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As the Southeast U.S. recovers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's destruction, consumers looking to change their air travel plans to or from affected areas without taking a financial hit may be out of luck, experts said. "The big-picture issue that happens in U.S. air travel: When there is a significant disruption, air passengers have very, very limited rights" when it comes to compensation, said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, an online service that assists airline passengers.

Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday in Florida as a Category 4 storm, leaving a swath of wind- and flood-related damage across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. The storm killed more than 120 people, knocked out power for millions of people and left many stranded without basic necessities like running water.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation urged people to avoid unnecessary travel in the western part of the state due to hundreds of road closures from downed trees, landslides and "catastrophic damage."

What airlines owe passengers

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