Evening Update: Travel Waivers for Winter Storm Skylar
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Tonight's weather update regarding Winter Storm Skylar has much of the New England region battening its hatches back down again for the third time in 11 days.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned residents in Boston and surrounding regions to expect increasingly heavy winter storm conditions beginning around midnight and continuing through most of Tuesday, March 13. Some areas are expected to accumulate snow at a rate of 2 inches per hour, with total snow accumulations up to 12 to 17 inches, with localized amounts of up to 22 inches.
“Damage to trees and power lines are possible due to strong wind gusts,” the NWS said in a publicly posted warning. “Be prepared for significant reductions in visibility at times.” Most schools in the area will be closed tomorrow after the weather report forecast "nearly impossible" commute conditions.
As we reported this morning, Winter Storm Quinn caused more than 2,300 flight cancellations on Wednesday alone of last week. And days before that, a bomb cyclone made its power known throughout the region with damaging winds. Airlines have taken to issuing travel waivers for each of the storms in order to accommodate passengers with flexible plans, and this storm is no different.
By this point, most US airlines have travel waivers in place for travelers with flexible plans, with FlightAware reporting more than 1,500 flights canceled for tomorrow and Wednesday in advance of the impending storm. 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).
As of 6:15 Monday evening, March 12, here are the travel advisories for Skylar-related changes. Note that American Airlines and JetBlue have expanded the eligible airports as of this evening, and Southwest now allows changes for passengers traveling today, March 12.
Alaska Airlines
- Travel dates: March 11-14
- Airports affected: Boston (BOS); New York - Kennedy (JFK); New York - LaGuardia (LGA); Newark (EWR)
- Must have purchased your ticket by March 11
- Rebooked travel must be completed on or by March 21
- You may request a refund if you choose not to travel at all. Tickets must be exchanged or refunded on or before March 13. Rebook your flight or apply for a refund online.
American Airlines
- Travel dates: March 13-14
- Airports affected: Albany, New York (ALB); Allentown, Pennsylvania (ABE); Bangor, Maine (BGR); Boston, Massachusetts (BOS); Burlington, Vermont (BTV); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (MDT); Hartford, Connecticut (BDL); Islip, New York (ISP); Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT); New Haven, Connecticut (HVN); New York Kennedy, New York (JFK); New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA); Newark, New Jersey (EWR); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL); Portland, Maine (PWM); Providence, Rhode Island (PVD); State College, Pennsylvania (SCE); Stewart Newburgh, New York (SWF); White Plains/Westchester County, New York (HPN); Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania (AVP)
- Must have purchased your ticket by March 10
- Rebook travel anytime between March 11-17
- You can’t change your origin or destination city. Must rebook in same cabin or pay the difference.
Delta
- Travel dates: March 13-14
- Airports covered: Albany, NY (ALB); Allentown, PA (ABE); Bangor, Maine (BGR); Boston, MA (BOS); Burlington, Vermont (BTV); Hartford, CT (BDL); Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT); New York – Kennedy, NY (JFK); New York – LaGuardia, NY (LGA); Newark, NJ (EWR); Newburgh, NY (SWF); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Portland, Maine (PWM); Scranton, PA (AVP); Providence, RI (PVD); White Plains, NY (HPN)
- Ticket must be reissued by March 17
- Rebooked travel must begin no later than March 17
- When rescheduled travel occurs beyond March 17, 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. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity.
Frontier
- Travel dates: March 13-14
- Airports covered: New York LaGuardia (LGA); New York Islip (ISP); Philadelphia (PHL); Providence (PVD); Trenton (TTN)
- Must have bought your ticket by March 11
- Rebook travel anytime through March 30
- Origin and destination cities may be changed. Customers whose flights are cancelled may request a refund. Online Refund Form.
JetBlue
- Travel dates: March 13
- Airports covered: Boston, MA (BOS); Burlington, VT (BTV); Hartford, CT (BDL); New York, NY (JFK); New York, NY (LGA); Newark, NJ (EWR); Newburgh, NY (SWF); Portland, ME (PWM); Providence, RI (PVD); Worcester, MA (ORH); Westchester County, NY (HPN)
- Must have bought your ticket by March 11
- Rebook travel anytime through March 15
- 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: March 12-14
- Airports covered: Albany (ALB); Boston (BOS); Hartford (BDL); Long Island MacArthur (ISP); Manchester (MHT); New York LaGuardia (LGA); Newark (EWR); Philadelphia (PHL); 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
- Travel dates: March 13
- Airports covered: Boston, MA (BOS); Hartford, CT (BDL)
- Modification charge/fare difference waived through March 17. After this date, the modification charge is waived, by a fare difference may apply.
United
- Travel dates: March 13-14
- Airports covered: Albany, NY (ALB); Allentown, PA (ABE); Bangor, ME (BGR); 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 March 17, 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: March 11-14
- Airport covered: Boston (BOS); New York, Kennedy (JFK); Newark (EWR); LaGuardia (LGA)
- Tickets must have been purchased by: March 12
- [Virgin] will waive the change fees and the difference in the price of the ticket if the new travel is booked to or from the affected cities in the same cabin and completed on or before March 21, 2018. Additional taxes and fees may apply. You may request a refund if you choose not to travel at all. Tickets must be exchanged or refunded on or before March 13, 2018.
- 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.
No waivers at this time from: Hawaiian.
