Travelers flying through the Northeast today should check their flight status before heading to the airport. As severe thunderstorms move across the region, the nation’s three largest airlines have all issued travel waivers, giving eligible passengers more flexibility to change their flights before the worst weather arrives.
Yesterday, I pointed out in my newsletter that airlines often issue different travel waivers for the same storm. American Airlines, for example, hadn’t issued one while some of its competitors had. Today, that’s changed. Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United have all published travel waivers covering parts of the Northeast, which is a good indication that airlines are expecting significant disruptions.
Those disruptions are already underway. According to FlightAware, more than 870 flights to, from or within the United States have already been canceled today. The hardest-hit airports include New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Washington Reagan National (DCA), Boston Logan (BOS) and Newark Liberty (EWR).
If you’re flying today or over the weekend, it’s worth checking whether your itinerary qualifies. Even if your departure and destination have clear skies, your flight could still be affected if it connects through an airport in the storm’s path.
Why this matters
Travel waivers are designed to help travelers avoid getting caught in widespread disruptions. Rather than waiting until flights are delayed or canceled, eligible passengers can often move their trip to another day without paying the usual change fees. In many cases, airlines will even waive any fare difference if the new flight meets the waiver’s conditions. They’re also a good way to extend or postpone a trip instead of having to pay a change fee.
Not sure exactly how travel waivers work? I just published a detailed guide explaining what they are, when you should use one and what to look for before changing your flight.
Alaska Airlines (also includes Hawaiian Airlines)
Alaska Airlines has issued an East Coast weather waiver for passengers traveling to or from:
- Newark (EWR)
- New York-JFK
- Philadelphia (PHL)
The waiver applies to tickets purchased on or before August 6 for travel scheduled between August 6 and August 7. Eligible travelers may change or cancel their flights and rebook for travel through August 10 under Alaska’s flexible travel policy. Passengers are encouraged to monitor their flight status and sign up for flight notifications to receive updates about delays, cancellations and gate changes.
American Airlines
American Airlines has issued a travel alert for passengers traveling to, from or through:
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Charlotte (CLT)
- New York-JFK
- New York-LaGuardia
- Newark (EWR)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Washington Dulles (IAD)
- Washington Reagan National (DCA)
- White Plains/Westchester (HPN)
The waiver applies to customers who purchased tickets by August 5 and are scheduled to travel on August 7. Eligible travelers can rebook between August 6 and August 11 without paying a change fee, although fare differences may still apply in some situations.
Delta Air Lines
Delta’s weather advisory covers travel to, from or through:
- Boston (BOS)
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Washington Reagan National (DCA)
- Newark (EWR)
- White Plains (HPN)
- Washington Dulles (IAD)
- New York-JFK
- New York-LaGuardia
- Philadelphia (PHL)
The advisory applies to travel from August 6 through August 8. Eligible customers have until August 11 to reissue their tickets and begin their new trip.
JetBlue
JetBlue has issued a Northeast summer weather fee waiver for passengers traveling to, from or through:
- Baltimore (BWI)
- Boston (BOS)
- Long Island/Islip (ISP)
- New York-JFK
- New York-LaGuardia
- Newark (EWR)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Washington Reagan National (DCA)
- White Plains/Westchester (HPN)
The waiver applies to JetBlue-operated flights on August 7. Customers who booked their trip before August 6 can rebook online for travel through August 12 without paying change or cancellation fees or any fare difference. Passengers whose flights are canceled may also choose a refund to their original form of payment.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest has issued a travel advisory for passengers traveling to, from or through:
- Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
- Boston Logan (BOS)
- Long Island/Islip (ISP)
- New York-LaGuardia (LGA)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Washington Reagan National (DCA)
The advisory covers travel on August 7. Eligible customers may rebook or fly standby within 14 days of their original travel date between the same city pairs without paying any fare difference. Travelers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed and who choose not to travel may also be eligible for a refund, including on non-refundable tickets, as well as refunds for eligible optional services such as Extra Legroom seats or Priority Boarding.
United Airlines
United has issued a waiver covering:
- Newark (EWR)
- New York-JFK
- New York-LaGuardia
- Philadelphia (PHL)
Customers traveling on August 7 whose tickets were purchased on or before August 5 can reschedule onto another United flight between August 5 and August 10. United says it will waive both change fees and fare differences as long as passengers remain in the same cabin and travel between the same cities.
Check your connection, too
One mistake travelers often make is looking only at their departure and destination airports. If you’re flying from Los Angeles to Europe with a connection in New York, Philadelphia or another affected airport, your itinerary could still qualify for a waiver even if the weather is beautiful where you start and finish your trip. That’s why it’s important to look at every airport on your itinerary.
Don’t wait too long
If your plans are flexible and your itinerary qualifies, it’s worth making a change sooner rather than later. Once large numbers of flights are canceled, thousands of passengers begin competing for the same limited number of seats. Travelers who use a waiver early often have far more rebooking options than those who wait until after the disruptions begin.
Before making any changes, read your airline’s waiver carefully since each carrier has different eligibility requirements, travel windows and rebooking rules.
Remember that an airline travel waiver simply gives you more flexibility to change your flight. It doesn’t reimburse you for prepaid hotels, tours or other non-refundable travel expenses. That’s one reason I always recommend considering paying with a premium credit card and/or having travel insurance.
