What Fort Lauderdale travelers need to know
Friday's deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport suspended all service until the airport reopened at 5 a.m. Saturday. Flights are currently operating, but travel disruptions will continue today. Here's what travelers bound to or from Fort Lauderdale need to know.
Flight cancellations and delays. There have been 113 canceled outbound flights at FLL today, or 25% of the total flight schedule, according to FlightAware.com. Additionally, 103 inbound flights have been canceled (21% of all flights). Compounding matters is an eastern snow storm that has already caused cancellations at busy hub airports in Atlanta, Charlotte and the Northeast. You'll need to work directly with your airline for rebooking. Delta and Jetblue have announced they will waive change fees for fliers who need to rearrange their itineraries, and other airlines should be equally accommodating.
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There are other airports in the area. The greater Miami area is served by three major airports, Miami International, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood. During the airport lockdown, some flights diverted to these airports (and also to RSW on Florida's Gulf Coast). Airlines will use many of these seats to rebook affected fliers, but be sure and check flight schedules from all three if your travel plans were affected.
Missing luggage. As many as 20,000 bags were left in place as passengers evacuated terminals and aircraft during the shooting. Passengers missing bags or personal items left in the terminal should call the Broward County Call Center at 866-435-9355. For items left on planes, fliers should contact their airline.
Cruise passengers. There were six cruise ships scheduled to leave South Florida's Port Everglades cruise terminal this weekend. Some ships delayed departures to accommodate passengers caught in the FLL lockdown. For passengers who couldn't reach their ships, cruise lines say they will try to help them meet their ship at an early port of call. Passengers will need to work directly with their travel agents, cruise lines or travel insurance providers.