Winter Storm Closes Dozens of Airports, Cancels Over 2,600 Flights So Far

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After dropping ice and snow through Texas and the Midwest, a winter storm is raging south and eastward, leaving a trail of flight delays, flight cancellations and airport closures in its path. After over 1,600 cancellations on Tuesday, there have already been more than 1,000 before noon Wednesday.

As of 11am, the Federal Aviation Administration reports that 46 airports are currently closed due to weather. Most of these are small airfields that don't have commercial air traffic, but some regional commercial airports have shuttered — including Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPT), Lafayette Regional (LFT), Mobile Regional (MOB), Bar Harbor (BHB), Montgomery Regional (MGM) and Provincetown (PVC).

The largest number of flight cancellations Wednesday is in the south:

• Atlanta (ATL): 252 cancellations
• Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH): 160 cancellations
• Boston (BOS): 157 cancellations
• New Orleans (MSY): 127 cancellations

Ground delay programs are in place or scheduled for:

• Atlanta (ATL): FAA calculates average delays of 155 minutes through 4pm ET for Delta domestic flights only
• Newark (EWR): FAA calculates average delays of 45 minutes through 10pm ET
• Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH): FAA calculates average delays of 81 minutes through 3pm CT
• NYC's LaGuardia (LGA): FAA calculates average delays of 51 minutes through 11pm ET

For those that are able to change or delay their travel plans, thankfully most airlines have issued weather waivers allowing free flight changes.

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 Card ($500 per ticket for 12+ hour or overnight delay).

As of 11pm 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); Norfolk, Virginia (ORF); 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.

Frontier

• Travel date: January 17
• Airports covered: Atlanta, GA (ATL) and New Orleans, LA (MSY)
• 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

• Travel date: January 16-17
• Airports covered: Atlanta (ATL); Birmingham (BHM); Houston (HOU); New Orleans (MSY); Raleigh-Durham (RDU); Richmond (RIC)
• Customers who are holding reservations at the times indicated above, 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.

United

• Travel date: January 16-17
• Airports covered: Houston, TX (IAH); Alexandria, LA (AEX); Asheville, NC (AVL); Atlanta, GA (ATL); Baton Rouge, LA (BTR); Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX (BPT); Birmingham, AL (BHM); Charleston, SC (CHS); Charlotte, NC (CLT); Chattanooga, TN (CHA); Columbia, SC (CAE); Fayetteville, NC (FAY); Ft. Walton Beach, FL (VPS); Greensboro, NC (GSO); Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP); Gulfport, MS (GPT); Huntsville, AL (HSV); Jackson, MS (JAN); Jacksonville, FL (JAX); Knoxville, TN (TYS); Lafayette, LA (LFT); Lake Charles, LA (LCH); Little Rock, AR (LIT); Memphis, TN (MEM); Mobile, AL (MOB); Monroe, LA (MLU); Myrtle Beach, SC (MYR); Nashville, TN (BNA); New Orleans, LA (MSY); Panama City, FL (ECP); Pensacola, FL (PNS); Raleigh, NC (RDU); Roanoke, VA (ROA); Savannah, GA (SAV); Shreveport, LA (SHV)
• The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before January 21, 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

• Travel date: January 17
• Airports covered: Boston, MA (BOS); Hartford, CT (BDL); Newark, NJ (EWR); New York, NY (LGA); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); New Orleans, LA (MSY)
• Modification Charge/Fare Difference waived through: January 20
• After this date, the modification charge is waived, but a fare difference may apply.
• Customers can make changes to their reservations affected by this event by going to Spirit’s Manage Travel page, or by calling the Spirit Reservations Center at 801-401-2222 to make their flight changes. To make changes to Spirit Vacation packages contact Spirit Vacations at 954-698-0125.

Southwest

• Travel date: January 17
• Airports covered: Albany (ALB); Boston (BOS); Hartford/Bradley (BDL); Long Island — Islip (ISP); Manchester (MHT); New York — LaGuardia (LGA); Newark (EWR); Norfolk (ORF); Philadelphia (PHL); Portland (PWM); Providence (PVD)
• Customers who are holding reservations at the times indicated above, 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.

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.