Airline change fees

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

March 10, 2020Harriet BaskasAirlinesAirline change fee waivers, Airline change fees, change fee waivers, Coronavirus

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 waive change fees as Winter Storm Jonas nears

January 21, 2016Harriet BaskasWeatherAirline change fees, airline fee waivers, Winter Storm Jonas

Winter storm Jonas is headed for the east coast and is expected to disrupt travel throughout the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast – and beyond – beginning Friday morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for Washington, D.C., and Baltimore and is monitoring the possible impacts of the storm, which are expected to include heavy snow extending from Washington, D.C. to New York and Boston from Friday through Sunday.

“Based on the anticipated storm track, as much as 1 to 2 feet of snow is possible near and northwest of I-95,” the NWS said Wednesday morning its website.

Airports are readying their snow removal equipment and airlines are posting travel alerts. As always, it is best to check your airline’s website and mobile app for the latest updates and alerts and do the same for conditions and advisories from any airports you will be traveling to or through.

During events like this, most airlines will issue travel alerts offering passengers the option to cancel or change their travel plans with no change-fee penalties for certain days and for those traveling to, from or though certain cities.

The American Airlines travel alert relaxes change fee policies for travel to/from or through 40 airports.

One time ticketing fees will be waived for changes made for ticketed travel January 22 to January 24 if it occurs instead January 20 to January 26, 2016.

Delta Air Lines’ Northeast Winter Weather advisory, reminds passengers that if their flights are canceled or significantly delayed, they are entitled to a refund. For travelers with flights scheduled January 24-26, the airline is allowing a one-time change to your ticket, without a fee, if travel is rebooked to begin by January 27, 2016.

Cities/airports included in Delta’s travel alert are Allentown, PA (ABE), BWI, BOS, Charleston, WV (CRW), Charlottesville, VA (CHO), Harrisburg, PA (MDT), JFK, LGA, Newark (EWR), Newburgh, NY (SFW), PHL, Providence, RI (PVD), Richmond, VA (RIC), Roanoke, VA (ROA), Scranton, PA (AVP), Washington’s Dulles and Reagan National Airports, and White Plains, NY (HPN).

Frontier Airline’s storm alert covers travel from Thursday, January 21 through Sunday, January 24 to/from and through Philadelphia (PHL), Trenton-Mercer, NJ (TTN), New York LaGuardia (LGA), Washington’s Dulles and Reagan National Airports, Charlotte, NC (CLT), Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU) and Greensboro, NC (GSO).

JetBlue is waiving change and cancel fees and difference in airfare for passengers scheduled to travel Friday, January 22 and Saturday January 23, 2015, to or from BWI, Richmond, VA (RIC) and Washington’s Dulles and Reagan National Airports. The airline’s alert says customers may rebook flights for travel through Friday, January 29, 2016 and that customers with canceled flight can opt for a refund instead.

Southwest Airlines is advising that customers holding reservations for travel to/from/through Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Boston, Long Island Islip (ISP), Newark, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Providence (PVD), Washington Dulles and Washington Reagan National (DCA) on Friday, January 22 through Saturday, January 23 are eligible to reschedule their flights in accordance with the carrier’s accommodation procedures.

United Airlines’ travel waiver advisory covers a long list of east coast cities and ticketed travel from January 22 through January 24. “The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new flights departing on or before January 20-27, 2016, as long as travel is rescheduled in the same cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed,” the carrier notes on its website.

Airlines ready for Xmas eve snowstorm

December 24, 2014Harriet BaskasWeatherAirline change fees, Airlines, Christsma eve storm

Winter weather conditions are expected in the Midwest on Christmas eve and airlines are getting ready by canceling flights and waiving ticket change and reissue fees.

Here are the waiver policies posted as of Tuesday evening, December 23:

American Airlines, American Eagle and US Airways

Passengers with tickets on flights Dec. 24 to, from, or through the nine cities below may change flights without penalty, have the ticket-reissue charge waived for one ticket change, and begin travel as early as Dec. 23 or as late as Dec. 25

St. Louis (STL), Springfield, Ill. (SPI), Peoria, Ill. (PIA), Urbana-Champaign, Ill. (CMI), Bloomington-Normal, Ill. (BMI), Chicago (ORD), Milwaukee (MKE), Grand Rapids, Mich. (GRR) and Detroit (DTW).

Frontier Airlines

Customers scheduled to travel Wednesday, December 24, 2014 to/from/through: Chicago Midway, IL (MDW); Chicago O’Hare, IL (ORD); Detroit, MI (DTW); Milwaukee, WI (MKE); St. Louis, MO (STL) may have fees waived for one itinerary change, if travel is completed by Saturday, December 27th. Those with canceled flights may request a refund.

JetBlue

JetBlue is waiving change/cancel fees and fare differences for customers traveling to/from/through the cities below, on Wednesday, December 24, 2014. Customers may rebook travel through Thursday, December 25, 2014 prior to the departure of their originally scheduled flight. Customers with cancelled flights may opt for a refund.

Affected cities: Baltimore, MD (BWI), Boston, MA (BOS), Buffalo, NY (BUF), Burlington, VT (BTV), Hartford, CT (BDL), Newark, NJ (EWR), Newburgh, NY (SWF), JFK, LGA, Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Pittsburgh, PA (PIT), Portland, ME (PWM), Providence, RI (PVD), Rochester, NY (ROC), Syracuse, NY (SYR), Washington, DC (DCA), Washington, DC (IAD), Westchester County, NY (HPN), Worcester, MA (ORH).

Southwest Airlines

Customers holding reservations for travel to/from/through Chicago Midway (MDW) on December 24 are eligible to reschedule their flights.

United Airlines

United is offering to waive the change fee for passengers flying on December 24 and 25 to, through or from Chicago, IL (ORD), Detroit, MI (DTW), Grand Rapids, MI (GRR), Madison, WI (MSN) and Milwaukee, WI (MKE).

Of course – as always – it’s best to check the status of your flight and the latest advice from your airline before you make a change or head to the airport.

Storm coming: airlines cancel flights /waive change fees

November 25, 2014Harriet BaskasHolidays, WeatherAirline cancellations, Airline change fees, Thanksgiving travel, travel, Winter Storm Cato

Don’t defrost the turkey just yet, because it looks like Winter Storm Cato is going to ruin Thanksgiving for a lot of travelers.

Starting Tuesday afternoon, airlines began cancelling flights and issuing fee waivers for travelers who want to cancel or rebook their trips.

.@Delta ops update: 57 cancels planned for New York area tomorrow morning; travel waiver issued for Northeast cities http://t.co/ZRAeswNwyH

— Delta Air Lines News (@DeltaNewsroom) November 25, 2014

Traveling through the northeast on Wednesday? You have the flexibility to change your plans with potential weather: http://t.co/sb5hHZ8ywJ

— American Airlines (@AmericanAir) November 24, 2014

As of Tuesday evening, pretty much every North American airline has a travel advisory posted on its site. International airlines with flights to and from the U.S. are likely alerting their customers to cancellations as well.

Below are links to the travel alerts, coverage dates and fee waiver policies as of Tuesday evening, November 25th for many major airlines. If you’ve got a trip planned, be sure to check the airline’s website, Facebook page or Twitter feed – and those of your airport – for the latest news.

Air Canada
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Dela Air Lines
Frontier
JetBlue
Spirit
Southwest Airlines
US Airways
United Airlines
Virgin America
WestJet

Storm Nemo on the way; airlines waive change fees

February 6, 2013Harriet BaskasCancellations, WeatherAirline change fees, blizzard, fee waivers, Storm Nemo

Updated: February 7, 2013

Another winter storm – named Nemo – is on the way and airlines are getting ready for it by issuing weather-related fee waivers and encouraging travelers to change their flight dates, postpone travel or re-route their trips to and from a long list of cities in the northeast.

Here’s are links to most of the airline waiver policies: