Hundreds of Flights Canceled as Hurricane Dorian Swirls Up North

Travelers should brace for another round of heavy flight cancellations Wednesday and potentially for the rest of the week as Hurricane Dorian trudges its way up the East Coast.

Airlines already have canceled more than 900 Wednesday flights into, out of and within the United States, according to flight tracker FlightAware, and the total is likely to grow. That is on top of more than 1,800 cancellations on Tuesday and 1,500 on Monday.

The majority of the canceled flights are to and from Florida, where several airports, including giant Orlando International Airport in central Florida, are still closed. Nearly 414 Orlando flights have already been canceled, according to FlightAware.

The good news for travelers, though: Orlando International, a major hub for vacation travel, plans to reopen at noon Wednesday. The airport closed early Tuesday.

At smaller Jacksonville International Airport, there are 131 Wednesday flight cancellations.

Fort Lauderdale International Airport, which reopened Tuesday afternoon, is showing just 38 inbound and outbound cancellations, a fraction of the cancellations it had on Monday and Tuesday.

The travel trouble is spreading to nearby states, however. In Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston International Airport plans to close at 3 p.m. EDT Wednesday and doesn't expect to reopen until Friday morning.

Already, 80 Charleston flights are canceled, with another 60 Atlanta flights and 76 flights to and from Charlotte, North Carolina, canceled as well.

Airlines have had travel waivers in place since the storm began developing last week and have extended the number of cities and travel dates. In general, the waivers allow travelers to make a one-time flight change to get out of the storm's path without paying the usual penalties, which include hefty ticket change fees.

Policies vary by carrier but travelers worried about upcoming flights should make changes as early as possible for the best availability.

Travelers whose flights are canceled can request a refund or be rebooked when flights are available.