In general, travelers who booked to Israel on U.S. carriers on or before October 6, the day before the Hamas attack on Israel, are generally offered the option of either canceling their trip and requesting a refund, or to rebook in the same cabin and between the same flights. cities on different dates with no change fees or fare differences. (United is also proposing to waive change fees on flights to Amman.)
“These waivers apply regardless of the fare class you booked,” Keyes said. “Even otherwise restrictive basic economy tickets can be rescheduled or canceled for a full cash refund.”
Currently, rebooking options are available through December 31 on United, December 5 through January 31 on American, and through September 6, 2024 on Delta.
Travelers can expect to see a greater presence of law enforcement and dogs.
Robert Langston, TSA spokesperson
While Delta has already extended the dates of its rebooking provisions, Keyes said, “it is almost certain that other U.S. airlines will extend their travel waivers at least as long as the escalation of hostilities continues.” will continue.”
At airports and other transportation hubs, “travelers can expect to see a greater presence of law enforcement and dogs,” said Robert Langston, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.
The TSA is operating at a “heightened level of security due to global events and the current threat environment,” he said. Officials there and within its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, will continue to monitor the situation and adjust their security measures as necessary.
Lines at airport security checkpoints could get longer due to the increased measures, Price said, but “if things get out of hand, TSA can also speed up lines by reducing screenings random”.
Cruises
A handful of cruise lines have changed their scheduled Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East cruises, said Aaron Saunders, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic.
“The changes range from canceling entire sailing seasons to itinerary adjustments that remove some ports,” he said.
Windstar Cruises, Royal Caribbean and MSC are among the cruise lines that have withdrawn all their ships from the region due to the conflict, Cruise Critic reportedwhile Norwegian Cruise Line has informed passengers that an upcoming Rome-Athens cruise that stops in Israel will be skipped.
“Cruise lines have dedicated teams monitoring the latest news and updates and reserve the right to adjust their plans as they see fit,” Saunders said.
He encourages anyone with a cruise reservation to monitor operator emails for updates on specific sailings, as well as any compensation offered for those significantly affected. For those considering a cruise to the region, “we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance,” Saunders added.
Travel insurance
Many travel insurance policies already offer cancellation and interruption benefits in the event a terrorist attack affects a trip, according to published guidelines from the travel insurance comparison platform SquareMouth.
But in most cases, these benefits only apply to policies taken out before the date of the attack, meaning that such coverage would only apply for the current conflict to insurance taken out on or before the date of the attack. on October 6.
Travelers taking an upcoming trip to Israel and receiving cancellation and interruption benefits can be reimbursed 100% of their travel costs if they need to cancel, SquareMouth noted. Travelers planning to visit Israel as part of a trip may also be covered if they need to cut their itinerary short.
