Gustav hits airlines where it hurts

Hurricane Gustav may not have delivered as severe a blow as expected to the Gulf Coast, but it did deliver a blow to airlines serving the region. The Associated Press writes Gustav "denied the airline industry some critical revenue over the Labor Day holiday weekend," with more than a hundred flights were canceled in the region Monday. "It will be a big hit to the airlines for September," says AirTran Airways spokesman Tad Hutcheson. "It's usually a tough month. The only bright spot is the Labor Day weekend. Those pretty much were full flights we've had to cancel."

Numerous airports throughout the region halted flights over the weekend, though most schedules at those airports were expected to resume by today. However, flights at New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport remained suspended today, and officials there "said they had no timetable for reopening the airport," according to The New York Times.

Another Gustav-related hit for airlines: Many carriers waived their most-restrictive change-of-ticket policies, allowing most customers traveling in the storm's path to change their flights or to get refunds. And unfortunately for the airlines, they'll get little break from storm-related concerns. "Airlines also said on Monday night that they were monitoring Hurricane Hanna, the next storm that could disrupt air travel," the Times writes.