Labor Day travel plans may run afoul of tropical storms

Leonard said travelers’ best bet is to keep an eye on the forecast for now to gauge the storm’s strength and path. There could be some weather impact of heavy rainfall in the southern or southeastern U.S. into late next week, when Labor Day traffic picks up.

“It’s much too early to be cancelling plans at this point,” he said.

For travelers worried about the prospects of that late summer or Labor Day trip, the first step is to check the cancellation and change policies for hotel, airfare and other travel components. Until there’s a named storm, you’re likely at the mercy of standard policies. Unless you booked a nonrefundable room, many hotels offer penalty-free cancellation with just a few days’ notice; on airfare, a change fee typically applies.

As the storm’s path becomes more set, travel providers may waive change fees and relax policies. Check the provider’s travel advisory page.

Call customer service to plead your case even if a travel provider doesn’t have a waiver on offer and the return policy seems ironclad. Reps may have some leeway to offer a refund or change waiver on a case-by-case basis, Jason Clampet, co-founder of travel site Skift.com, told CNBC.com earlier this year.

“Humans can always make choices at these travel brands,” he said.