Airlines Issue Waivers Across 50 Airports Ahead of 'Bomb Cyclone'

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The disastrous 2017 hurricane season is over, but a massive storm is building in the Atlantic that's going to act like a winter version of a hurricane. The massive low will have similar pressure as Superstorm Sandy and pack hurricane-force winds. Airlines are bracing for major impacts and releasing travel waivers to allow passengers with flexible plans the chance to change their flights for free.

While winds can reach a ways inland, the snowfall is mostly expected to affect coastal areas. Here's the GFS snowfall forecast from 7:00pm Tuesday through 7:00am Friday, showing the progression of the storm up the East Coast:

Remember, if you can’t delay your itinerary, 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 ($500 per ticket for 12+ hour or overnight delay).

Here are the airports that are included in at least one of the waivers so far:

As of 8:00am Wednesday morning, here are the travel waivers covering this storm:

Alaska Airlines

• Travel dates: January 4-5
• Airports affected: Boston (BOS); New York Kennedy (JFK); New York LaGuardia (LGA); Newark (EWR); Philadelphia (PHL)
• Must have purchased your ticket by January 5
• Rebook travel anytime by January 10
• You may request a refund if you choose not to travel at all. Tickets must be exchanged or refunded on or before January 10, 2018. Rebook your flight or apply for a refund online.

American Airlines

SOUTHEAST

• Travel dates: January 3-4
• Airports affected: Charleston, South Carolina (CHS); Fayetteville, North Carolina (FAY); Florence, South Carolina (FLO); Gainesville, Florida (GNV); Greenville, North Carolina (PGV); Hilton Head, South Carolina (HHH); Jacksonville, Florida (JAX); Jacksonville, North Carolina (OAJ); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR); New Bern, North Carolina (EWN); Norfolk, Virginia (ORF); Raleigh, North Carolina (RDU); Savannah, Georgia (SAV); Tallahassee, Florida (TLH); Washington Reagan, Washington, D.C. (DCA); Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM)
• Must have purchased your ticket by January 2
• Rebook travel anytime between January 2-7
• You can’t change your origin or destination city. Must rebook in same cabin or pay the difference.

NORTHEAST

• Travel dates: January 4-5
• Airports affected: Albany, New York (ALB); Bangor, Maine (BGR); Boston, Massachusetts (BOS); Burlington, Vermont (BTV); Hartford, Connecticut (BDL); Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT); Newark, New Jersey (EWR); Newburgh, New York (SWF); New Haven, Connecticut (HVN); New York Kennedy, New York (JFK); New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA); Long Island, New York (ISP); Portland, Maine (PWM); Providence, Rhode Island (PVD); Westchester, New York (HPN)
• Must have purchased your ticket by January 2
• Rebook travel anytime between January 2-8
• You can’t change your origin or destination city. Must rebook in same cabin or pay the difference.

Delta

SOUTHEAST and MID-ATLANTIC

• Travel date: January 3-4
• Airports covered: Augusta, GA (AGS); Brunswick, GA (BQK); Charleston, SC (CHS); Charlotte, NC (CLT); Columbia, SC (CAE); Fayetteville, NC (FAY); Gainesville, FL (GNV); Jacksonville, FL (JAX); Myrtle Beach, SC (MYR); Raleigh – Durham, NC (RDU); Savannah, GA (SAV); Tallahassee, FL (TLH); Valdosta, GA (VLD); Wilmington, NC (ILM); Allentown, PA (ABE); Baltimore, MD (BWI); Harrisburg, PA (MDT); Newport News, VA (PHF); Norfolk, VA (ORF); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Scranton, PA (AVP); Washington-Dulles, VA (IAD); Washington-Reagan, VA (DCA)
• Ticket must be reissued by January 7
• Rebooked travel must begin no later than January 7
• When rescheduled travel occurs beyond January 7, 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.

NORTHEAST

• Travel date: January 4-5
• Airports covered: Albany, NY (ALB); Bangor, ME (BGR); Boston, MA (BOS); Burlington, VT (BTV); Hartford, CT (BDL); Manchester, NH (MHT); New York John F Kennedy, NY (JFK); New York Laguardia, NY (LGA); Newark, NJ (EWR); Portland, ME (PWM); Providence, RI (PVD); White Plains, NY (HPN)
• Ticket must be reissued by January 8
• Rebooked travel must begin no later than January 8
• When rescheduled travel occurs beyond January 8, 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.

Frontier

• Travel dates: January 3-4
• Airports covered: New York LaGuardia, NY (LGA); New York Islip, NY (ISP); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Trenton, NJ (TTN); Providence, RI (PVD)
• Must have bought your ticket by January 2
• Rebooked travel must be completed no later than: January 24
• Customers who are ticketed to travel on Wednesday, January 3, 2018 or Thursday, January 4, 2018 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.

JetBlue

SOUTHEAST

• Travel dates: January 3
• Airports covered: Charleston, SC (CHS) and Savannah, GA (SAV)
• Must have bought your ticket by January 2
• Rebook travel anytime through January 10
• To rebook travel or request a refund online, click here. If you are already checked in for your flight, call JetBlue at 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) for assistance with rebooking or a credit.

NORTHEAST

• Travel dates: January 4
• Airports covered: Albany, NY (ALB); Baltimore, MD (BWI); Boston MA (BOS); Buffalo, NY (BUF); Burlington, VT (BVT); Charlotte, NC (CLT); Hartford, CT (BDL); New York, NY (JFK); New York, NY (LGA); Newark, NJ (EWR); Newburgh, NY (SWF); Portland, ME (PWM); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Providence, RI (PVD); Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU); Richmond, VA (RIC); Rochester, NY (ROC); Syracuse, NY (SYR); Washington DC, (DCA); Washington DC, (IAD); Westchester County, NY (HPN); Worcester, MA (ORH)
• Must have bought your ticket by January 2
• Rebook travel anytime through January 10
• To rebook travel or request a refund online, click here. If you are already checked in for your flight, call JetBlue at 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) for assistance with rebooking or a credit.

Southwest

• Travel dates: January 3-4
• Airports covered: Baltimore-Washington (BWI); Charleston (CHS); Charlotte (CLT); Greenville/Spartanburg (GSP); Jacksonville (JAX); Norfolk (ORF); Philadelphia (PHL); Raleigh Durham (RDU); Richmond (RIC); Washington D.C. (DCA/IAD)
• Travel dates: January 4-5
• Airports covered: Albany (ALB); Boston (BOS); Hartford (BDL); Islip/Long Island (ISP); Manchester (MHT); New York/LaGuardia (LGA); Newark (EWR); Portland (PWM); Providence (PVD)
• Customers who are holding reservations on these 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 Southwest's accommodation procedures) without paying any additional charge.

Spirit

SOUTHEAST

• Travel date: January 3-4
• Airports covered: Myrtle Beach (MYR)
• Modification Charge/Fare Difference waived through: January 7, 2018
• After this date the modification charge is waived, but a fare difference may apply.

NORTHEAST

• Travel date: January 4-5
• Airports covered: Atlantic City, NJ (ACY); Boston, MA (BOS); Hartford, CT (BDL); New York, NY (LGA); Newark, NJ (EWR); Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
• Modification Charge/Fare Difference waived through: January 10, 2018
• After this date the modification charge is waived, but a fare difference may apply.

United

SOUTHEAST and MID-ATLANTIC

• Travel date: January 3-4
• Airports covered: Charleston, SC (CHS); Charlotte, NC (CLT); Columbia, SC (CAE); Fayetteville, NC (FAY); Greensboro, NC (GSO); Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); Jacksonville, FL (JAX); Myrtle Beach, SC (MYR); Raleigh, NC (RDU); Savannah, GA (SAV); Allentown, PA (ABE); Baltimore, MD (BWI); Charlottesville, VA (CHO); Harrisburg, PA (MDT); Norfolk, VA (ORF); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Richmond, VA (RIC); Washington, DC - Dulles (IAD); Washington-National, DC (DCA); Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (AVP)
• The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before January 7, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.​​

NORTHEAST

• Travel date: January 4-5
• Airports covered: Albany, NY (ALB); Bangor, ME (BGR); Boston, MA (BOS); Burlington, VT (BTV); Hartford, CT (BDL); Manchester, NH (MHT); Montréal, QC, CA (YUL); New York/Newark, NJ (EWR); New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK); New York-LaGuardia, NY (LGA); Portland, ME (PWM); Providence, RI (PVD); Quebec City, QB, CA (YQB); White Plains, NY (HPN)
• The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before January 8, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.​​

Virgin America

• Travel dates: January 4-5
• Airports covered: Boston (BOS); New York – Kennedy (JFK); New York – LaGuardia(LGA); Newark (EWR); Philadelphia (PHL)
• Tickets must have been purchased by: January 5
• To modify an existing reservation during this period, you may contact [Virgin America's] Call Center at 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN* (877.359.8474) for assistance. Or manage your reservation online: Change your flight. Cancel or refund your flight.

This article was updated after publishing to add Virgin America's travel waiver.