- Major airlines waived rebooking fees for all Hawaii travel through Sunday, August sixteenth, twenty twenty-six.
- Travelers should check airline apps for automatic rebookings before purchasing expensive replacement tickets elsewhere.
- Refunds remain available for unused canceled flights and paid extras like priority boarding.
Travelers whose Hawaii flights were canceled by Hurricane Lala should check for an automatic rebooking before buying a replacement ticket. Both rebooking and refunds remained available under carrier waivers covering flights through Sunday, August 16, 2026. The first step is simple: check the app.
Southwest said affected passengers could keep their reservations, rebook, travel standby, or request a refund. Rebooking or standby travel had to stay within 14 days of the original date and use the original city pair, with no airfare change.
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Hawaiian Airlines offered passengers on canceled flights a choice between another flight and a refund. Its travel waiver allowed fee-free changes or cancellations for eligible flights through Sunday.
Airport closures complicated the options. Hilo International Airport closed, while Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole was scheduled to close at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 15, 2026.
State officials said no flights remained scheduled that day at Hilo International Airport, identified as ITO. Kona, or KOA, had no flights scheduled after 2 p.m.
Automatic rebooking comes before a new ticket
Passengers should open their airline app and check email and text messages for a cancellation notice or replacement itinerary. A new booking may already be waiting.
Compare the new flight with the original plan before accepting it. Check connection times, the arrival day, and whether the itinerary still reaches the intended island.
A replacement that does not work can usually be changed under the applicable waiver. The airline advised affected customers to request the next available flight or standby travel when permitted.
Buying a separate ticket first can create a second problem. The practical guidance is to use the carrier’s rebooking or refund process before purchasing a new itinerary.
Southwest’s waiver covers five Hawaii airports
The carrier’s Hawaii waiver covered travel from Friday, August 14, through Sunday, August 16, 2026. It listed five airports:
| Airport | Code |
|---|---|
| Hilo | ITO |
| Honolulu | HNL |
| Kahului | OGG |
| Kona | KOA |
| Lihue | LIH |
Eligible travelers could rebook or travel standby within 14 days of the original travel date. The new trip had to remain between the original cities, and the carrier said it would not charge a change in airfare.
Passengers who did not want to travel could request a refund after a cancellation. The refundable amount could include the unused ticket and unused optional services, such as Extra Legroom or Priority Boarding.
Those extras must remain unused. A passenger who accepts and uses a replacement itinerary may not have the same refund position as someone who declines travel.
Hawaiian passengers can change or cancel without a fee
The other major Hawaii carrier offered canceled-flight passengers two main paths: move to another flight or take a refund. Its waiver also permitted fee-free changes or cancellations for flights through Sunday.
Travelers should compare the proposed replacement against their original schedule. A later arrival, longer connection, or different island airport could affect hotels, ground transportation, and onward plans.
If the replacement does not work, ask the carrier to move the booking again or place the traveler on standby if that option is available. Keep the original reservation active until the airline confirms the new arrangement.
Refunds cover unused canceled travel
A canceled flight generally allows a passenger to choose a refund instead of traveling on an alternative flight. That choice applies when the traveler does not accept the replacement as a substitute for the canceled service.
The refund request should cover the unused ticket. On the carrier’s policy, unused paid options including Extra Legroom or Priority Boarding could also be included.
Delta’s storm exception policy took a narrower form. It allowed refunds for totally unused non-refundable tickets when the customer’s flight was canceled and no acceptable alternate flight was available.
That policy applied to Delta passengers rather than the Hawaii waiver described for the two Hawaii-focused carriers. Customers should review the rule attached to their own reservation before canceling anything.
Storm closures disrupted the island network
Hawaii Island remained under a Hurricane Warning on Friday, August 14, 2026. Maui County held a Tropical Storm Warning, while Oahu and Kauai remained under Tropical Storm Watches.
Those conditions affected airport operations directly. Hilo International Airport closed, and Kona’s planned closure removed departures after 2 p.m. Saturday.
The airport restrictions also explain why a replacement itinerary may route through a different island or arrive later than planned. A rebooking is only useful if the airports and connections remain operational.
Keep records of expenses and carrier messages
Passengers should save cancellation notices, replacement itineraries, and receipts for hotels, meals, and ground transportation. Those records may support a later claim or reimbursement request.
A refund request should be made through the airline before the traveler buys another ticket. Keeping the booking in place preserves the strongest available option while the carrier processes the disruption.
The waiver period ends Sunday, August 16, 2026. Travelers still holding affected reservations should review their itinerary, choose rebooking or a refund, and confirm the action with the airline before that date.
