With the arrival of Alberto—the first named storm of the 2006 hurricane season—comes the realization (aha!) that summer travelers will have to face up to unexpected weather glitches. The Wall Street Journal leads us to a few travel companies that are "promising to compensate travelers for plans inconvenienced by bad weather."
Spirit Airlines—the leading low-fare carrier to the Caribbean—is offering a Hurricane Buster Protection Policy. Customers who hold tickets to/from an airport located in a hurricane watch zone will be allowed to change reservations without paying the usual $50 fee.
Discovery Cruise Line—a company that offers one-day cruises from Florida to the Bahamas—assures customers that they will not lose their deposits in the event of cancellations due to a hurricane. Customers can cancel or rebook trips free of charge if a hurricane watch or warning is posted for their departure or arrival location. Also, if such a watch occurs while the traveler is already at their destination, they are allowed to return from the island at an earlier date than their booking.
Partnering with the Bermuda Hotel Association, 16 of the island's resorts are offering the Hurricane Guarantee program. If a hurricane is predicted to approach within 200 miles (322 kilometers) of Bermuda within five days, travelers may cancel their hotel reservations without penalty. "In the event that the island is directly affected by a hurricane (as determined by the Bermuda Weather Service) during the guest's stay in Bermuda," states their website, "the participating hotel will not charge for rooms, food and beverage or other essential services for any period of time that the participating hotel's normal services are not available."
IT's simple solution: Insure your trip the way Emily does, by vacationing in land-locked, drought-prone, mountainous Utah.
Comments