Hundreds of Flights Impacted as Hurricane Beryl Set to Hit Houston

After passing through the Caribbean last week, Hurricane Beryl is set to hit Texas today as a Category 1 Hurricane, and heavily disrupt travel from a couple of the state’s biggest hubs.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as of 7 a.m. local time on Monday, Beryl was located just 40 miles out from Houston and was moving at 12 mph towards the city. The current warnings from the NHC include:

• Hurricane Warning for Mesquite Bay north to Port Bolivar, which includes Galveston close to Houston.
• Tropical Storm Warning for Port Golibar north to Sabine Pass.

Those areas should be prepared for “damaging hurricane-force winds,” the NHC said, along with “life-threatening storm surge” along the coast.

Flight impact

According to Flight Aware, as of 7:30 a.m. local time in Houston, 80% of the schedule from Houston Bush (IAH) is delayed, which amounts to more than 500 flights, and 60% of the schedule at William Hobby (HOU) is delayed. Cancellations at both airports are currently low, but that is expected to change quickly throughout the day.

There’s also some impact at other Texas airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW), which is also seeing some cancellations (37 flights, 3% of its total schedule) and delays (26 flights, 2% of its daily schedule). Corpus Christi International (CRP), a smaller airport located south of Houston along the Gulf Coast, is also seeing a major impact, with 84% of its schedule delayed.

Houston Airports, the association that represents both Houston Bush and William Hobby, is recommending all passengers check both their flight status and the latest weather updates before heading to the airport.

“We encourage all travelers to prioritize their safety and the safety of their families. Please follow the guidance of local authorities regarding hurricane preparedness,” Houston Airports said on Sunday ahead of Beryl’s arrival.

Flight waivers

American Airlines currently has a waiver for travel through July 9 at a lot of Texas Airports, including both Houston Airports along with Austin International (AUS), Corpus Christi (CRP), and Beaumont (BPT). The full list of airports can be found on American’s website.

American is allowing new flights without fees through July 16.

Delta Air Lines has a waiver for both Houston Airports, and Austin, along with San Antonio (SA) and McCallen (MFE) airports. Delta’s waiver runs through the end of July 9 and allows for rebooking through July 12.

JetBlue has a waiver for Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, for travel through July 9. Impacted travelers can rebook for travel through July 16.

Southwest has a waiver for travel through July 9 at Austin, Corpus Christi, both Houston airports and San Antonio. Southwest is waiving the fare differences for flight changes within 14 days of the original ticket.

United has a waiver for the Houston Airports along with Austin, Corpus Christi, and several other Texas airports (full list available on the United website) for travel through July 9. United’s waiver allows for rebooking through July 16.

WestJet has a waiver for Houston Bush and Austin for travel through July 9.