Earthquake Rocks Haiti, Travel Disrupted

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti yesterday, causing widespread damage and claiming untold lives. The earthquake is one of the worst ever recorded in the region. Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Joseph, called it “a catastrophe of major proportions.”

Several airlines serve Haiti, including Air Canada, American, Delta, and Spirit. So far only Spirit has announced a travel waiver, and will allow customers traveling to, from, or through Haiti between Wednesday, January 13, and Friday, January 15, to change their reservation without paying a fee or the difference in fare. Other airlines that fly to Haiti may announce similar policies later today, but travelers scheduled to depart soon should call their airline directly.

The earthquake also stands to disrupt cruise travel, notably for Royal Caribbean, which owns a private beach in Labadee. Royal Caribbean has not yet announced any changes to its Caribbean itineraries, but again, travelers should contact their cruise line, Royal Caribbean or otherwise, to find out if the quake will change their route. You can also check with our sister site, Cruise Critic, for cruise-related updates.

I’ll post any news here, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: JetBlue has issued a change-fee waiver for service to the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti on the island of Hispanola.

UPDATE: Spirit is offering free flights to anyone who makes a donation to relief efforts in Haiti.