Airlines Sell $99 Flights Out of Florida as Hurricane Irma Closes In
Flights out of Florida have been selling out as a landfall by category 5 Hurricane Irma becomes more and more likely. JetBlue Airways and American Airlines have been capping economy one-way flights out of the state at $99, ahead of the mass of flight cancellations expected this weekend.
JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are helping people get out of the region before they shut down operations in the state. American Airlines have already announced that they are stopping all flights from Florida starting Friday afternoon.
The airline has already canceled 2,000 flights as of this time, with more expected to be grounded in the coming days, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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Before that, a representative for American Airlines announced that they have capped one-way flights out of Florida at $99 for economy seats and $199 for premium, with these prices staying in place until Sunday, Sep. 17.
The airline has sold out of seats leaving Florida in all flights until Friday, Sep. 8. They have added six more flights before they shut down operations in the state. American Airlines expects to stay grounded from Saturday up until Monday.
JetBlue Airways have also run out of seats for flights out of the state through next Wednesday, according to a spokesman. The airline has set fares at $99 up to $159.
"We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation rather than worry about the cost of flights," JetBlue representative Philip Stewart said in a statement. The airline has also offered the same sub $100 price, which is good until Wednesday, Sep. 13, for flights out of select airports in the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.
South Florida is officially under a hurricane warning, with Miami-Dade and Broward placed in this status by a National Weather Service advisory on Thursday, Sep. 7, according to the Miami Herald.
This means that these areas, along with Bonita Beach, the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Bay are now expected to experience life-threatening hurricane conditions. Residents have been snapping up airline tickets in response, trying to make it out of the southern areas of the state before Irma hits.
