Another blast of winter weather is wreaking havoc on air travel. Two busy hubs in Texas have already been hit with disruptions, and cancellations are already piling up across parts of the South and mid-Atlantic for Friday as the nation’s latest storm heads east.
Airlines have already canceled close to 1,300 flights for Friday, with the worst disruptions at the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), according to data from FlightAware.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has scores of cancellations already on the board for Friday, too. That’s after the airport saw more than 800 of its departures canceled Thursday — over 70% of planned flights at the nation’s second busiest airport and the home base for American Airlines.
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Close to half of departures were scrapped Thursday at nearby Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), the home of Southwest Airlines.
According to FlightAware, well over 3,000 flights nationwide had been canceled since Thursday, with the disruptions heavily concentrated in Texas.
Forecasters expecting this winter storm to affect a large section of the southern U.S. in the coming days, with disruptions stretching from Atlanta to Memphis, Nashville, Charlotte and Raleigh.
Airlines prepare for Southeastern winter blast
Several major U.S. carriers have already issued travel advisories for dozens of airports ranging from Texas to Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Such waivers allow travelers more flexibility to make free ticket changes to avoid travel during a major weather event. (Airlines have also issued similar waivers for parts of Southern California affected by the ongoing wildfires.)
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Amid this latest winter storm, Delta Air Lines has issued a travel alert for a large section of the Southeast, including its massive hub operation at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
The world’s busiest airport this week took to social media to confirm it’s preparing for the effects of the storm — expected to hit the region on Friday.
American Airlines’ vast travel alert covers a slew of southeastern airports, including its Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) hub.
On social media Thursday, that airport said it had close to 40 snow removal and de-icing trucks on standby.
The National Weather Service on Thursday warned the storm would strengthen and spread a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain across the South and Southeast. Ice and “dangerous travel conditions” are expected from Atlanta to North and South Carolina.
That same storm system could bring wintry conditions and more flight disruptions to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast by the weekend, Accuweather added.
This latest round of weather-fueled flight disruptions comes after a previous winter storm scuttled thousands of flights between Jan. 4 and Jan. 6 and led Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to shut down its runways on Monday.
Meanwhile, the hundreds of cancellations at DFW Thursday are just the latest hurdle for the major hub and American, its dominant airline. The airport had to halt flights multiple times this week because of high winds, and battled persistent severe storms over the busy holiday travel rush late last month.
What to do if you’re flying this week
If you’re concerned about upcoming travel plans on Friday or this weekend, here’s how you can prepare.
Review your options
Now is a good time to check and see if your trip is covered by an airline travel advisory.
Specific to this impending winter storm, you’ll want to review the information listed under “Winter Storm Cora.”
These advisories can offer you more flexibility to make itinerary changes, even if you’re flying on an ordinarily restrictive ticket.
Here’s a rundown of the largest U.S. carriers’ current alerts:
Keep an eye on your airline’s app
Make sure you download your airline’s app, and keep your reservation pulled up. Look out for notifications about your flight and for any signs of potential trouble with your itinerary.
If your flight is delayed or canceled, the airline may offer you an opportunity to rebook yourself right through the app, eliminating the need to wait on hold to speak to customer service.
Read more: Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next
Review your refund rights
Now is a good time to brush up on your rights to a refund when it comes to air travel.
Under U.S. Department of Transportation policy, airlines are required to refund you for the unflown portion of your ticket when your flight is canceled or significantly delayed — only if you choose not to travel (and don’t accept rebooking).
This rule applies even when the flight disruption is due to bad weather, and it can come in handy if you opt to stay home instead of taking a later flight in the midst of a winter storm.
Think twice about checking luggage
Finally, you might think twice about checking a bag — if you can avoid it, at least. Oftentimes, flying in the midst of mass cancellations and delays means needing to pivot to a new flight at the last minute. It can also mean that that 90-minute connection window you’d planned in, say, Charlotte, could become a lot tighter.
Keeping all of your luggage in hand can mean fewer wrinkles if you need to be re-booked on the fly — and removes the risk that your bags won’t make it onto your connecting flight.
Just remember: Putting all of your belongings into a carry-on bag means everything in your suitcase must be compliant with the Transportation Security Administration’s 3-1-1 liquids policy.
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