Florida is a popular vacation destination for Western and Central New Yorkers, and AAA’s own travel advisors are no exception. But what happens when a Florida weather disaster impacts not just AAA vacationers, but AAA Travel advisors staying in the Sunshine State?

In late Sept. 2022, Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage throughout the Southeast, becoming the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida since 1935. AAA Travel Advisor Renee Pilley was vacationing in Orlando during the hurricane. She said the hurricane’s unpredictable course made preparation difficult.

“The biggest challenges of dealing with a hurricane is not knowing the path, and what city is in the path,” Pilley said. “Originally, Tampa was the main target, and then as Hurricane Ian shifted, Fort Myers suffered the worst of it.”

As news of the oncoming hurricane broke, AAA Travel advisors reached out to clients that were either in Florida or travelling there. Several travelers were in Disney World or scheduled to sail out of Miami on a cruise.

“Our Disney clients were happy to hear from us, and our cruise clients were thankful for the check in, as we found out what options were available to them if they chose not to cruise,” Pilley said.

Other clients had hotel reservations that were not offering refunds despite the weather emergency. AAA Travel was able to connect with these hotels and have the cancellation fees waived on the behalf of the clients.

“All of our members that were contacted were so appreciative of the follow-up and concern,” Pilley said.

Meanwhile, Pilley was facing her own challenges due to the threatening hurricane. Like preparing for a Buffalo snowstorm, Pilley made sure that her rental car was full of gas and that her hotel room was well stocked with water and non-perishable food.

“Our hotel left a letter in each room describing what to do to prepare for the hurricane, including filling the bathtubs with water so we would have water to flush the toilets,” she said. “Thankfully, our hotel did not lose power, and damage to the Orlando area was minimal.”

For anyone traveling to a place that could face tropical storms or hurricanes, Pilley recommends packing extra rain ponchos, umbrellas, and flashlights.

“While we can’t predict weather issues and the interruption to your vacation, we are here to help you no matter what,” Pilley said.

Travel can be unpredictable. AAA Travel Advisors go the extra mile, serving travel clients before, during, and after the trip. Leave the planning and the details to AAA.

AAA Travel