Due to the wildfires in LA, airlines are extending travel waivers.

• Carriers, including American, United, Southwest, and JetBlue, have waived change fees and fare differences for travelers heading to the Los Angeles area.
• The wildfires have burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures.
• A Delta Air Lines executive said sales of Los Angeles flights have declined.

Wildfires in the Los Angeles area have prompted airlines to extend travel waivers for their airports.

Flight change fees have been waived by carriers serving the area, including those heading to Los Angeles, as the city faces power outages, water shortages, and conservation, as well as the destruction of over 10,000 homes and structures.

Despite the wildfires still affecting parts of the city, the airports in the area were operating normally on Friday, according to FlightAware. However, power outages were reported across Los Angeles County and residents in the Pacific Palisades area were advised to boil or use bottled water. Additionally, parts of the county remained under evacuation orders as firefighters continued to battle the fires.

Travelers who have booked flights with American Airlines to or from Hollywood Burbank Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Ontario International Airport, and John Wayne Airport, which serves Orange County, can rebook without paying a change fee or fare difference if they can fly as late as January 20.

Southwest stated that wildfires may impact service at certain airports and customers can rebook their flights within 14 days of their original travel dates without any additional fees. Additionally, customers have the option to alter their trips to other California cities, including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and San Diego.

On Friday, an executive stated that the sales of flights to Los Angeles, one of the airline's busiest hubs and a source of high-value business and leisure travel, have decreased.

"Delta's president, Glen Hauenstein, stated on an earnings call that the airline monitors sales daily by geographic region and has observed a decline in sales during the current period. However, this decline is not a wholesale reduction or an uptick in cancellations. Delta expects to be able to determine the cost of this decline once the period ends, but it does not anticipate it to have a significant impact on the quarter."

Nevertheless, Hauenstein pointed out that demand typically increases following natural disasters due to reconstruction efforts.

"While our sympathies are with those in Los Angeles affected by this, we have also faced hurricanes, flooding, and other challenges in our long-term airline operations. Typically, the effects of such events are felt in the initial stages, followed by a recovery phase."