Travel alerts

Hurricane Ian Still Tormenting Travel

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Courtesy The Weather Channel

Hurricane Ian was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane late Wednesday evening, but that doesn’t mean the travel woes that wild weather brings are ended.

Early Thursday morning, FlightAware listed close to 2,000 flight cancellations within, into, or out of the United States. Not surprisingly, the airports with the most canceled flights were in Florida and the southeast.

A handful of airports remain closed for commercial operations

Orlando International Airport (MCO) ceased commercial operations Wednesday morning but remains open to open to accept emergency/aid and relief flights, if necessary. In preparation for Ian’s arrival, airport personnel tied down the jet bridges and covered the ticket counters. The airport’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is in full activation. And, depending on damage assessment, commercial operations are expected to resume Friday, MCO said in a statement.

Here are some of the other airports that closed in advance of Hurricane Ian’s arrival.

Airports open, with delays & cancellations.

Key West International Airport (EYW) plans to reopen at 7am on Thursday, September 29.

Airlines offering alerts and travel waivers

Here are links to the travel alerts and travel waiver offers from many domestic airlines. Many now cover flights to, from, or through airports in cities throughout Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

If you’ve got a flight scheduled, be sure to keep checking back.

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Frontier Airlines

JetBlue

Spirit Airlines

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Winter storm Xylia dumps snow, cancels flights

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Snowflake

Winter won’t go away just yet. Winter storm Xylia wreaked havoc with roads and air traffic in the midwest over the weekend. More than two feet of snow fell at Denver International Airport as of 6 p.m. on Sunday evening.

More than 2000 flights in and out of DEN were canceled over the weekend, with hundreds more already canceled for Monday.

Here are some of the images DEN shared on Twitter on Sunday

If you do have a flight scheduled through DEN or other airports in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska, here are links to the storm-related travel alerts and flight change rules posted by airlines.

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Frontier Airlines

JetBlue

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Airports, airlines, travelers brace for winter weather

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Tough traveling this Thanksgiving

Severe winter storms are already wreaking havoc with Thanksgiving travel plans across the country.

Denver International and many other airports are taking out their snowplows and de-icing gear and advising travelers to be sure to check the status of their flights before leaving home.

Many airlines are offering fee-free flight changes, waivers on fare differences for rebooked flights and refunds left and right.

In some cases, they are encouraging passengers to switch to flights leaving a day or two early.

At 9 p.m. on the west coast, these are some of the airlines issuing travel alerts. No doubt there will be updates and more alerts by morning and over the next few days. So, if you’re scheduled to fly anytime over this holiday, be sure to check your airline’s website and sign up for alerts about your flight.

American Airlines has a travel alert for passengers scheduled to fly November 27 to/through or from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Delta Air Lines has travel advisories posted for flights to, from or through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on November 27 as well.

Frontier Airlines has canceled many flights through Denver and Colorado Springs, CO on Tuesday, November 26. Advisories for rebooking and refunds are on their site.

JetBlue has posted travel alerts for flights in and out of Denver International Airport on Tuesday, November 26.

Southwest Airlines is warning customers that flight schedules may be “disrupted,” as in delayed, diverted, and/or canceled on Tuesday, November 26 in Denver and on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 26 and 27 through Minneapolis/St. Paul.

United Airlines’ winter weather alert also applies to flights in and out of Denver on Tuesday 26.

Bottom line: even if the weather looks great where you are – or where you’re headed to, bad weather in other parts of the country can still disrupt your travels. Check flights, check again and, as always, pack lots of patience when you go to the airport this time of year.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

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Snowflake

Polar vortex, arctic chill, super cold weather or just brrrrrr.

Whatever you label it, sub-zero temperatures and weather woes associated with Winter Storm Jayden are causing schools, shopping centers, and goverment offices in the midwest to close and forcing airlines to cancel flights.

The Weather Channel is warning of dangerously cold conditions and warning folks in the Midwest to brace for temperatures to be (and feel like) colder than in “at least two decades.”

On Tuesday evening, FlightAware’s Misery Map was showing flight delays at some east coast airports ranging from an hour (DCA) to more than two-and-a-half hours (EWR) and cancellations for the day at over 1,400.

Wednesday’s outlook doesn’t look any better. As of 10 pm on Tuesday evening, FlightAware showed that more than 1,500 flights within, into or out of the United Stations were already cancelled.

If you have a flight reservation anywhere this week – even to or from a warm place – don’t leave home without checking with your airline.

Here are alerts posted from some of the major U.S. airlines. Airlines are canceling flights proactively and offering change fee waivers/refunds as well.

American Airlines : Travel alert covers more than 30 cities for travel scheduled January 29 and 30.

Winter weather advisories from Delta Air Lines cover flights to, through or from Atlanta, Chicago and the Upper Midwest.

JetBlue’s winter weather waiver covers travel to or from 15 cities in the northeast.

Southwest Airlines is listing travel alerts and waivers for flighs to and from many cities in the Midwest and Northeast.

United Airlines has reduced operations to and from Chicago O’Hare and posted a travel waiver for a long list of Northeast cities.

As the storm and the cold weather makes its way across the country, no doubt some of these travel waivers will be altered and extended. Keep an eye on the skies and on the airline websites and social media posts.

And stay warm!

Airlines offering change fee waivers due to wildfires

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Airlines are offering change fee waivers and refunds in response to the California wildfires.

Some airlines are also helping out with emergency relief efforts for those affected by the fires.

See the links and tweets below for specific dates and details of the alerts airlines have posted.

 

Wildfires seen from space. Courtesy NASA

American Airlines  – The travel alert posted on November 11 offers change fee waivers for passengers booked travel to, through or from Burbank, California (BUR), Los Angeles, California (LAX), Oakland, California (OAK), Sacramento, California (SMF) and San Francisco, California (SFO) through November 13, 2018. Waiver is available for rebooked flights through November 18, 2018.

American will also give you 10 miles for every dollar you donate to the American Red Cross on donations of $25 or more.

Here’s the latest information from Hawaiian Airlines:

JetBlue is offering to waive change/cancel fees and fare differences for customers traveling through Tuesday, November 12, to/from the Burbank (BUR), Los Angeles (LAX), Oakland (OAK), Sacramento (SMF) and San Francisco (SFO).

The wildfire travel advisory for Southwest Airlines currently applies to flights booked through November 16 to, through or from Burbank (BUR), Los Angeles (LAX), Oakland (OAK), Sacramento (SMF), San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC).

“Customers who are holding reservations on the abovementioned dates, and want to alter their travel plans may rebook in the original class of service 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 any additional charge,” Southwest says on its website.

Here’s the most recent information on wildfire waivers from United Airlines:

Airlines are likely to update their policies regarding waivers and refunds as the fires continue.

If you’ve got travel planned to or through California, be sure to check your airline’s website or social media channels for the latest information.

And stay safe!