Kamal Ghorui
A massive winter storm disrupted air travel across the United States on Sunday, triggering widespread flight cancellations and delays at some of the country’s busiest airports and setting up what airlines warned would be a brutal travel day.The National Weather Service said late Saturday that widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people more than half the US population across a vast stretch from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England.After sweeping through the southern US, forecasters said the storm was expected to intensify over the Northeast, dumping 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimetres) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston.The severe weather led to massive disruptions across the aviation network.
Thousands of flights cancelled
More than 14,000 flights have been cancelled across the US since Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware, with nearly 10,000 cancellations scheduled for Sunday alone, the Associated Press reported.Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport warned travellers on its website of widespread cancellations, noting that nearly all departing flights, 420 flights, or 99% were cancelled for the day.Major airport hubs including Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, home to the nation’s busiest airport, were hit, along with New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.
Airlines slash schedules
American Airlines cancelled over 1,400 flights on Sunday, about 45% of its scheduled operations, FlightAware data showed.Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each reported more than 1,200 cancellations, while United Airlines cancelled over 860 flights. JetBlue scrapped more than 570 flights, accounting for roughly 71% of its schedule for the day.
Flight cancelled? Here’s what to do
If you are already at the airport, airlines advise getting in line to speak with a customer service representative. If you are still at home or at a hotel, passengers should call or go online to contact the airline’s reservations staff. Travellers are also advised to research alternate flights while waiting to speak to an agent.Most airlines will rebook passengers on a later flight at no extra charge, subject to seat availability.
Can you switch airlines?
Passengers can seek to be booked on another airline, but carriers are not required to place travellers on a competing airline’s flight. Some airlines, including major carriers, may offer rebooking on partner airlines, though availability is not guaranteed, the Associated Press reported.
Are you entitled to a refund?
If a flight is cancelled and a passenger chooses not to travel or finds another way to reach their destination, the airline is legally required to issue a refund, even for non-refundable tickets. The rule applies regardless of the reason for the cancellation.
