Airline flights, ship sailings disrupted

Hurricane Irma disrupted some airline and cruise travel Tuesday as it threatened the eastern Caribbean and prompted South Florida’s airports and seaports to activate emergency measures to safeguard their facilities.

American Airlines canceled nearly 35 flights to several Caribbean destinations through Thursday, including departures from the Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami international airports, an airline spokeswoman said.

Affected destinations include Antigua, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, U.S Virgin Islands and St. Maarten.

JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit — top airlines at Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport — were waiving reservation change fees for passengers who want to re-book their travel. Some airlines are also refunding airfares for canceled flights booked by a certain date.

Southwest is advising possible disruption of its flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from Tuesday through Friday.

In addition to Puerto Rico, JetBlue also listed Antigua, St. Croix, St. Maarten and St. Thomas as destinations likely to be impacted.

Seaport and airport officials in Broward, Palm Beach and MiamiDade counties are advising passengers booked on cruises and flights from South Florida this week to check with their respective cruise lines and airlines for the latest travel updates. They also said they were taking action to protect buildings and equipment.

“The Broward County Aviation Department has already started securing equipment on the airfield and directed our airlines to do the same with their equipment