Trying to avoid being stuck in NYC

[turnip666]

Advice please!

I am in PHL and due to leave NYC on the 31st on QF to LAX and then to BNE.

Was going to take the train to NYC and AirTran to JFK on Wednesday but AMtrak trains are being cancelled as of now. All public transport in NYC is being shut down in a few hours. Airports are still open but what is going to happen over the next few days??

I can try to get out of PHL to LAX for my onward flight on QF, but that would mean not taking the first leg. When talking to QF customer services they have no advice, but if I leave it to MOnday or Tuesday I will be fighting with everyone else for seats. I can book on AA to LAX, but will Qantas allow me then to take my connection to BNE? Maybe nothing will happen, but I'm trying to be proactive!

Would travel insurance cover the costs of the new flight? Or do I just have to wait for Qantas to make a decision ??

 

[simongr]

Interesting conundrum - generally if you don't take the first leg of a trip the entire trip is cancelled. One option might be to hire a car and drive to NYC - the forecast is that the hurricane will pass through NY by Tuesday - given your flight is Wednesday maybe a drive to NYC on Wednesday AM?

 

[turnip666]

Don't fancy driving on the wrong side of the road thru NYC!

 

[simongr]

Don't worry - everyone drives on the wrong side of the road

 

[JohnPhelan]

Did you book through a travel agent? If so, I'd be contacting the agent and asking them to change JFK-LAX to PHL-LAX (which may or may not be possible, depending on the sort of fare you have). At worst, the TA could contact QF and try to fix the "first leg" problem.

(Of course, if the first leg is cancelled by the airline, then they can hardly cancel the rest of the ticket because you didn't fly the first leg!)

It's situations such a these where a travel agent can be worth their weight in gold.....

 

[drron]

Don't fancy driving on the wrong side of the road thru NYC!

You dont have to drive through NYC-although staten island that you traverse is part of NYC.Straight up the Jersey Turnpike,across the Verazano bridge,keep on I278 and merge into Belt parkway.Done it many times and not difficult.If worried stay in right lanes(as opposed to left).

 

[serfty]

I suspect by Wednesday that most would have blown over (literally).

5 Day Weather Forecast for New York - weather.com

 

[mole]

Qantas does have an advisory up under major disruptions regarding Hurricane Sandy: Qantas Major Disruptions| Flight disruptions.

 

[turnip666]

I have now pushed my flights to Nov1st. By the time they got around to agreeing to the re route from PHL, all flights were full. Another day with friends!

 

[Hvr]

Have you spoken to your travel insurance company to see what their policy provides for in this situation? I know that when I was stuck in BKK in 2008 during the airport occupation my travel insurance company was very helpful telling me what to do about expenses and what was required to claim on my return.

I followed their advice and they paid everything very quickly upon my return.