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Tuesday has been a rough day for flights in Texas and on the east coast as a powerful winter storm has already forced the cancellation of almost 1,600 flights and caused over 3,100 delays as of 6pm ET. Almost half of the cancellations involved flights to/from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), where 787 flights have been nixed so far. Delays and cancellations are expected to continue into Wednesday as winter storm Inga plows eastward and south.
This wild winter season has already brought snow to the Florida panhandle twice, and this storm might be the one to bring flakes a third time. According to Weather Underground, the last time there was three Florida snow events in one winter was seven years ago — and we’re still early in the season.
And it’s not going to just be the Florida panhandle that sees cold this time around. A Hard Freeze Watch stretches all the way down, south of Ocala in Central Florida. Besides a little dusting in the panhandle, the snow is expected to stay north of Florida. Parts of North Carolina, Virginia and Louisiana could top three inches, with up to eight inches of snow falling in parts of the Northeast:
Airlines are offering weather waivers far and wide to help flexible travelers rebook to avoid airports during this storm. As of 6pm, these airports are covered by at least one of the waivers below:
Remember, if you can’t rebook your itinerary, airlines aren’t responsible for paying for your meals or hotels in the case of weather-related delays/cancellations. But some top cards have flight delay/cancellation insurance that will reimburse you for weather issues, including the Citi Prestige ($500 per passenger for 3+ hour delay), the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($500 per ticket for 6+ hour or overnight delay) and Chase Sapphire Preferred ($500 per ticket for 12+ hour or overnight delay).
As of 6pm ET, the following airlines have released weather waivers for this storm:
Southeast
American Airlines
- Travel dates: January 16-17
- Airports covered: Asheville, North Carolina (AVL); Atlanta, Georgia (ATL); Augusta, Georgia (AGS); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (BTR); Beaumont / Port Arthur, Texas (BPT); Birmingham, Alabama (BHM); Bristol / Johnson City / Kingsport, Tennessee (TRI); Charleston, South Carolina (CHS); Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT); Columbia, South Carolina (CAE); Fayetteville, North Carolina (FAY); Greensboro / High Point, North Carolina (GSO); Greenville / Spartanburg, South Carolina (GSP); Gulfport / Biloxi, Mississippi (GPT); Hampton / Newport News, Virginia (PHF); Hilton Head, South Carolina (HHH); Huntsville, Alabama (HSV); Jackson, Mississippi (JAN); Jacksonville, Florida (JAX); Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS); Little Rock, Arkansas (LIT); Lynchburg, Virginia (LYH); Memphis, Tennessee (MEM); Mobile, Alabama (MOB); Monroe, Louisiana (MLU); Montgomery, Alabama (MGM); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR); Nashville, Tennessee (BNA); New Orleans, Louisiana (MSY); Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina (RDU); Roanoke, Virginia (ROA); Savannah, Georgia (SAV); Shreveport, Louisiana (SHV); Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM)
- Rebook travel between January 16-21
- Must have purchased your ticket by January 15
- You can’t change your origin or destination city, and you must rebook in the same cabin or pay a fare difference.
Delta
- Travel dates: January 16-17
- Airports covered: Albany, GA (ABY); Alexandria, LA (AEX); Asheville, NC (AVL); Atlanta, GA (ATL); Augusta, GA (AGS); Baton Rouge, LA (BTR); Birmingham, AL (BHM); Charlotte, NC (CLT); Chattanooga, TN (CHA); Columbia, SC (CAE); Columbus, GA (CSG); Columbus, MS (GTR); Dothan, AL (DHN); Fayetteville, NC (FAY); Greensboro, NC (GSO); Greenville Spartanburg, SC (GSP); Gulfport, MS (GPT); Huntsville, AL (HSV); Jackson, MS (JAN); Knoxville, TN (TYS); Lafayette, LA (LFT); Little Rock, AR (LIT); Memphis, TN (MEM); Mobile, AL (MOB); Monroe, LA (MLU); Montgomery, AL (MGM); Nashville, TN (BNA); New Orleans, LA (MSY); Raleigh Durham, NC (RDU); Shreveport, LA (SHV); Tri-City, TN (TRI)
- Ticket must be reissued on or before: January 21
- Rebooked travel must begin no later than: January 21
- When rescheduled travel occurs beyond January 21, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity, one year from date of original issue.
- If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance. Applicable change fee and fare difference will apply for new travel dates.
Texas
American Airlines
- Travel date: January 16
- Airports covered: Austin, Texas (AUS); Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas (DFW); Houston George Bush Intercontinental, Houston, Texas (IAH); Houston Hobby, Houston, Texas (HOU); San Antonio, Texas (SAT)
- Rebook travel between January 15-20
- Must have purchased your ticket by January 15
- You can’t change your origin or destination city, and you must rebook in the same cabin or pay a fare difference.
Delta
- Travel date: January 16
- Airports covered: Austin, TX (AUS); Dallas, TX (DAL); Dallas, TX (DFW); Houston, TX (HOU); Houston, TX (IAH); San Antonio, TX (SAT)
- Ticket must be reissued on or before: January 20
- Rebooked travel must begin no later than: January 20
- When rescheduled travel occurs beyond January 20, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity, one year from date of original issue.
- If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance. Applicable change fee and fare difference will apply for new travel dates.
Frontier
- Travel date: January 16
- Airports covered: San Antonio, TX (SAT); Austin, TX (AUS); Houston Intercontinental, TX (IAH); Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (DFW)
- Customers who purchased tickets on or before Monday, January 15, may make one itinerary change – rules/restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchase, day or time applications, blackouts, and minimum or maximum stay requirements will be waived.
- Travel must be completed no later than Monday, January 29.
- Origin and destination cities may be changed.
Southwest
Spirit
United
- Travel date: January 16
- Airports covered: Houston, TX (IAH); Austin, TX (AUS); Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (DFW); San Antonio, TX (SAT)
- The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before January 20, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.
Northeast
American Airlines
- Travel date: January 17
- Airports covered: Albany, New York (ALB); Bangor, Maine (BGR); Boston, Massachusetts (BOS); Burlington, Vermont (BTV); Hartford, Connecticut (BDL); Islip, New York (ISP); Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT); Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts (MVY); New Haven, Connecticut (HVN); New York Kennedy, New York (JFK); New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA); Newark, New Jersey (EWR); Portland, Maine (PWM); Providence, Rhode Island (PVD); Stewart Newburgh, New York (SWF); White Plains / Westchester County, New York (HPN)
- Rebook travel between January 15-20
- Must have purchased your ticket by January 15
- You can’t change your origin or destination city, and you must rebook in the same cabin or pay a fare difference.
Delta
- Travel dates: January 16-17
- Airports covered: Boston, MA (BOS); Hartford, CT (BDL); New York – Kennedy, NY (JFK); New York – LaGuardia, NY (LGA); Newark, NJ (EWR); Newburgh, NY (SWF); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Providence, RI (PVD); White Plains, NY (HPN)
- Ticket must be reissued on or before: January 20
- Rebooked travel must begin no later than: January 20
- When rescheduled travel occurs beyond January 20, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity, one year from date of original issue.
- If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance. Applicable change fee and fare difference will apply for new travel dates.
Frontier
- Travel dates: January 16-17
- Airports covered: New York Islip/MacArthur, NY (ISP); New York LaGuardia, NY (LGA); Providence, RI (PVD); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Trenton, NJ (TTN)
- Customers who purchased tickets on or before Monday, January 15, may make one itinerary change – rules/restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchase, day or time applications, blackouts, and minimum or maximum stay requirements will be waived.
- Travel must be completed no later than Monday, January 29.
- Origin and destination cities may be changed.
Spirit
Southwest
United
- Travel dates: January 16-17
- Airports covered: Boston, MA (BOS); Burlington, VT (BTV); Hartford, CT (BDL); Manchester, NH (MHT); New York/Newark, NJ (EWR); New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK); New York-LaGuardia, NY (LGA); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Portland, ME (PWM); Providence, RI (PVD); White Plains, NY (HPN)
- The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before January 20, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.
Source: thepointsguy.com