Airlines are, understandably, canceling thousands of flights due to snowy, icy, sleety and dangerous weather conditions around the country right now.
But even with few or no commercial flights arriving or departing, airports do their best to stay open and opeartional. That means crews are working around the clock to keep runways cleared and open.
Some examples shared today.
The Weather Channel map, above, snapped at 7 am East Coast time on Sunday morning, shows which parts of the country are experiencing snow, rain, ice or a mix of it all.
Flights and airports in this large section of the country are experiencing mass cancellations, but air traffic everywhere is being affected as airplanes can’t get from here to there.
Flight tracking service Flightaware is reporting close to 10,000 flights into, out of or within the United States canceled for today alone, on top of tens of thousands canceled over the past few days.
And it’s a good bet many of the flights currently tagged as ‘delayed’ will end up getting canceled as well.
If you have a flight scheduled today or, like us, over the next few days, check to see if its already canceled and try to make new plans.
You will find links to the updated travel alerts and change fee waivers of the major U.S. airlines on this post on StuckatTheAirport.com.
Stay safe.
This map from the Weather Chanel is chilling in so many ways.
If, like us, you’ve got any flights or other travel planned in the next few days, in or out of the path of this major storm predicted to drop more than a foot of snow in many parts of the country, be prepared for delays, cancellations and hassles.
To help, below are the links to the travel waiver policies U.S. airlines have posted. In most cases, airlines are offering travelers the option to cancel their flights for a full refund/travel credits or to alter flight plans with no with change fees. That is, if you can find and book a new flight scheduled within the few days covered by the waiver policy.
Keep in mind that if your flight is canceled by the airline they may rebook you first. And as the storm continues, airlines will updata and likely extend the dates that waiver policies are in effect.
Stay alert and stay safe.
While airlines are bracing for the storm, airports are revving up the engines on those giant snow plows.
Winter Storm Blair is disrupting travel across the Midwest and East Coast and causing thousands of flight delays. As of late Sunday evening, here’s what airlines were posting in terms of travel waivers and alerts:
As always, be sure to check with your airline before venturing to the airport for your flight.
Alaska Airlines: “We are offering a flexible travel policy to/from Baltimore (BWI), Cincinnati (CVG), Cleveland (CLE), Columbus (CMH), Detroit (DTW), Indianapolis (IND), Kansas City (MCI), Nashville (BNA), Philadelphia (PHL), Pittsburgh (PIT), Raleigh (RDU), St Louis (STL), Dulles (IAD), Washington D.C. (DCA), and Wichita (ICT) if you would like to change or cancel your flight.”
American Airlines: Travel waiver in effect for trips to, from or through more than 40 airports. If you are scheduled to travel January 4 – 6, 2025 you can change your ticket to fly instead through January 9, 2025
Delta Air Lines: Travel waiver in effect for travel to, from or through more than 20 airports. “When rebooked travel occurs on or before January 10, 2025, in the same cabin of service as originally booked, the fare difference will be waived.”
Frontier Airlines: Travel advisory in effect for about 10 airports.
Jet Blue: A travel waiver is in effect for these airports: Nashville, TN (BNA), Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Pittsburgh, PA (PIT), Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU), Richmond, VA (RIC), and Washington, DC (DCA). “Customers may rebook their flights for travel through Wednesday, January 15, 2025.”
Southwest Airlines: Travel advisory in effect for 16 cities. Travelers “may rebook or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying additional charges.”
United Airlines: The travel waiver is in effect for more than 10 airports. The new flight must be a United flight departing by January 13, 2025.
(Map courtesy Weather.com)
Florida residents are just starting to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. As they do, airports that had closed for the storm’s duration are reopening.
Airlines are resuming some flights, but anyone flying to or from the region should check with their airline for updates. In many cases travel alerts and change fee waivers have been extended for travel originally scheduled through October 12.
Here are some of the airport updates as of late Thursday evening.
After assessing the damage to its facilities, Tampa International Airport (TPA) announced plans to reopen at 8 A.M on Friday morning.
Orlando International Airport suspended operations Wednesday and will resume some flight operations on Friday as well.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) closed Tuesday afternoon after the last flight departed and remains closed “until further notice,” according to a Facebook post on Thursday.
Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) are open, but there are still many flight delays.
First, it was Hurricane Helene. Now Hurricane Milton is heading toward Central Florida and is expected to arrive with vengeance midweek.
Airlines are already canceling flights, posting travel advisories and offering fee waivers for flight changes.
Airports are issuing operational updates and reminding travelers that they are not public shelters.
Here are the policies and status announcements we spotted on Sunday evening.
If you are traveling this week, be sure to check (and recheck) for flight changes.
The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) issued a statement saying that it was waiting for evacuation orders from Pinellas County officials before deciding when to close the airport, but that all flights in or out of PIE on Allegiant were already canceled on Wed (Oct 9) and Thurs (Oct 10).
Here are the links to travel alerts and change fee policies for airlines ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival. They’re likely be updated as the storm arrives.
American Airlines. The alert covers travel to, from or through at least a dozen Florida airports.
Delta Air Lines. 8 airports are part of the travel alert.
Frontier Airlines. 7 airports are part of the airline’s travel advisory.
JetBlue Airways. 4 airports are covered by the travel alert.
Southwest Airlines‘ travel alert is for four Florida airports.
and 5 airports are included in the travel alert issued by United Airlines.
Travelers heading to or from Florida, Georgia and many parts of the U.S. southeast found Tampa International Airport (TPA) closed and hundreds of flights canceled or delayed throughout the region on Thursday as Hurricane Helene made landfall.
The delays and cancellations will continue Friday and through the weekend and airlines are waiving change fees and offering passengers the options to make alternate plans.
Here are links to the travel alerts and flexible travel policies in effect at Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines.
Stay safe.
(This is a slightly different version of a story we wrote for NBC News )
It’s been another summer of record-smashing temperatures and record-smashing air travel.
Airports and airlines say they can handle both.
U.S. airlines expect to carry 271 million passengers across the globe this summer, up 6.3% from last season, according to the trade group, Airlines for America.
Carriers have added flights and seats to accommodate the uptick. It comes in a year when the Earth had its hottest June ever. Last week there were two days in a row with record-breaking planetary heat records.
Nevertheless, the aviation industry is adjusting to “a new normal” of scorching temperatures during the busy summer travel period, said Kevin Burke, president and CEO at Airports Council International – North America.
So far, airports have managed “to adapt to these conditions” by working with airlines to tackle safety risks and operational challenges, he said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation tracks “extreme weather” delays caused by conditions like tornadoes, blizzards or hurricanes but not those due to heat. And while the share of delay minutes caused by weather overall has declined in the last few decades, heat-related snags have been turning up in recent years.
In July 2022, a scorching heat wave in Europe caused runway damage at London’s Luton Airport, briefly suspending flights. In June the year before, Alaska Airlines canceled and delayed flights due to record-breaking heat that had raised tarmac temperatures to 130 degrees Fahrenheit in Seattle and Portland and affected operations in California, Texas, Arizona and Louisiana. Ground crews were offered to take breaks in air-conditioned “cool down vans.”
In Las Vegas, which is seeing record-high temperatures again this summer, officials at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) say the larger, heavier aircraft used for long-haul flights can have a harder time taking off.
It’s physics: “Airplanes perform better aerodynamically at cool temperatures when the air is denser,” said Patrick Smith, a pilot and founder of “Ask the Pilot,” an air travel blog. Very hot weather reduces aircraft engines’ thrust, requiring a longer runway to achieve liftoff and gain altitude.
To address that challenge in Vegas, “the air traffic control tower will institute a configuration change for takeoffs to the east, which avoids the mountainous terrain,” said LAS spokesperson Amanda Mazzagatti. “That configuration can cause slight delays for departures as it reduces the number of takeoffs per hour,” she said.
High temperatures sometimes require aircraft to reduce their weight before getting up in the air by shedding baggage, fuel or even people, said Robert Thomas, an assistant professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Making these adjustments before takeoff “can also cause delays and anger passengers,” he conceded.
High heat can pose mechanical challenges, Smith said. “Engines also are subject to internal temperature limits beyond which operation isn’t permitted, and when it’s really hot outside these limits are easier to exceed. I expect it to happen more frequently as climate change causes more extreme weather events, including extreme heat waves.”
But in Phoenix this year, where temperatures have soared well into the 100s this month, officials at Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) insist they’re “well prepared for Arizona summers,” with runways that can accommodate takeoffs and landings in hot conditions.
Preparations for the summer weather begin each spring, said airport spokesperson John Trierweiler. Aviation department employees take a mandatory heat-safety course, and this year PHX added a video on the subject for all airport staffers, he said. During extreme heat, the airport urges employees to stay hydrated, take frequent breaks, and, if they’re working outdoors, to cool off inside every hour.
Southwest Airlines said it has things under control even though severe heat is “arriving earlier and persisting throughout the summer” at Sun Belt airports where the carrier has a large presence, said spokesperson Chris Perry.
Like other airlines, Southwest keeps planes cool by running air conditioning on the ground and asking passengers to close window shades and open overhead air vents upon arrival.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines also asks passengers to take these steps, said spokesperson Drake Castaneda.
When cabins get uncomfortably hot, employees can pause boarding and wait until it cools down, even if that means a delay, he said.
Perry said Southwest hasn’t experienced any widespread heat-related delays or cancellations lately, but he acknowledged reports of exploding soda cans due to high temperatures.
“We’re aware of the issue and have been taking steps to keep onboard beverages cooler,” he said.
High temperatures are also pushing airports and carriers to adjust their ground operations and upgrade infrastructure, ACI-NA’s Burke said. Some airports are installing “smart glass” to reduce solar heat transmission into terminals, replacing aging central plant equipment with higher-efficiency technologies and improving electrical power systems.
Carriers are also paying attention to pets. Delta, Southwest and United Airlines don’t allow pets to travel in cargo holds any time of year. Alaska and American do, but there are summertime restrictions.
Alaska Airlines, which has year-round breed restrictions for short-nosed dogs and cats, only allows pets to travel when the weather at both the departure and arrival cities is between 45 and 85 degrees. For much of this summer, Alaska isn’t accepting pets in baggage compartments on flights arriving or departing between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. at more than two dozen airports.
American Airlines also imposes breed restrictions year-round and doesn’t accept pets as cargo whenever temperatures surpass 85 degrees. From May 1 through September 30, the airline also prohibits pets in cargo on flights originating, connecting or terminating in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs, California.
“If we find that temperatures become unsafe during travel,” the carrier tells customers, “we’ll take your pet to a local kenneling facility — at no charge — for a comfort stop to play, eat and sleep until temperatures return to a safe range.”
(Photo up top courtesy U.S. National Archives, via Flickr Commons)
[This is a slightly different version of a story we prepared for NBC News]
Cathy Balestriere was expecting “especially low” bookings last month at Crane’s Beach House, the boutique hotel she manages in Delray Beach, Florida. Instead, they jumped 12% from the year before.
“It feels like a miracle based on where we were sitting just a few weeks ago,” she said.
It’s not a miracle. It’s the weather.
The surge coincided with a sweltering mid-June heat wave across the Midwest and the Northeast, putting over 80 million people under heat alerts — the latest run of unseasonably extreme temperatures fueled by a global climate that is warming at a record pace.
Florida might not be the first destination that comes to mind for people looking to beat the heat, but it’s where some headed after their hometowns became just as sweltering.
This time of year, most guests at Crane’s are in-state or regional travelers, Balestriere said. But many of the last-minute bookings came from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas. Delray Beach has been hot, too, but visitors to the hotel “can at least enjoy the ocean breeze and access to the beach and refreshing pools,” she said.
It’s a similar story at the Lake Nona Wave Hotel in Orlando, where reservations soared 45% in the past three weeks compared with the year before, largely from the Northeast and Texas.
“We have had a couple of guests mention while they are checking in that the heat at home is unbearable,” sales and marketing director James Tattersall said.
“Snowbirds” typically head south to Florida and other balmier states in the winter and spring, creating a high season there when it’s frigid up north. But Crane’s Beach House now sees a growing opportunity in warmer months. It has already shifted its seasonal editorial calendar, Google ad strategy and newsletter messaging to capture more of the off-season demand, Balestriere said.
It’s part of a broader change that has been underway for years as tourist hot spots adapt to shifting demand tied to evolving seasonal weather.
While not every place is feeling an impact in the same way, or at all, “there is no question that we are seeing a growing preference for destinations with more comfortable summer temperatures alongside rising global temperatures,” said Jesse Neugarten, founder and CEO of Dollar Flight Club, a travel deal alert service.
From May to June, the platform had a 31% surge in flight bookings and interest from Northern cities like New York and Boston to destinations in Florida, he said, “where travelers are looking for relief from heat waves.”
Scorching weather at home is also pushing people toward cooler climes abroad. While hotel bookings in Italy — a longtime summer hot spot — are up a modest 3% since last year, “it’s Scandinavia that is having a moment,” researchers at the Virtuoso luxury travel network said in a recent report.
Bookings in the region have surged 25% since last year, with even steeper 49% and 47% increases in Iceland and Sweden, respectively. Even the Netherlands, where authorities have tried to reduce tourist volumes, is seeing 33% higher hotel demand this season, Virtuoso found.
Some parts of the continent are getting so hot during the summer that the typical high season is getting longer, said Rebecca Masri, founder and CEO of Little Emperors, a private members luxury hotel club.
“With the weather in southern Europe staying warm, booking trends are shifting to September, October and even November,” she said, as some hotels and resorts that usually close at the end of the summer extend their operations. “These months are becoming the new peak season.”
Consumers will increasingly see those shifts reflected in pricing, said Chris Lafakis, a director at Moody’s Analytics.
“You won’t have to be rich to vacation, but it’s going to be more expensive to travel to the more favorable destinations,” he said. “Those with the means to do so will be able to, and those that don’t will unfortunately not have as many options to fall back on.”
As airlines have added capacity, domestic and international airfares have fallen by double-digit percentages this July Fourth holiday week compared with last year’s, according to booking platform Hopper, despite record expected travel volumes. But while average hotel room rates in some cooler northern European countries have stabilized since last year’s surge, they’re climbing in popular areas — up 18% in Iceland and 47% in Norway, Virtuoso said.
Weather-driven shifts in travel patterns will create economic winners and losers, Lafakis said. “Probably 20% to 30% of the overall damage to the economy from the heat is because of less travel tourism,” he said. As seasonal temperatures soar, would-be visitors “may go somewhere else or choose not to go at all.”
Some industry experts aren’t so worried.
During hot weather, “travelers will usually change their behavior rather than cancel a trip,” said Tiffany Townsend, a spokesperson for New York City Tourism and Conventions. “They might visit more museums and indoor attractions or do more shopping” while it’s scorching outside and schedule outdoor activities early or late in the day.
Heather Dickie, 69, a Texas-based marketing consultant, said her travel itinerary is still in flux, but she said she needs a break from the heat. “If I can get out of Dallas,” where temperatures have already hit triple digits, “Alaska is sounding good,” she said.
But she’s more likely to head about 650 miles “up the road a bit” toward Taos, New Mexico, for the relative reprieve of highs in the mid-80s. “I have friends in that area,” she said, “and am looking at late July or August for a nice, cool getaway.”
Hurricane Idalia is expected to be a powerful and very dangerous Category 4 storm when it hits Florida early Wednesday.
So if you are in the storm’s expected path, make plans and evacuate when advised to.
The National Hurricane Center is also keeping tabs on Hurricane Franklin and Tropical Depression Eleven.
Airports, airlines, the FAA, and others are responding by closing terminals, rerouting flights and canceling hundreds of others, offering travel waivers, and generally urging travelers to be smart and stay safe.
As noted in the FAA’s tweet above, several airports closed to all air traffic on Tuesday.
Noting that “TPA is not a shelter,” Tampa International Airport (TPA) closed early Tuesday morning, right after midnight.
“We will reopen when it’s safe to do so, following a damage assessment,” the airport said in its social media posts.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), closed Tuesday afternoon, hoping to reopen Wednesday at 3 p.m., if possible.
And Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) closed Tuesday evening at 7 pm, with plans to open Wednesday morning at 8 am “pending damage assessment.”
And, for now, Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, FL remains open and operational.
Here’s what was posted on the airport’s Facebook Tuesday afternoon:
As of 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 29, most of the airlines at RSW plan to operate a normal schedule this evening and tomorrow. There have been changes on some flights with Breeze, Delta Air Lines and Southwest, so check with them before coming to the airport. We strongly recommend looking at your airline’s website for the best information on cancellations and delays as weather conditions can change quickly.
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) remains open and operational as well and says it remains open “so long as the FAA and the airlines continue to safely operate.”
Of course, even if an airport is open, it doesn’t mean flights are landing and taking off. Hundreds of flights have already been canceled and delayed and there will no doubt be more schedule disruptions in the coming hours and days.
Airlines have posted their travel waiver policies for passengers with tickets to, from, or through, many southeast airports.
Here are links to the travel waiver policies posted as of Tuesday morning:
American Airlines The airline has posted travel alerts and waivers for Bermuda travel in response to Hurricane Franklin and for travel to, from, or through 12 airports in the southeast U.S.
Delta Air Lines has travel alerts posted for close to 20 airports.
Frontier Airlines 7 airports are covered by this travel alert.
Jet Blue The travel alert currently covers a half dozen airports.
Southwest Airlines 11 airports are currently showing a travel alert for Southwest Airlines flights.
United Airlines A travel alert for 9 airports is currently posted on United’s travel alert page.
As always, be sure to check with your airline before heading to the airport.
And stay safe!