Debby causing flight delays, cancellations at South Florida airports
MIAMI - What was once Hurricane Debby, now downgraded to a tropical storm, has caused flight delays and cancellations at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for a second day.
As of 4 p.m., there were 248 delays and 155 cancellations at Miami International Airport. At FLL, there were 212 delays and 127 cancellations.
Some stranded travelers slept in the airport's hallways while others booked nearby hotels. Many spent long hours in customer service lines trying to figure out what was next.
"It's very inconvenient because when you're traveling with kids, you're tired, they're cranky, they're like upset, like they don't understand, they're small children. The closest day to go home probably is going to be Tuesday," said Nelsy Fernandez, whose flight was canceled on Sunday.
Doug Bickerson arrived at MIA on Sunday.
"Well I've been stuck at the airport pretty much," he said.
Bickerson said he spent the night there in a chair, hoping he could catch a standby flight. He said there's still no clear path home.
"Hopefully, I'll get a standby flight tonight. If not, I'm leaving in the morning definitely," he said.
Iaroslava Sokolova had spent 24 hours traveling from Dubai to Miami when the storm canceled her flight.
"So we waited in a long queue for an entire day, an entire night and all the hotels were booked. So it was a big journey. Yeah, we're so tired and so slow right now," said Sokolova.
Miami International spokesman Jack Valera said those with flights need to check with their airline before coming to the airport in case they need to make other travel arrangements. For those who have confirmed flights, get there early.
"It's packed, try to come three hours in advance. If you're taking a domestic or an international flight, give yourself time to come into the airport, look for the gate and go through security before boarding the plane. Just make sure you come with a lot of time to the airport," he said.
Clint Henderson from online travel news site, The Points Guy, suggests passengers trying to get an earlier flight should try to book with another airline or try to fly in or out of an alternate airport. He said because delays and cancellations were caused by the weather, airlines do not have to offer vouchers for added expenses. He said if you booked with a credit card, check to see if it included trip insurance.
"That's why I love booking with a credit card that has AAA and cancellation insurance. Because sometimes, even with the airline won't help you, sometimes that credit card company insurance will cover your additional costs," Henderson said.
The National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. advisory on Monday downgraded Debbie to a tropical storm. Even so, it could bring record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surges as it moves across the northern part of Florida.