Related post: Will The CDCs Zika Travel Warning Change Your Travel Plans?
JetBlue has quietly updated their Zika travel waiver policy to include free refunds or changes for all tickets to Zika affected areas that were booked before 8/1. Other airlines haven’t updated their waivers since earlier this year. In general if you have a Doctor’s note forbidding travel, you can get an airline to refund you, even if you don’t have travel insurance.
While the CDC blacklisted entire countries when Zika struck any city within it, they have issued a vary narrow recommendation to avoid only the Wynwood Arts area of Miami. That’s a win for Florida’s tourism industry. However one of my favorite restaurants, Zak the Baker, is located just inside the CDC’s area to avoid.
Only 20% of people develop a reaction to Zika, so the only way to know if you are affected is to get tested.
The CDC recommends that women wait at least 8 weeks after visiting Wynwood or after getting Zika before trying to get pregnant. Zika stays in men for far longer than that and the exact timeframe is unknown, but the CDC recommends that men wait at least half a year after getting Zika before trying to father a child.
I’ve never wanted to be wrong more than now, but based on Zika’s uncontrollable outbreak in the US territory of Puerto Rico, based on the prevalence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in Miami, and based on the CDC’s admission that the spray they are currently using isn’t killing off the Wynwood mosquitoes, I’d be very surprised if this outbreak stays limited to the Wynwood area.
Of course if you’re not pregnant or trying to get pregnant in the next year then Zika shouldn’t affect you, though a small percentage of people do develop Guillain-Barré Syndrome after getting Zika.
Will you be avoiding Miami until the dust settles? Will you just avoid Wynwood? Or will you still order Zak’s heavenly creations?
Leave a Reply
42 Comments On "JetBlue Adds South Florida Zika Waiver"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
zak doesn’t deliver? 😉
@stbaum:
Not that I’m aware of.
And while Uber delivery works for most restaurants, the long lines at Zak would preclude that.
Though perhaps the lines will die down now 🙁
If I booked for august 28 to go to fll with my wife should I cancel? Where else is cheap to fly from bwi for points match promo?
@ben89:
Are you trying to get pregnant in the next year?
If so, what about Boston?
Does a doctor note help for award tickets?
@Refund:
Yes.
my flight is to Ft. Lauderdale, I assume that works too? I’m definitely not going (we’re trying), but would like my money back.
@dan can you pls suggest other safe destinations that can be found with points or miles?
Thanks a lot.
@zak:
Yes.
@Jacob:
Bermuda?
LA?
So… Wheres the deals on OFF Spray?
My neighboor just had to cancel all their frontier tickets to miami and frontier is not refunding them only giving them credit for a later flight, they dont realy travel much is there any way for them to get their money back?
We had a trip planned for August 28, Delta gave us a full refund for all 7 tickets, they did not ask for any documentation, did not expect them to be so kind. The host of the villa we rented via AIRBNB was very rude and refused to consider giving a refund (4 weeks before our arrival…), AIRBNB shlepping around a bit but considering a full refund.
Yes, this is a big deal. We were in Miami last week returning from Israel on our cheap Delta ticket. My very pregnant wife went with my son to Zak the Baker to pick up lunch while I worked in the hotel room.
On the plus side, the food was excellent.
On the down side, she went yesterday for a blood test. Gd willing, all will be well. My wife is an infectious diseases MD, so we understand the actual risk is quite low, but still…
I travel to FL on business regularly, I will be taking many precautions going forward, and not returning to Zak anytime soon.
Was just about to book tickets to Miami for Sukkos. 🙁
Is Cancun also affected by Zika?
@Dave: Are you seriously asking for infectious diseases advice on the comment thread of a shopping blog?
New award booking rules from United: should we be worried? Just got an email……..
Dan, We don’t plan on getting pregnant in the near future and we would like to go to Miami end of August. Do you think the prices will drop?
@Dan: apply to family or just one specific passenger?
Zika the Baker??
stay away like the plague. i feel bad but Miami tourism will plummet like AAmerican Aadvantage Award availability. Bermuda has ZERO issue. But theres no place like miami…..so sad. Hashem always makes the rules, we’re just able to see it once in a while.
Not surprising considering the # of people within the Miami area who travel to the areas that are affected by Zika the most.
@Really Dave?: Candidly, you’re more likely to get good Zika travel advice from this blog that the vast majority of members of the medical community. Just because you have medical training doesn’t mean you know much about Zika. Weighing travel risks is something very experienced travelers generally do better than doctors.
Spirit airline refuses to give me a refund for the flight I had on August 21. Booked it in July. Any ideas ? Flight was to Florida.
Wife is 4 months pregnant
Right now my family is booked with Delta for the end of Aug and was planning on staying in Miami next to Fountainbleu hotel… Now not sure if I want to go ahead with this plan… Should I move up to sunny isles area? go to FLL? or maybe Orlando? (we may try to get pregnant later in the year)
Dan, what would you do?
Dan, I think you should clarify in this post that the CDC advises “Women and men who traveled to this area should wait at least 8 weeks before trying to get pregnant”, even if they do not have Zika symptoms.
Zika, bad choice of username, but i wouldn’t make any non-refundable bookings for anywhere you listed other than Orlando. Doctor friend of mine says this has the potential to spread like wildfire, and you’re still weeks away from your trip.
until when could we cancel or change the tickets?
Dan, do you think this may work for a flight to Orlando ?? Or do they consider that central Florida and not in the affected area? Thanks for a reply.
Dan is not your doctor or psychologist! Google around yourself, folks!
I just called delta today for nonrefundable tickets I had booked for the end of the month. It took 20 minutes but they did give me a full refund. I used Zika as the reason why I would not be travelling.
I booked 2 tickets to fll and going with my wife. I used jetblue because I wanted to get the 75000 bonus miles before Aug 31. My other options were LA or Vegas but was more expensive and would rather use a different airline for those tickets. How can I still get the 75000 bonus miles if I cancel. What should I do?
@Anonymous, you should book another ticket instead.
will jetblue give a full refund or just an airline credit?
What about west palm beach area? Does anyone know if that area is affected?
Jetblue and Delta gave me free cancellations and full refunds for travel to Orlando on Aug 9 and 10. Booked 2 one ways. Going to Atlanta now instead.
@Anonymous: Probably better to pay a few dollars more and not get Zika.
You can book flights with the promo until the end of August.
What if I already went with the family in end of May on Jetblue to Miami? Will they refund my money? Give me a voucher?
Haha I currently have mild Guillen Barre and just ordered a tuna steak sandwich from Zaks to my hospital bed. Quite ironic huh?
Pinny, let me get this straight- you already went to Florida in May, and you want your money refunded for an virus outbreak occurring months after your vacation?? From my understanding, that’s like if I want a refund on the steak I ordered from Prime Grill two months ago, because we are in the 9 days now.
We have tickets for Miami end of August… With my spouse and 4 kids
Not planning on getting preg anytime soon! Should we not go????
I have tickets with Spirit to miami for next week. They are giving me a difficult time getting a refund even with a doctors note. They only want to give a credit, which I don’t want. Any ideas?
Dan writes that he’s “never wanted to be wrong more than now but based on Zika’s uncontrollable outbreak in the US territory of Puerto Rico..” Well here we are and “you are wrong B’H” about what’s going on there and that is not whats going on in MIAMI.
Read the full update below but the fact is that Puerto Rico’s governor wouldn’t authorize naled’s (aerial spraying) use because of environmental concerns, despite widespread Zika infections there and again, thats not what going on in Miami. B”H there are vibrant Jewish communities all over S. Florida including family members and no one is panicking because they read beyond the headlines. If anyone is interested in the actual facts please read below. Interesting to note last year the headlines were about Ebola and that was contained and died down quickly. I guess it must be slow season for the media. Yes, I have another interest here – we are having an amazing Succos program in Key Largo at a brand new ocean front and beach access -Marriott Autograph Collection property – Playa Largo Resort & Spa. No dans deals on this one, sorry.
CDC director: Miami mosquitoes succumbing to aerial sprays
http://www.newswest9.com/story/32689441/cdc-director-miami-mosquitoes-succumbing-to-aerial-sprays
Doral, FL – The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says aerial spraying of the insecticide naled is killing many mosquitoes in a Miami neighborhood where the insects apparently transmitted Zika to 15 people.
Dr. Tom Frieden says aerial spraying that began Thursday quickly killed adult mosquitoes that pesticides on the ground couldn’t reach.
Puerto Rico’s governor wouldn’t authorize naled’s use (aerial spraying) because of environmental concerns, despite widespread Zika infections there. Frieden says minuscule amounts sprayed at dawn and dusk have no effect on people.
Frieden says Miami’s infections were limited to a 500-square-foot area in the Wynwood neighborhood. He didn’t give details about the nature of that small area. Gov. Rick Scott says a 10-block corner of the district has been cleared of active infections.
Florida’s Department of Health says there’s no evidence of mosquitoes transmitting Zika elsewhere in Miami.