MULTIPLE major US airlines are letting passengers rebook flights for free after thousands were forced to suddenly change travel plans.
There was huge disruption after a 8.8 magnitude quake rocked a Russian peninsula – sparking fears of a devastating tsunami.
Airline officials feared waves of up to 10 foot after the 8.8 magnitude quake struck off Russia – and flights were canceled as a result[/caption]
American Airlines flights to Honolulu were initially delayed[/caption]
Airlines paused flights and some planes were forced to return to airports amid travel chaos.
Fears of a devastating tsunami faded on Wednesday for the U.S. and Japan after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded.
The quake struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula, the US Geological Survey said.
Alerts along South America’s Pacific coast forced evacuations and closed beaches.
This included the evacuation of tourists out of beachfront hotels in Hawaii.
Scores of passengers heading to Hawaii were left waiting in airport departure terminals – as officials feared waves of up to 10 feet.
Fortunately, while tsunami waves did smash seaside areas of Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast, they did not appear to cause any major damage.
And, in further good news, several major airlines have issued tsunami travel waivers to help disrupted holidaymakers.
Alaska Airlines has issued a travel advisory covering four Hawaiian airports – Oahu, Kona, Kauai, and Maui.
It is allowing affected passengers who were to fly on Wednesday to rebook at no charge for travel through this Sunday, August 3.
Hawaiian Airlines has shared a similar travel waiver, covering the same four airports with the same rebooking conditions, reported Forbes.
Meanwhile, United Airlines has followed suit to issue a travel alert for Hawaii allowing passengers scheduled to fly on Wednesday to rebook another flight for free through Sunday.
American Airlines had a travel alert covering four airports in Hawaii and two in Japan.
The airline is allowing passengers who were ticketed to fly Wednesday or Thursday to reschedule at no charge.
And Southwest Airlines – which has a travel advisory covering five Hawaiian airports has allowed passengers scheduled to fly on Wednesday to rebook without paying more for the alteration.
What causes tsunamis?
Here are the facts…
- Tsunami is a Japanese word used to describe huge waves – generally on oceans, but sometimes in lakes or large rivers
- Ocean tsunamis are caused by sudden motions, which displace a large amount of water
- This is typically an earthquake, but it could also be a volcanic eruption or underwater landslide
- A huge impact into water – like a large landslide or meteor – can also cause tsunamis
- When an earthquake happens, huge tectonic plates crunch together
- When the “snap” eventually happens, this gives a large shove to water
- This creates a tsunami that travels very quickly across the open oceans
- As the ocean becomes shallower, the tsunami wave is forced upwards
- This means tsunami waves typically grow very quickly in height (and slow down) as they approach the shallow shorelines near land
- Tsunamis are typically a series of waves, rather than one single wave
- As they approach land, these waves get closer together
- One of the best ways to spot an incoming tsunami is a sudden retreat of coastal water
- If the tide goes out very quickly, it’s a telling sign that something is wrong
- What you’re actually seeing is the trough of the incoming tsunami wave – on a huge scale
- The initial tsunami impact can be deadly
- But tsunami flooding is also highly dangerous to life, damaging buildings, destroying infrastructure, spreading waste and disease, and drowning people
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the worst was now over.
The quake struck about 84 miles out at sea at around 7.24pm EST (12:30am BST) at a shallow depth of 19.3km (12 miles).
It was the largest since the 2011 monster which led to a tsunami that caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Larger-than-normal waves were reported to have hit mainland US, including California, Oregon, and Washington.
In parts of northern California, authorities warned people to stay away from beaches and advised that dangerous currents should be expected through Thursday morning.
Experts said it was challenging to know when to drop advisories, which signal the potential for strong currents, dangerous waves and flooding.
“It’s kind of hard to predict because this is such an impactful event and has created so many of these waves passing by,” said Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator for the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska.
