With a winter weather system set to wreak havoc on the East Coast, airlines have already canceled hundreds of flights for Tuesday — and more problems are likely on the way.
On Monday afternoon, Accuweather forecasters warned that snow could hit parts of the mid-Atlantic, New York City and New England, with impacts starting Monday night and the heaviest impacts could extend into Tuesday.
The National Weather Service in New York warned Monday that at least a foot of snow is likely to fall in parts of New York City and Long Island.
In preparation for the messy conditions. Airlines have already issued travel advisories, giving customers additional flexibility to make ticket changes.
And airlines aren’t waiting to cancel flights: More than 400 flights have already been canceled for Tuesday, according to data from FlightAware as of 4:50 PM ET on Monday.
Disruptions are already increasing in the Northeast in anticipation of winter conditions.
Endeavor Air, a regional airline that flies as Delta Connection, leads the way with 144 cancellations for Tuesday — about a quarter of its schedule.
Cape Air and regional carrier Republic (which operates flights for Delta, American and United) also canceled dozens of Tuesday flights.
The hardest-hit US airports for Tuesday are New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), plus Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
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Given that this line of snowy and icy conditions is expected to affect a slew of hubs across the East Coast and the Northeast, more disruptions are likely to affect more airlines.
Delays and cancellations expected
Airports have warned customers to prepare for potential travel challenges. In Boston, Logan officials warned on social media Monday: “Due to forecast snow, delays and cancellations are expected.” The airport urged customers to check their flight status with their airline.
The major U.S. airlines have issued travel warnings for the Mid-Atlantic, New York and New England.
These waivers usually allow even passengers with the most restrictive, typically ‘unchangeable’ tickets to change schedules without incurring penalties – although each airline will specify rules for changing a ticket and what you need to do to avoid paying a fare difference must pay. .
Travelers covered by these alerts cover many of the major airlines’ major hubs, along with many other airports in the region.
Delta has issued warnings for its hubs in Boston, LaGuardia and JFK; American has done the same for LaGuardia, JFK and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL); United has set alerts for Dulles International Airport (IAD) outside Washington, as well as Newark/Liberty International Airport (EWR).
JetBlue has done the same for its main hubs in the Northeast, where its operations are heavily concentrated.
What should you do if your flight is delayed or cancelled?
If you have travel plans for the next two days, now is a good time to prepare… and plan what you would do if your flight were delayed or canceled.
Download your airline’s app
Make sure you have downloaded your airline’s app and check that your flight reservation appears in the app.
And keep a close eye on it.
The airline can proactively offer you the chance to rebook with a few swipes of a finger to avoid the worst of circumstances. And the same can happen if your flight is affected by winter weather. In that case, you need to act quickly, as seats on airplanes Are flying will fill up quickly as disruptions pile up.
Additionally, you can use the app to check the status of your incoming aircraft. If you’re leaving from Chicago and it’s delayed in Boston, chances are you’ll get into trouble yourself.
Long wait at customer service? Try this
If you need customer service assistance and are experiencing long wait times on hold or at customer service (and your app isn’t cutting it), there are two things you can try.
First, fire up your laptop and see if your airline has an online chat option with customer service. This can sometimes be a faster way to get help. Make sure you have your confirmation number handy as you will need it.
A second option: Do you have airline lounge access? Customer service representatives can help you, often with a much shorter wait time.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access in February 2024
Know your refund rights
In bad weather, the airline usually won’t reimburse you for unexpected hotel stays or meals if you get stuck somewhere.
However, if the airline cancels your flight, or your flight is significantly delayed, and you decide not to travel, you are entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket, in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation policy (but if you accept the airline’s offer to rebook you on another flight (no refund required).
Don’t forget travel insurance
Once a storm has developed, it is usually too late to get travel insurance that will allow you to cancel your trip and file a claim to get your money back.
This is where a travel credit card with travel insurance protection comes in handy. If you’ve booked all aspects of your trip with that card, you may be able to get back the cost of a hotel stay, ground transportation or meals – yes, even if the flight problems were due to bad weather.
And if you’re not lucky this time, it could be all the more reason to add a travel insurance card to your wallet in the future.