A robust Kona storm, a kind of seasonal cyclone, has been blowing by means of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend, inflicting flooding, washed-out roads, wind advisories and flight cancellations, and a few islands have been affected greater than others.
Maui acquired the brunt of the storm on Saturday, whereas Hawaii Island is because of get heavy showers and winds Sunday-Monday.
This is a information on what to do when you’ve got a visit deliberate to Hawaii within the coming days.
Is it secure to journey to Hawaii?
In case you have a visit deliberate, we advise checking along with your airline and resort for the standing of your reservations. Many vacationers at the moment in Hawaii are stranded on among the islands not less than till Wednesday on account of airline cancellations from the weekend (extra on that under).
On Maui, flooding within the in style city of Kihei washed out roads, as reported by Hawaii News Now. There are a number of different street closures on the island as properly; up to date data is accessible on the Maui County government website.
It seems the storm is transferring south and hovering over the island of Hawaii right this moment, with situations there expected to persist through Monday. The Hawaii Tourism Authority web site listed a storm warning banner urging all guests to examine their flight standing.
Briefly, whereas it is typically secure to journey in Hawaii in the intervening time, situations fluctuate relying on the island and particular area, so be sure you keep updated on climate advisories in your space.
Which islands in Hawaii at the moment have journey advisories?
Relying on the place you might be planning to journey, you need to examine in on native climate and particular person island climate websites to see if the areas you can be in are at the moment or will proceed to be impacted.
Maui County has a flood watch in impact till Monday, March 16 at 6:00 a.m. native time as famous on its emergency alert website. The well-known Road to Hana on Maui is closed as a result of storm, permitting native visitors solely, with no estimated reopening date given.
Oahu County (the place Honolulu is situated) noted a wind advisory in effect, however said that climate situations have been bettering.
Farther south on Hawaii Island, the storm continues to be in full drive with conditions expected to persist into Monday, in keeping with the Hawaii Division of Emergency Administration and the Climate Channel.
Hawaii Airport delays and cancellations
Thus far on Sunday, March 15, there are a number of delays and cancellations at Hawaiian airports. In response to FlightAware knowledge by airport, at time of publication, these have been the present situations at Hawaii’s main airports:
A number of different smaller Hawaiian airports have been additionally impacted.
Airline journey advisories to Hawaii
As of publication, the next airways have been posting journey advisories and versatile change and cancellation insurance policies to the listed airports.
Alaska Airways and Hawaiian Airways
Hawaiian Airways’ travel advisory page notes the next versatile journey coverage in impact.
Airports: HNL, OGG, LIH, KOA, ITO
Dates: Relevant to tickets bought on or earlier than March 11, 2026, for journey March 11-21, 2026.
You’ll be able to change your journey with out a payment or fare distinction for brand new journey in the identical cabin, or cancel your journey with out a payment and obtain funds deposited into your account pockets or obtain a credit score certificates for future journey.
This is applicable to tickets issued by Alaska Airways or Hawaiian Airways, with flights operated by Alaska (AS), Hawaiian (HA), Horizon (QX), or SkyWest (OO)
American Airways
In response to American Airways’ travel advisory page, the next versatile journey coverage in impact.
Airports: HNL, OGG, KOA
Dates: Tickets booked by March 10 for unique journey dates of March 12-15. You have to change your journey by March 15 to fly by March 18, and can’t change your origin or vacation spot metropolis. There aren’t any fare variations should you rebook in your unique cabin. You can even change your dates to journey inside a yr of the unique ticket date, however a fare distinction may apply.
Delta Air Strains
Delta doesn’t at the moment have a journey advisory in place for Hawaii on its website, although it has cancelled a number of flights to and from KOA on March 15, together with these between KOA and Los Angeles and Seattle.
Southwest Airways
Southwest doesn’t at the moment have a journey advisory in place for Hawaii.
United Airways
In response to United’s travel advisory page, the next versatile journey coverage is in impact for Hawaii.
Airports: HNL, KOA, LIH, OGG
Dates: For tickets bought on or earlier than March 11, for journey between March 12-15.
In case your flight is affected, you’ll be able to reschedule your journey with no change charges or fare variations. However you should e-book a brand new United flight departing between March 11-22 and tickets should be in the identical cabin and between the identical cities as initially booked.
What to do when you’ve got a resort or trip rental booked in Hawaii
In case you have upcoming journey to Hawaii, you may need to contact your resort or trip rental immediately to make sure that its facilities will likely be open and functioning as standard.
For now, the most important resort corporations together with Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott, should not have any journey advisories or waivers in place for vacationers with future plans. Nevertheless, when you’ve got an upcoming journey that you’re having second ideas about, examine your reservation to see if you’re nonetheless throughout the eligible cancellation window so you’ll be able to alter your plans in keeping with your consolation degree.
In case you booked a nonrefundable room charge, you are seemingly out of luck should you do need to change your plans.
As for trip leases with companies like Airbnb, many of those have major disruptive events cancellation policies that embrace extreme climate, although you’ll seemingly have to point out that your plans have been completely thrown off track (i.e., your flights are canceled or your rental will likely be inaccessible on account of street closures or main utility outages) to be eligible. If the coverage applies to your rental, you’ll be able to cancel your reservation and obtain a refund or journey credit score with out further charges.
Will your bank card or journey insurance coverage cowl modifications or disruptions?
TPG has a comprehensive guide on bank cards that covers journey cancellation and interruption and what journey disruptions may qualify as a pure catastrophe or on account of adversarial situations like a significant storm.
Associated: 4 times your credit card’s travel insurance can help with travel woes, and 7 times it won’t
This sort of insurance coverage typically covers nonrefundable bills if you’ll want to cancel your journey (or the rest of your journey) on account of a pure catastrophe. Nevertheless, bank card insurance coverage insurance policies fluctuate, so examine your advantages information for particular exclusions.
And keep in mind, bank card journey insurance coverage solely applies to purchases made on that card, so should you used a special cost methodology for parts of your journey, you will not be lined for that.
Backside line
In case you have a visit to Hawaii deliberate within the subsequent week or so, proactively regulate the information and your airline flight standing as some airways have issued journey waivers extending by means of March 21.
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