As millions sought to evacuate Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton, reports surged from consumers and industry watchdogs that airfares on flights out of the state were spiking, with tickets that might typically cost a few hundred dollars suddenly going for much higher.

New Yorker Cerina McQuillan told the Associated Press that, as she sought to buy a ticket for her 17-year-old daughter to evacuate, the airline’s website crashed. “All of a sudden it went back on again, and the flights quadrupled in price. It went up to like $750 within a matter of seconds,” she said.

Airline watchdogs reported similar findings. “Yesterday and this morning, fare searches were producing quite a few four-figure airfares,” William J. McGee, the American Economic Liberties Project’s senior fellow for aviation and travel posted on X on Oct. 8, the day before Milton made landfall. The National Weather Service warned that day was the final day to evacuate Florida ahead of Milton, a Category 5 storm at its […]