$159 including government taxes.
Additional information on fares:
Fares are for one-way direct flights with seat availability through Sept. 13 in select markets including Florida, SAV, CHS, PAP, PLS, POP, SDQ, PUJ, STI, LRM, HAV, SNU, CMW, HOG, NAS. Connecting flights from Florida are $159. We will update markets and dates available as the forecast changes if needed.
http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-irma-evacuation-jetblue-discounts-flights-99-dollars-2017-9