Hurricane Simon Shut Puerto Vallarta Airport, Here’s What Airlines Owe You and What They Don’t

Puerto Vallarta airport, run by operator GAP, was closed because of Hurricane Simon until at least 8 a.m. local time on Tuesday 13 October 2026, after its first reopening target of Monday 12 October was pushed back a day. If your flight was cancelled, you are entitled to rebook or to choose a refund. You are not owed cash compensation, because a hurricane is outside an airline’s control. Here is what each rule says and what to do today.

Can I get my money back if my flight to Puerto Vallarta was cancelled?

Yes, if your airline cancelled the flight and you decline the alternative it offers. For flights to, from or within the US, the US Department of Transportation’s automatic refund rule, in force since late October 2024, requires a refund when a flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you do not accept the rebooking or credit offered. A significant change is a shift of more than three hours on a domestic flight or six hours on an international one, or a different airport or extra connection. News coverage of the rule differs on whether the threshold is ‘more than’ or ‘at least’, so check the DOT text if you are right on the line.

Ask for the refund to your original payment method, not a voucher. Our guide to rebooking when your flight is cancelled lists what to say at the desk or in the app.

What does Delta’s Hurricane Simon waiver cover?

Delta’s advisory lets you change your trip without paying a fare difference, if you travel to, from or through Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta between 10 and 12 October. You must rebook on or before 15 October, the new departure must also fall on or before 15 October, and the ticket must have been issued on or before 11 October. The fare difference is waived only in the same cabin and if your booking class is available.

If you cannot rebook inside those dates, Delta says you can cancel and apply the unused ticket value to a new ticket within one year of the original issue date. The advisory does not mention cash refunds, so use the DOT rule above if the airline cancelled your flight. Delta’s own page was the only United States carrier notice we could confirm for Simon, and its dates differ slightly between search snippets and the live page, so read the current version before you act. We found no Simon waiver from United or American. Aeroméxico also published a protection policy for Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and other Pacific airports, reported as valid until 14 October.

Do I get compensation for a weather cancellation?

No. US rules do not require cash compensation for delays or cancellations, and the same logic applies abroad. Under UK261 and EU261, which apply to flights departing the UK or EU, or arriving there on a UK or EU airline, a hurricane counts as extraordinary circumstances and removes the fixed payout. You still keep the right to care while you wait, meaning meals, a hotel if needed and communication, and the right to a refund or rerouting. See what counts as extraordinary circumstances and the country-by-country flight rights guide.

Is it safe to travel to Puerto Vallarta this week?

Not until the airport and roads are working, and you should follow local civil protection orders. Jalisco evacuated at-risk areas, suspended public transport and closed schools in 22 coastal municipalities. Rain of 2 to 4 inches, locally 8 inches, was forecast through early Thursday for Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa, with isolated totals of up to 30 inches possible in Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco. Flooding and landslides are the main risks after the wind drops. Reports on 12 October said Jalisco had lifted activity restrictions as Simon receded, but Tuesday flights may be limited and full schedules may not return until later in the week.

Check your government’s current travel advice for Mexico before you go. The UK Foreign Office, in particular, already advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colima and Jalisco, which can affect travel insurance validity.

What should I do today?

1. Check your flight status in your airline’s app, not on the airport board.
2. Rebook or request a refund in writing and keep the confirmation.
3. Call your hotel; many will extend or cancel without penalty during a storm.
4. Keep receipts if you are stranded, and file with insurance within its deadline.

Storm planning is the same everywhere, including the Himalaya, where weather decides flights too. If a Nepal trek is next on your list, our guides build buffer days into every itinerary, such as the 5-day Poon Hill trek.

Cover photo: Elmira Danilova via Pexels (Pexels License). Section photos: Franklin Peña Gutierrez via Pexels (Pexels licence); WoodysMedia via Pexels (Pexels licence); GEORGE DESIPRIS via Pexels (Pexels licence); Jeffrey Eisen via Pexels (Pexels licence).