change fee waivers

Airlines offering heat waivers & banning pets from cargo

Weather, , , , ,

A heatwave in the Pacific Northwest and some other parts of the country is adding another challenge to air travel as we head into a holiday weekend.

As a result, some airlines, including American Airlines and United Airlines, are offering fee-free travel waivers. And Alaska Airlines has put a ban on pets traveling as cargo to and from more than a dozen cities until at least after the July 4th weekend.

Here are some of the details, and useful links to policies as of Monday evening, June 28:

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is ‘pre-canceling’ some flights and has travel advisories posted for many cities experiencing heatwaves, including Burbank, Fresno, New Orleans, Ontario, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Portland, Redmond, Sacramento, Seattle, Spokane, Texas, and Tucson.

And while Alaska Airlines isn’t offering change fee waivers as of Monday evening, it is pre-canceling some flights.

“While we never want to let our guests down, only a small fraction of our flights have been pre-canceled and we are doing our best to re-accommodate those guests,” the airline said on its website, “

And, because of the heat, through July 7, Alaska Airlines is not accepting animals for travel in the baggage departments to or from most of the affected airports listed above. Ticketed pets are still permitted to travel in the cabin with their owners.

Waivers offered by American and United Airlines

American Airlines’ change fee waiver offer is in effect for ticketed travelers through June 29 for trips to, through, or from the cities below. The airlines’ website notes that this information was current as of June 25, 2021, so if record-breaking heat continues in these areas, the waiver could be updated or extended. Check the website for details.

  • Billings, Montana (BIL)
  • Boise, Idaho (BOI)
  • Bozeman, Montana (BZN)
  • Eugene, Oregon (EUG)
  • Eureka Arcata, California (ACV)
  • Idaho Falls (IDA)
  • Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC)
  • Kalispell, Montana (FCA)
  • Medford, Oregon (MFR)
  • Missoula, Montana (MSO)
  • Portland, Oregon (PDX)
  • Redmond / Bend, Oregon (RDM)
  • Reno, Nevada (RNO)
  • Sacramento, California (SMF)
  • Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC)
  • Seattle, Washington (SEA)
  • Spokane, Washington (GEG)

The heat-related travel waiver on United Airlines also currently covers travel booked through June 29 and includes this long list of cities:

  • McKinleyville, CA (ACV)
  • Boise, ID (BOI)
  • Bozeman, MT (BZN)
  • Cody, WY (COD)
  • Eugene, OR (EUG)
  • Everett, WA (PAE)
  • Great Falls, MT (GTF)
  • Helena, MT (HLN)
  • Idaho Falls, ID (IDA)
  • Jackson, WY (JAC)
  • Kalispell, MT (FCA)
  • Medford, OR (MFR)
  • Missoula, MT (MSO)
  • Moab, UT (CNY)
  • North Bend, OR (OTH)
  • Pasco, WA (PSC)
  • Portland, OR (PDX)
  • Redding, CA (RDD)
  • Redmond, OR (RDM)
  • Reno, NV (RNO)
  • Sacramento, CA (SMF)
  • Salt Lake City, UT (SLC)
  • Seattle, WA (SEA)
  • Spokane, WA (GEG)
  • Twin Falls, ID (TWF)
  • Vernal, UT (VEL)
  • West Yellowstone, MT (WYS)

Don’t want to fly? Links to cancel/change policies of U.S. airlines

Airlines, , ,

The coronavirus outbreak is wreaking havoc worldwide with health, business and travel.

The health part is head-spinning, as more people are being diagnosed with the virus and the reported death toll is rising.

If you’re not sick and need to travel somewhere for work, to be with family or for a long-planned vacation, you may out of luck.

Airlines worldwide are announcing what they say are temporary reductions in flight schedules.

And for those who decide they don’t want to fly, airlines are offering refunds and offering to waive the fees on changes and cancelations.

With conditions. Of course.

Here are links to the some of the current policies of major U.S. airlines.

We gathered this information on March 10 and the applicable dates and offers are likely to shift over the next days and weeks.

Be sure to read the details on the airline website closely and check back if your flight situation isn’t yet covered.

Alaska Airlines – The Seattle-based airline is offering no change or cancellation fees on travel through March 31, 2010, regardless of the date the ticket was purchased. And no change or cancellation fees on new tickets purchased between February 27, 2020 and March 31, 2020.

American Airlines – The airline is offering to waive change fees for tickets purchased before March 1 for travel through April 30.

Delta Air Lines – Delta is waiving change fees for travelers with tickets to both international and domestic destinations through April 30 if the ticket was issued on or before March 9, as well as for tickets purchased from March 1- March 30.

Frontier – No change/cancel fees will be charged for changes to tickets issued before March 10, 2020 for travel between March 10 and April 30, 2020 or for tickets purchased March 10 through March 31, 2020. Contact Frontier at 801-401-9000.

JetBlue – JetBlue is waiving change and cancel fees for customers traveling March 10, 2020 through April 30, 2020. Change and cancel fees are also suspended for new flight bookings made through March 31, 2020 for travel through September 8, 2020.

Southwest Airlines – The airline does not charge change or cancelation fees. If you cancel at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure, you can apply the full amount of your ticket to future travel.

Spirit Airlines – The airline is allowing travelers to make a free one-time change to their ticket (fare difference will apply) and if offering refund credit to be used for a booking made within six months.

United Airlines – The airline is waiving change fees for all domestic or international tickets purchased on or before March 2 for travel dates through April 30. New tickets purchased through March 31, 2020 can be changed for free during the next 12 months.

Airlines offer change fee waivers for Hurricane Lane

Weather, , ,

Airlines are posting and updating travel alerts and offering change fee waivers for travel to/from the Hawaiian Islands as Hurrican Lane moves in.

Here are links to change fee waiver policies of airlines in effect as of today for flights to and from Hawaii:

Alaska Airlines: Waiving change fees and the difference in the price of the ticket for travel booked to or from Kauai (LIH), Kona (KOA), Maui (OGG) and Oahu (HNL) for tickets purchased on or before August 21, if travel is completed on or before August 30, 2018.

American Airlines: No change fee for flights to or from Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL), Kona, Hawaii (KOA), Kauai Island, Hawaii (LIH) and Kahului, Hawaii (OGG) for tickets purchased by or before August 20 if you’re scheduled to travel August 23 to 26. New travel must take place by August 30.

For travel scheduled August 23 and 24,  to or from Seoul, Korea (ICN), Honulu (HNL), Kona (KOA), LIhue (LIH) and Maui (OGG), Delta Air Lines is offering change fee waivers for trips scheduled August 23 and 24. New travel must take place by August 27.

Hawaiian Airlines, as you may imagine, is keeping its site updated with news about the hurricane’s impact and has very detailed information about change fee waivers and rules posted.

Several other airlines, including United Airlines, have issued alerts for trips to and Hawaii as well. As always, if you’ve got a trip planned, keep an eye on your airline’s website and Twitter feed for the latest details.

 

Airports closed; more flights nixed, thanks to Tropical Storm Harvey

Weather, ,

Tropical Storm Harvey – Rainfall chart – courtesy NOAA

Check the websites of Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and William P. Hobby (HOU) Airports and you’ll see this notice, posted at noon local time on Sunday.

UPDATED 8/27/2017 at Noon
Commercial operations have ceased at both IAH and HOU until further notice due to severe weather. No inbound or outbound flights from either airport at this time. For flight details, rescheduling and waivers, please contact your air carrier.

The FAA has posted notices as to when these and other airports in the region, including Corpus Christie International Airport (CRP), are expected to reopen, but it’s a fair bet those deadlines will be extended as rain and flooding associated with, now, Tropical Storm Harvey, batters the region.

FlightAware  (a service that track flights), has tallied thousands of canceled flights into and out of the affected areas and with these airports closed for at least a day and, in some cases, more, it’s clear no one is going to be flying through the region on anything  like a normal schedule anytime soon. Many flights in and out of Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, New Orleans and other airports have been affected too.

Most airlines have posted revised dates for when they will be waiving change fees and offering full refunds for cancellations.

Here are some links updated on Sunday evening that may be helpful if you have a flight.

American Airlines

Alaska Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Frontier Airlines

JetBlue

Spirit Airlines

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Virgin America

Of course, international airlines have been cancelling flights to the region as well, so be sure to check with your airline if you have an upcoming flight.

If you’d like to donate some cash to help out with what are going to be expensive and long-lasting storm recovery efforts, both American Airlines and United Airlines (so far) are offering bonus miles for cash donations.