As another large winter storm dumps snow across the middle of the country this week, airlines are allowing some travelers to rebook their flights without incurring a change fee.
Another winter storm has airline passengers checking flight information boards at airports this ... [+]
The “big four” U.S. airlines are issuing travel waivers, allowing travelers ticketed to fly in or out of impacted airports to rebook without paying a fare difference.
American Airlines has a travel alert covering 22 airports across the Southern Plains, stretching from Kansas to North Carolina, for travel Tuesday, with a separate alert for Dallas-Fort Worth International extended to Wednesday.
United Airlines has a “Midcontinent” advisory covering 17 airports for passengers scheduled to fly Tuesday or Wednesday.
Delta Air Lines has a travel advisory covering 10 airports across the Southern Plains and Mid-Atlantic regions for travel Tuesday and Wednesday.
Southwest Airlines has issued a travel advisory covering nine airports across South Central states for travel Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Winter weather-related flight disruptions have been common over the past several weeks, with several days where the U.S. air travel system racked up more than 10,000 canceled or delayed flights. As of 10:10 a.m. Tuesday, more than 1,600 flights in and out of U.S. airports were disrupted, according to FlightAware, with numbers expected to climb as the day progresses.
Air travelers scheduled to fly Tuesday and Wednesday may encounter flight delays and cancellations, particularly in the afternoon and evening, when passengers are statistically more likely to experience flight disruptions.
Airlines are required by the Department of Transportation to provide passengers with refunds in the event of flight cancellations and significant delays—but only when the disruption was due to circumstances within the airline’s control. Weather-related flight delays and cancellations are not covered by this rule, so impacted passengers are on their own unless they can take advantage of a change waiver or purchased travel insurance in advance of their trip.
Airlines Should Reimburse Up To $775 For Long Flight Delays, Says DOT (Forbes)
5 Essential Apps When You’re Facing Flight Delays Or Cancellations (Forbes)