Delta Air Lines and AirTran on Saturday expanded the number of flights it is canceling due to Hurricane Irene.
The airlines joined Amtrak and Greyhound in curtailing travel to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast as Irene made its way up the Eastern seaboard. AirTran said it was canceling at least 300 flights due to the storm.
The National Hurricane Center said eastern North Carolina was being pounded with heavy rain and wind as the storm slowly made its way up the coast at 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds remained around 85 mph.
The center of Irene is expected to pass near the mid-Atlantic coast Saturday night and into New England on Sunday.
Delta's cancellations
Delta, the largest carrier serving Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, said it canceled about 650 flights Saturday and 1,800 flights between Saturday and Monday. Dozens of the affected Delta flights were to or from Hartsfield-Jackson, spokesman Anthony Black said.
The Atlanta-based carrier provided no service Saturday to Norfolk, Newport News/Williamsburg and Richmond, Va.
D.C. area flights were allowed to operate throughout the afternoon Saturday.
Delta also said the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ordered all its airports closed to inbound flights as of noon Saturday, and the airline adjusted its flights to reflect that decision.
Delta said New York-area airports, and those in Philadelphia, Boston, Hartford, Providence, Manchester and Portland, Maine, will not operate on Sunday.
Delta encouraged travelers to keep checking delta.com for flight changes and, if possible, to move travel plans ahead of or after the storm.
“We will begin the process of notifying customers directly if their flight is canceled or otherwise affected by the storm,” Black said in an email to the AJC.
Both Delta and AirTran said they were giving passengers more flexibility to alter travel plans, in some cases without change fees or fare adjustments.
AirTran's cancellations
At AirTran, spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said 324 flights have been canceled for Saturday through Monday to and from cities in the Northeast.
"Since Atlanta is our hub, a good majority of these flights involve Atlanta," the spokeswoman said.
AirTran encouraged travelers to visit airtran.com for flight changes, and the carrier will post travel updates throughout the weekend.
Amtrak's cancellations
Amtrak announced it was canceling more of its East Coast train service Saturday and said no trains will be operating in the Northeast on Sunday.
Amtrak also is cutting service as the threat of Irene grows. The train service said its cancellations affect its Northeast Corridor (Washington -- Boston); the Keystone Corridor (New York -- Harrisburg, Pa.); the Springfield Line (New Haven, Conn. -- Springfield, Mass.); the Empire Service (New York -- Albany); the Vermonter (St. Albans, Vt. -- Washington); the Piedmont Service (Raleigh -- Charlotte); and Northeast regional services in Virginia and several long-distance trains.
Amtrak is encouraging passengers to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.
Passengers who have paid for travel on canceled trains can contact Amtrak to receive refunds without fee or penalty or can rebook for future travel, the company said.
Greyhound cancellations
Greyhound said it was canceling service from generally from Richmond, Va., northward this weekend, including bus service to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.
“All passengers can expect situations of delays throughout the country this weekend,” said Greyhound spokeswoman Maureen Richmond said.
The limited service that was being provided was being made to move people out of the area affected by Irene, Richmond said. She urged customers to call 1-800-231-2222 or visit greyhound.com for schedule changes.
Passengers holding Greyhound tickets affected by the cancellations can change them up to a year without charge.
_ The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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