It May Snow in Atlanta and Airlines Are Allowing Free Flight Changes
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The s-word is showing up in the forecast for Atlanta Friday. So naturally, Atlanta residents are freaking out. (Note: I say that with love as a former resident). Airlines too are preparing for the "light accumulations" by allowing passengers flying from, to or through ATL to change their Friday flights for free.
For passengers connecting through ATL Friday, these waivers will allow you to change your flights to connect through another airport, change to another date or do both. Passengers starting or ending their travel in Atlanta can theoretically use these waivers to change their routing, but you're likely just going to be limited to changing the date of your travel.
If you get stuck with a cancelled or severely delayed flight, airlines aren’t going to be 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 can 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 Card ($500 per ticket for 12+ hour or overnight delay).
As of this writing, here are the available travel waivers for this winter weather:
- Travel date: December 8
- Must have bought your ticket by December 7.
- Rebook travel anytime between December 7-11.
- You can’t change your origin or destination city. Must rebook in same class or pay the difference.
- Travel date: December 8
- Ticket must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin by December 11.
- When rescheduled travel occurs beyond December 11, 2017, 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.
- Travel date: December 8
- Rebook travel anytime between December 7-11.
- The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before December 11, 2017, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.
No waivers from: Spirit, Southwest
This post was updated to add United's waiver.
