Hurricane Harvey will have a big impact on flights this weekend- here's what to know if you're traveling
With winds as high as 105 mph, air travel into and out of South Texas is set to face major disruptions during the storm.
Naturally, it would be wise to avoid flying into Texas this weekend if possible. However, if it's a necessity, here's what's going on.
Since meteorologists expect Harvey to remain somewhat stationary along with the south Texas coast after making landfall near Corpus Christi, secondary airports in the area will bear the brunt of the chaos caused by the storm, FlightAware told Business Insider.
As expected, Corpus Christi International Airport has been shut down and is not expected to reopen until Monday, Southwest Airlines told Business Insider. Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas will close this afternoon and reopen on Sunday, the airline said. San Antonio International is operating with delays and reduced service but will be open this weekend.
The only major airports expected to face Harvey's fury directly will be Houston's George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airports. Both airports will be subject to significant flight delays and cancellations. However, they are expected to remain open.
The majority of flights at these airports are operated by United and Southwest.
Southwest Airlines said in a statement that it is monitoring the storm and will make flight adjustments where needed. So far, about 120 flights have been canceled, the airline said.
Southwest is offering extra flexibility for flights changes for those traveling between Friday and Monday from Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston-Hobby, Harlingen, and San Antonio airports. Details can be found on Southwest.com.
In an email to Business Insider, a United spokesman said that they are also monitoring the situation and that they have waiver policies in place for those traveling through the affected areas. So far, about 25 United flights have been canceled because of the storm, however, the spokesman said that number will likely change over the weekend.
Customers can visit United.com or download the mobile app for the latest updates and developments.
United is also repositioning aircraft and bringing in more customer service agents and ramp workers to help make sure the airline has the resources it needs during and after the storm.
If you have flights booked for travel to and from Texas, virtually all major airlines are currently offering travel waivers that will allow you to alter your reservation for free.
Click here for United's travel waiver information.
Click here for Southwest's travel waiver information.
Click here for Delta's travel waiver information.
Click here for American's travel waiver information.
Click here for JetBlue's travel waiver information.
Click here for Alaska Air's travel waiver information.
Click here for Frontier's travel waiver information.
Click here for Spirit's travel waiver information.