As Isaias moved through the Gulf, travelers at TPA faced flight disruptions amid mounting storm-related delays.
TAMPA, Fla. — Hector Garcia didn’t want to risk missing the concert he came to Tampa to see.
With Hurricane Isaias threatening to disrupt air travel, Garcia decided to move up his flight from Nashville, hoping to get to Tampa before worsening weather could lead to delays or cancellations.
His decision came as flight delays at Tampa International Airport topped 100 on Friday, with weather conditions elsewhere affecting flights across multiple regions and raising concerns for travelers with plans throughout the holiday weekend.
This story continues below.
Garcia said he began watching the weather after receiving an email from American Airlines warning that flights could be affected Friday and Saturday.
“I got an email from American Airlines on Wednesday saying that between Friday and Saturday flights might be impacted so I start looking at the weather. The radar,” Garcia said. “Thinking should I change my flight, should I leave Thursday night? Should I leave Friday morning. So, I decide to leave Friday morning just to be safe.”
Garcia said American Airlines allowed him to change his flight without a fee because of the hurricane.
“I chose to take advantage of it and the earlier because I knew that if I left around two or 3 o’clock, and there were any chances of laser cancellations that I missed the event events going on in Tampa tonight I would be very upset,” he said.
Even with an earlier departure, Garcia’s flight from Nashville encountered some turbulence.
“We started off and the weather in Nashville was great, but with the wind bands and the weather not so good we had about 10 or 15 minutes of rougher weather, which was a little scary for me, especially since having flight anxiety, but the rest of the way there it was smooth getting into Tampa,” Garcia said.
He also said the flight crew temporarily stopped onboard service to protect flight attendants during the trip.
“They did stop service about halfway through for the safety of the flight attendant,” Garcia said.
Garcia’s experience was among several accounts from passengers arriving at Tampa International as weather-related disruptions mounted.
Other passengers arriving in Tampa said they had been warned to expect possible turbulence but ultimately made it to their destination safely.
Brady Bolton, who also flew from Nashville, said the airline warned passengers there could be some rough air early in the flight.
“They just said there might be some, a little choppiness at the beginning of the flight, but nothing too crazy,” Bolton said. He said he experienced turbulence about 30 minutes into the trip, but it was manageable.
Bolton said he trusted the people responsible for getting passengers to their destinations safely.
“They’re doing their job, and they’ve been tasked with a hard job to do, obviously,” he said. “They’re also prepared for the worst. So, yes, I trust them.”
Bolton also made clear that he wouldn’t lose his cool for delays where safety is concerned, preferring to arrive late than have a flight operate in unsafe conditions.
“Oh, for Safety, no. No, no. For technical issues, maybe a little. For safety, never,” he said when asked whether he had minded the delay.
Kayla Menasha said passengers on her flight were warned about potential turbulence because of the storm. Her flight left about five minutes late but arrived on time, she said.
“At the beginning of the flight, they said there might be some turbulence due to the storm coming in,” Menasha said. “Our pilot was great, and he got us through the storm really quickly. I mean, we really didn’t feel any turbulence.”
Menasha said the crew encouraged passengers to follow safety instructions, including keeping their seatbelts fastened.
Vanessa Clark also described a largely smooth flight, despite some turbulence and warnings related to weather near Pensacola.
“I’m just glad I’m here before the storm got closer. And like, got even more dangerous,” she said. “Because if we would’ve waited a couple of days, the storm probably would’ve been closer and that would’ve really affected our flights.”
For some travelers, arriving in Tampa is only half the journey. Their return flights could still be affected by changing weather conditions.
Rich Pingston was in Tampa for a wedding and planned to return home Sunday. He said the storm had been a concern as he traveled to Florida and that he would be watching conditions before his return trip.
“We’re going back on Sunday. We’re here for a wedding, so we will have to see how that works out,” Pingston said.
He said he and his travel companions planned to keep monitoring updates.
The increasing number of delays at Tampa International underscores how weather far from an airport can affect its operations. Flights can be delayed when storms affect departure cities, destinations or connecting airports, even when local conditions are relatively calm.
Airlines have issued weather-related travel advisories offering eligible passengers options to change their itineraries. American Airlines’ advisory includes Tampa International for travel affected by the storm, with specified ticketing and travel-date restrictions. Travelers should check the terms of their airline’s policy before changing their reservations.
For Garcia, moving up his flight was a way to reduce the uncertainty and make sure he arrived in time for the event that brought him to Tampa.
For travelers heading home later in the weekend, however, the weather may still have the final say.