Here's How Much Plane Tickets Cost To Leave Florida Amid Hurricane Irma

As Floridians waited Wednesday to see whether Hurricane Irma would make landfall in the Sunshine State, reports of price gouging by airlines emerged. Social media users railed against the apparent spike in prices as people attempted to leave Florida before the storm hit.

Price gouging is illegal in Florida at any point in a state of emergency and Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for all 67 counties Monday as the storm gained strength. But because airlines are regulated by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, ticket prices are not subject to Florida's price gouging laws, according to the Miami Herald.

Using an incognito Google search window, International Business Times attempted to determine how much it would cost to leave Miami, Florida and surrounding airports on a one-way flight to New York in the coming days.

The cost for flights out of Florida varied Wednesday. Some airlines, like American Airlines, showed prices of up to $1,982 for a one-way ticket. Others, like JetBlue, offered cut rate tickets for those evacuating the area. In many instances, flights were not available at all.

Jet Blue announced that it was offering seats for those in the hurricane’s path at a reduced rate — from $99 to $159. The airline had canceled 150 flights as of Wednesday afternoon and warned that many of the remaining low-cost tickets were sold out.

Delta Airlines was accused of gouging prices Wednesday after a passenger posted a photo showing her flight from Miami to Phoenix was raised from $547.50 to $3,258. A representative for the airline told International Business Times it had “absolutely not been raising prices.” Instead, the representative said, the discrepancy appeared after the traveler tried to book a ticket through expedia.com but was amended when she spoke to Delta directly.

Below are the costs of a one-way economy ticket for from four major airlines.

American Airlines

​Delta Airlines

United Airlines

Jet Blue