- Major airlines waived rebooking fees for passengers affected by Hurricane Lala and weather disruptions in August 2026.
- Specific waivers cover Hawaii, Chicago, and New York with distinct eligibility dates and airport-specific rules.
- Travelers must meet strict city-pair and cabin requirements to avoid paying fare differences during the rebooking process.
Southwest, United and Delta issued separate travel advisories with route-specific rules that let eligible passengers rebook without a fee. The so-called Lala Waivers do not cover every flight affected by weather, and each program limits the replacement itinerary differently.
The Hawaii program covers travel from August 14 to 16, 2026. Customers traveling to, from or through Hilo (ITO), Honolulu (HNL), Kahului (OGG), Kona (KOA) or Lihue (LIH) may rebook or use standby within 14 days of the original travel date.
Free toolB1/B2 Tourist Visa Stay Calculator online
The replacement must retain the original city pair. The airline does not charge an airfare change under those conditions.
The Chicago policy applies to ORD travel on August 15, 2026. Passengers must have bought their tickets by August 13, 2026, then move to another flight departing from August 14 to August 18, 2026.
That replacement must use the same cabin and connect the same cities. The operator waives both the change fee and fare difference.
The New York-area policy covers travel on August 10, 2026. Eligible tickets had to be issued by that date, and customers had to rebook by August 13, 2026.
The new trip must begin by August 13 and remain in the same cabin. Under those conditions, the fare difference is waived.
Hurricane Lala drove the Hawaii disruption as it moved across the islands from August 14 through August 16. The storm shifted between a Category 1 hurricane and a high-end tropical storm.
Hilo International Airport and Kona International Airport closed on Saturday, August 15. Airlines reported more than 77 flight cancellations statewide, including 59 neighbor island and 18 transpacific cancellations reported by Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines alone.
Honolulu recorded 55 delayed flights and 7 cancellations during one systemic disruption event on Sunday. By August 16, airlines had started restoring service at Kona and Hilo, while warning that high winds and flooding could produce rolling updates.
The three waiver clocks do not match
The comparison below separates the disruption covered by each program from the conditions attached to a replacement itinerary.
| Program | Covered travel | Main no-fee rebooking condition |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii program | August 14 to 16, 2026 | Same-city-pair travel involving ITO, HNL, OGG, KOA or LIH; rebook or standby within 14 days of the original date |
| Chicago program | ORD travel on August 15, 2026 | Ticket purchased by August 13; another flight in the same cabin and city pair, departing August 14 to August 18 |
| New York-area program | Travel on August 10, 2026 | Ticket issued by August 10; rebook by August 13 for a trip beginning by that date, in the same cabin |
The Hawaii terms also provide refunds when the airline cancels or substantially delays a qualifying flight. Standby travel remains limited to the same original city pair and the stated 14-day window.
The Chicago terms require another flight operated by the same airline. A different carrier serving the same cities does not satisfy that condition.
The New York-area rules waive the fare difference only when the replacement stays within the stated date and cabin limits. The waiver does not turn an unrelated weather change into a free rebooking.
Five Hawaii airports qualify under the island advisory
Passengers checking the Hawaii program should match the reservation to the listed airport codes: Hilo, ITO; Honolulu, HNL; Kahului, OGG; Kona, KOA; and Lihue, LIH.
The rule covers customers flying to, from or through those locations. It does not describe a blanket waiver for every Hawaiian airport or every date during the storm period.
A passenger whose itinerary falls outside the listed city pair must rely on the ordinary fare rules unless the airline separately cancels or materially disrupts the flight. That distinction also applies to cabin changes and replacement flights outside the stated windows.
The storm brought heavy rain, warnings and power losses
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for Hawaii County and Tropical Storm Warnings for Maui, Oahu and Kauai. Rainfall on the Big Island reached peak rates of 2 to 5 inches per hour, with accumulations of up to 25 inches in some areas.
Approximately 23,900 homes and businesses lost electricity during the storm’s peak. Governor Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation on August 14.
He said on August 15:
“Hurricane Lala is now impacting our state, and the safety of our people remains our highest priority.”
The event was described as historic because a direct hurricane landfall on the Big Island is rare. Local records cited a significant prior event 155 years earlier.
The airport closures and airline waiver rules are related, but they are not the same thing. A cancellation reported by an airline can create refund or rebooking options even when a passenger does not meet every condition in a separate advisory.
Hawaiian and Alaska offered separate responses
Alex Da Silva, a Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson, said passengers affected by canceled Hilo flights would receive refund or rebooking options. He also urged travelers to monitor flight status rather than assume every flight was canceled because a storm was nearby.
“Affected passengers will be offered options that include a refund or rebooking on another flight. Travelers [should] watch flight status closely rather than assume every flight is canceled just because a storm is near.”
Daniel Chun, Alaska Airlines’ director of sales, community and public relations for Hawaiʻi, said air travel remained an essential service as the storm disrupted the islands.
“On behalf of our employees at Alaska Airlines, I want to thank you for all you’re doing to help keep our community safe. air travel continues to be an essential service and we are committed to helping those who need to travel.”
Cheryl DeFonce, a flight attendant, posted about the cancellation of her Kona-bound flight from LAX.
“Prayers to all of our friends in Hawaii & crews flying to/from the islands!”
Those comments describe broader operational disruption and passenger assistance. They do not expand the route, date or cabin conditions in the three programs above.
As of the afternoon of August 16, Lala had weakened back to a tropical storm and moved west of the Big Island. Service was returning to Kona and Hilo, but airlines continued to warn of rolling updates as high winds and flooding affected schedules.
