From Texas to the Carolinas, the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, millions of Americans are battening down the hatches for this weekend’s winter storm.
At airports, it’s already shaping up to be the worst stretch of flight cancellations we’ve seen in years.
By Saturday evening, FlightAware showed airlines had preemptively canceled nearly 15,000 flights through Monday, anticipating conditions would rapidly worsen — and wreak havoc at many of the nation’s busiest hubs.
And Sunday was on track to be the worst day for shuttered flights since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Carriers scrambled to move planes out of regions squarely in the path of the storm, and some added last-minute flights on Saturday before conditions worsened.
Behind these travel woes: a devastating combination of ice in pockets of the country that seldom see winter weather — and heavy snowfall expected later in the weekend, the National Weather Service warned, as the storm tracks northward.
“Winter Storm Fern,” as dubbed by the Weather Channel, started by pummeling the Deep South Saturday, with icy conditions leading to mass flight disruptions at the nation’s second-largest airport.
According to FlightAware, at least three-quarters of all departing flights had been canceled at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the busiest hub for American Airlines.
Which day will be the worst at airports?
Sunday looks to be the worst day, nationally — both for air travel and the storm conditions.
By 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, airlines had already canceled more than 9,200 flights for Sunday.
To put that in perspective: that’s far more flight cancellations than we saw even at the height of last fall’s government shutdown.
We’ve already seen over three-quarters of planned Sunday departures canceled out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), American’s second busiest hub.
Nearly every other major East Coast airport will be see significant disruptions, too:
- 96% of Sunday departures had been axed from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), per FlightAware.
- Preemptive cancellations have topped 80% of expected departures from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
- More than half of Sunday’s scheduled flights had been shuttered already at Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and several other busy Northeast hubs from Boston to Philadelphia.
Flight cancellations for Monday already topped 1,600.
Airline travel waivers in effect
Ahead of the storm, airlines issued flexible travel waivers to allow passengers to cancel, change or rebook their trip.
In most cases, flyers booked for the next couple of days can re-work their itinerary even if they’re flying on a ticket that usually bars changes — like basic economy.
Here’s a full rundown of airlines’ advisories:
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue
- Allegiant Air
- Frontier Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
Airlines move planes, staff into position
Meanwhile, airlines rushed to get planes and staff in place to deal with Mother Nature’s wrath.
Delta on Saturday said it began moving experts from its cold-weather hubs to assist with deicing and baggage-handling efforts at its southern airports less accustomed to dealing with wintry conditions.
And, the Atlanta-based carrier planned to keep planes out of icy conditions, when possible, so they’d be in position to resume flying quickly once the conditions allow.
Delta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) mega-hub, the world’s busiest airport, was among those expected to hard-hit, with around 500 planned departures for Sunday already axed.
Meanwhile, American Airlines added a slew of extra flights out of its DFW and CLT hubs ahead of deteriorating conditions. The carrier expected to operate two to three hourly flights from CLT to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (CLT) between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday.
United Airlines told TPG it was arranging hotels for its employees and beefing up reserve pilot and flight attendant scheduling, while preparing for bitter working conditions at its O’Hare, Dulles and Newark hubs.
What to know if you have travel booked for the weekend
Suffice to say, if you’re planning to fly in the next 48 hours, there’s a good chance you’ll run into trouble — if your flight hasn’t already been canceled.
Here are some things you can do to prepare.
Start by checking travel waivers
If I had a flight booked for between now and Tuesday for any of the regions affected by this winter storm, I’d certainly be considering backup options — whether that’s canceling a trip, or rebooking it for a later date.
Start by consulting the travel waivers (listed above) airlines have issued. These advisories could make it a lot easier (and cheaper) to change your itinerary than you might expect.
Read more: Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next
Follow local authorities’ guidance before going to the airport
Even if your flight is set to depart as planned, be sure to double-check that it’s safe to actually get to the airport.
Follow the guidance of local authorities and monitor road conditions before attempting to make the trek to the terminal.
Stay glued to your airline’s app
Still holding out hope that you’ll be able to fly?
Keep a close eye on your airline’s mobile app. With most carriers, you can track your incoming aircraft, and re-book yourself with a few clicks — which is much easier than standing in a long line at customer service, or waiting on hold by phone.
Several airlines have also beefed up their customer support chat, in recent years, which is another avenue for getting assistance.
Remember: Refund rules still apply
If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed and you choose not to travel, you’re entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket.
That’s U.S. Department of Transportation policy.
It doesn’t matter if the cancellation or delay was because of weather. If it happened — and if you decided to stay home and not fly — you get a refund.
On the flip side: If you agree to take a later flight (even if it’s a lot later), you generally would not be owed a refund.
How you can get reimbursed if you get stranded
If you do get stuck, keep your receipts.
Some travel credit cards have built-in trip insurance protections, and may help you get reimbursed for hotel, meal and other costs if you get stuck somewhere.
The most common caveat: You often can only get paid if you booked your trip with that card.
Just keep in mind, exact terms and protections differ from one card and policy to another, so review your card’s explanation of benefits to see if you might be able to make a claim.
TPG’s favorites: 10 best credit cards with travel insurance
What about meal and hotel vouchers?
Airlines have promised certain things — like hotel nights, meals and ground transportation — for when travelers get stuck because of flight trouble. But in most cases, those guarantees are for flight woes that are the airline’s fault (like maintenance).
Weather typically doesn’t fall under that category, so … you can certainly ask … but I wouldn’t be optimistic about getting these expenses covered by your airline this weekend.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
