JetBlue, United & American Airlines Cancel 400 Flights, Stranding Tourists Throughout the Caribbean
JetBlue, United, American, Cape Air, and other airlines have cancelled hundreds of flights to popular beach destinations and elsewhere in the wake of the U.S. action in Venezuela.
The cancellations came as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration shut down the airspace throughout the Caribbean, affecting island destinations like Aruba, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- According to FlightAware, overall, Cape Air cancelled 134 flights on January 3, representing 35% of its total flights.
- JetBlue cancelled 209 flights, or 21%. American Airlines canceled 167 flights, or 4%.
- United cancelled 113 flights or 3% of the total. Other airlines, including Delta, were also affected.
- Some of the airlines, such as Delta, JetBlue, and American, issued travel waivers. According to Fox News, some holiday travelers were stranded due to the flight cancellations throughout the Caribbean, which hit the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Aruba, among other locales.
Many of the cancelled flights were from or to Puerto Rico; not all of the cancellations above related to Caribbean destinations, although many did Some of the cancelled flights were also to the Virgin Islands and to other island destinations throughout the Caribbean.
Stranded Passengers Took to Social Media to Complain About the Flight Cancellations
Photographer: Yadira Hernandez-Pico/Bloomberg via Getty Images
People trying to get to or out of Caribbean destinations, including Puerto Rico, took to social media to complain. "Am unable to be in Puerto Rico this week. I'm unable to actually schedule a flight home. The flights that are available or astronomical," one person wrote on X.
"US travel agencies are calling hundreds of flight cancellations a nightmare and are struggling to provide updates to thousands of stranded travelers on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. More than half of flights through Puerto Rico have been cancelled alone. Chaos," wrote another.
"My best friend’s flight to PR was cancelled right before they were set to leave. No one allowed in or out until God knows when!" wrote another person. Another person implored American Airlines, "Please send a bigger plane tomorrow to Antigua to pick up all stranded passengers from today’s cancelled flight."
JetBlue, United & Other Airlines Post Travel Waiver Information On Their Websites
The top airlines tried to make it right with customers by offering them travel waivers. "Due to FAA mandated international airspace restrictions affecting portions of the Caribbean, commercial flights are being impacted," JetBlue informed travelers. "We will waive change/cancel fees and fare differences for customers travelingSaturday, January 3, through Sunday, January 4, 2026, to/from the following cities:"
- Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN)
- Antigua (ANU)
- Aruba (AUA)
- Bonaire (BON)
- Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI)
- Curaçao (CUR)
- Georgetown, Guyana (GEO)
- Grenada (GND)
- Ponce, Puerto Rico (PSE)
- Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (POS)
- San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
- St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX)
- St. Lucia (UVF)
- St. Maarten (SXM)
- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)
"Customers may rebook their flights for travel through Saturday, January 10, 2026, online in the manage trips section of jetblue.com prior to the departure time of their originally scheduled flight," JetBlue explained. "Customers with cancelled flights may also opt for a refund to the original form of payment. Original travel must have been booked before Saturday, January 3, 2026."