American Airlines: Winter Storm Fern now worst weather disruption in history
Airlines were walloped by the winter storm that swept across the country this weekend, but none were hit as hard as American Airlines. As of Tuesday, the carrier was still working to get back on track after what the carrier described as a historic weather disruption.
Overall flight cancellations dropped sharply on Tuesday, down to "just" 1,800 by mid-day. More than 20,000 flights were shuttered between Saturday and Monday.
American is recovering at a much slower pace than its rivals after the storm — dubbed "Fern" by The Weather Channel — had a disproportionate impact on the carrier's busiest hubs.
Help: Here's what to do if your flight is canceled or delayed
By 12:45 p.m. EST Tuesday, American had canceled an additional 879 mainline flights, according to data from FlightAware. That's about 30% of the day's schedule.
The carrier scrapped hundreds of additional regional flights aboard its American Eagle fleet, too.
All told, the Fort Worth-based carrier said cancellations from this winter storm amounted to the largest operational disruption the airline had ever seen — and it's not over yet.
"We expect at least two more days of elevated cancellations before returning to normal operations later this week," American CEO Robert Isom said Tuesday on the company's earnings call.
Five of American's nine hubs faced the brunt of the storm. This includes its Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) megahub, which continued to lead all U.S. airports Tuesday with 152 departures canceled, FlightAware showed.
Other American hubs that sat squarely in the path of the storm included its second-busiest hub, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT); Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which saw nearly every departure cancelled Sunday; Philadelphia International Airport (PHL); and New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Cancellations hovered around 20% at LGA and DCA by midday Tuesday, with at least 10% of flights scrapped at CLT and PHL.
In a letter to customers late Monday, the airline's chief customer officer Heather Garboden spoke about the "all hands on deck" effort to get operations back on track.
"We are very sorry for the disruption this weather event has caused," Garboden wrote. "We thank our team members — many of whom are working overtime and are continuing to safely brave the weather — as they focus on taking care of as many customers as possible."
American extended its travel advisory for dozens of major airports through Thursday, allowing customers to more easily change, cancel or rebook travel.
Several other airlines extended travel advisories into the latter part of the week, too, amid lingering disruptions.
Because this week's cancellations were fueled by weather, it's unlikely that American or its competitors will reimburse stranded passengers for meals, food and ground transportation costs (though you can always ask).
However, under federal policy, passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed are entitled to a refund if they opt not to take the flight — whether they drive, take a train or book themselves on another airline.
Among mainline U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines reported the second-most cancellations on Tuesday, with around 93 by early Tuesday afternoon, per FlightAware.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations