Hurricane Irma has sent snow birds into a frenzy.
Places like St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. John, parts of Cuba, Barbuda, the Florida Keys are all popular destinations for Canadians to escape the cold Winters.
They're now rushing to find somewhere else to enjoy some fun in the sun. "For those who typically go down to Florida, they're now looking at other destinations. We've seen a spike in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Springs, California; We've also seen an increase to parts of Hawaii. All four of the major islands, there, are seeing increased demand," says Claire Newell with Travel Best Bets.
She says it's unfortunate that some travellers are painting Florida and the Caribbean with a wide brush. "We're just starting to hear about places that are OK. Like, Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata, and Punta Cana are operating as scheduled."
Even the cruise lines that were scheduled to go to ports in the Eastern Caribbean are now going to the Western Caribbean ports because they're alright.
As is with the basic law of supply and demand, the cost of flights to places in Arizona, California and Hawaii have already gone way up, a trend that will continue. Take Hawaii for example, a flight that normally costs $800-$900 will set you back $1,300.
"You should be looking to book by the end of September. The, kind of, point of no return is October 31st because after that it really increases to the date of departure," Newell suggests.