NEW YORK: Hurricane Sandy will likely cause financial headaches for US airlines that canceled more than 7,000 flights to and from the Northeast corridor on Sunday.
Hotels in the region were busy handling cancellations for guests who could not get to destinations in the Northeast, extending stays for guests who could not leave town, and booking rooms for people who left their homes.
Airlines started cancelling flights in the US northeast region on Sunday evening as cities from Washington DC to Boston braced for floods and high winds from the hurricane, which was expected to make landfall in the next few days.
According to Flightaware.com, more than 7,100 flights had been canceled by 9 p.m. on Sunday. Airlines waived fees for people who have to change travel plans.
Meanwhile the reservation desks at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc, which operates hotels such as Westin, Sheraton and Marriott International Inc hotel groups said they had a busy day.
“People are really just frightened of the storm … they’re frightened of water levels and they’re frightened of losing power and they want to be somewhere where they’re safe,” a Starwood reservations employee said. (Reuters)
