Some eclipse watchers are spending big bucks to outrun their No. 1 enemy: clouds

By Andrew Keshner

Watch like stream as eclipse unfolds in U.S. skies through the path of totality

Mother Nature doesn't care about the eclipse travel plans of millions of people or the loads of money they spent to witness the moon briefly mask the sun on April 8.

Clouds and poor visibility were in the forecast at the end of last week for Texas and other southern states along the total solar eclipse's path. For some, the only hope appeared to be a brief parting of the clouds. For others, the solution was to spend more money to find a completely different spot - even on the other side of the country - from which to witness the celestial spectacle.

That includes Bart Fried, who isn't letting the forecast cloud his chances to experience his third total solar eclipse.

The 65-year-old New York City resident and his wife paid for airplane tickets to Texas, lodging and a rental car. He pinpointed a county park northwest of Austin as the place to see the phenomenon, and bought the plane tickets three months ago.

The Texas trip was likely going to cost about $1,000 all in - and now, it might be going to money heaven.

Eyeing the forecast, Fried decided Thursday he's going to drive five hours to Plattsburgh, a spot in upstate New York that's over 300 miles away from his home. He's going to ask for refunds and credits on his airfare, hotel and car expenses. But he says it's OK if he comes up empty-handed on his refund requests.

"The end game is you want to see the eclipse," said Fried, executive vice president of the Amateur Astronomers Association, a New York City-based nonprofit volunteer organization devoted to education and appreciation of the planets, stars and the great beyond.

"The money is spent. Whatever we get back is a bonus at this point," he told MarketWatch.

The money for the Texas hotel isn't coming back, Fried said later, after checking into any possible refunds. But Fried said he had booked a great deal at $56 per room on a two-night stay, so he's OK with that.

Better yet, he was able to receive a full credit on his plane tickets and will not be charged on the car rental.

Fried's sunk costs may be relatively paltry compared to some eclipse chasers. He knows someone who paid for three airplane tickets to three different spots along the eclipse's path.

Instead of flying to one of those destinations, the friend is now traveling with Fried and his wife up to Plattsburgh. "He gets a lot of frequent-flyer miles." Fried joked.

The big-time money surrounding the eclipse is no laughing matter. The 13 states directly in its path are poised for a nearly $1.5 billion influx in business directly tied to the event, according to estimates from the Perryman Group, an economic-analysis firm based in Waco, Texas.

It will be August 23, 2044 when people can see another total solar eclipse from the contiguous United States. With clouds presenting a clear and present danger to Monday's sky show, eclipse chasers are eyeing weather forecasts and travel-refund policies with equal fervor.

On the social-media platform Reddit (RDDT), some users have been seeking advice and trying to find answers about hotel-refund deadlines and airline policies as the eclipse approaches. "Help! Need to decide in 2 hours between Austin, Dallas, Columbus, or St. Louis," wrote one redditor on April 5. They told the online forum that they would probably cancel a planned trip to Austin, while weather seemed to be worsening in Cleveland, Southern Illinois and Missouri. They signed off with: "I'm feeling tormented by this decision!"

Cancellation policies are in the spotlight

Fried's ticket to Texas is with United Airlines (UAL). An airline spokesperson noted that the carrier's policies allow customers get their money back if they cancel their flight within 24 hours of booking (though the flight has to be at least one week away).

Once past the 24-hour mark, customers have the chance to take a travel credit, and United also allows flight changes without change fees, the spokesperson noted.

After checking with United, Fried said he got a full credit on his unused tickets, worth $580.

Other major airline carriers, like Delta Air Lines (DAL) and American Airlines (AAL), did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some lodging providers offer similar flexibility to travelers.

"Our cancellation policies for direct bookings are among the most flexible in the hotel industry, with many of our hotels offering no-fee cancellations up to the day of arrival," said a spokesperson for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (WH), which owns brands like Days Inn, Ramada and La Quinta.

"Guests can always find the cancellation policy associated with their reservation on their booking confirmation. Because policies can vary by hotel, guests are encouraged to contact their hotel directly should they have questions or need to make any changes," the Wyndham spokesperson added.

Airbnb did not respond to a request for comment on eclipse-related cancellation policies.

Fried's decision to change plans might be on the money, said Alex Da Silva, a meteorologist at AccuWeather. "More than likely, Texas is going be out of it," Da Silva said of the eclipse path. Storms could be in the way of the path up to around Little Rock, Ark., Da Silva said in a Friday interview with MarketWatch.

Hours ahead of the eclipse, AccuWeather was sticking with the call for a "high chance" of cloud cover in "central and eastern Texas along with southern and eastern Arkansas." There was also a chance of heavy rain, hail, strong winds and isolated tornadoes in a region stretching from Texas and Arkansas to western parts of Mississippi on Monday, AccuWeather said.

There is, however, a stretch from around western Ohio to southern Illinois that could be a corridor of clarity at the right time on Monday, he added. And "if you want the best chances in the whole country, Vermont, northern New Hampshire and into northern Maine are the areas with the best chance," Da Silva said Friday.

The weather watcher is based in State College, Penn. and he said he was going to make a Sunday night decision: It's either a roughly five- or six-hour drive to Ohio, or a nine-hour drive to Vermont. "I'm prepared to do it if the weather looks good," said Da Silva, who has never witnessed an eclipse. "I would love to see one."

Da Silva, Fried and many more eclipse gazers are driving at a time when gas prices are climbing. A gallon of gas costs an average $3.58, up more than 20 cents from a month ago but roughly around the same price as a year ago, according to AAA.

'A revelation' worth the cost

Why spend this money - and then spend some more to change plans at the last minute?

Because it's worth it for Fried.

He has been hooked on astronomy and space ever since he was an 11-year-old watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.

"It's akin to a religion and I'm an atheist, so I get my philosophical fulfillment from astronomy," he said.

Fried recalled the times he's witnessed a total solar eclipse - first in Hawaii as clouds parted, and then in Tennessee.

"When all of the sudden the darkness hits, it's more a revelation than it appears," he said.

Only the sun's plasma outer region, called its corona, can be seen with the naked (but protected) eye during a total eclipse.

"Most people through their lives never witness a total eclipse," Fried said. "It's a wonderment and if you're religious, you might say it's a miracle. To me, it's a revelation."

See also: Solar Eclipse: Airbnb, United Airlines and other brands sharing $1.5 billion in 'path of totality' profits

-Andrew Keshner

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04-08-24 1410ET

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