Airlines Issue Travel Waivers for 77 Airports Ahead of Another Winter Storm

Jan. 27, 2019

•

9 min read

Snow Storm Snarls Air Traffic From Chicago To East Coast

The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Last week, more than 2,400 flights were cancelled due to a powerful winter storm. And now, another storm is developing, threatening to wreak havoc on air travel this weekend. Airlines are releasing weather waivers so flexible travelers can re-book their flights to avoid the storm.

Chicago residents woke up to record low temperatures Saturday morning, with parts as cold as -23°F. So far, the severe weather has mostly consisted of brutal cold. However, on Sunday evening, the weather is going to take a turn for the worse as a new winter storm begins to blow through:

After passing through the Great Lakes region, the storm is expected to sweep eastward and drop up to 18 inches of snow in parts of the Northeast:

Flight schedules haven't been impacted much as of Sunday morning. However, most US airlines have already issued weather waivers. American Airlines, Southwest and United each have major operations at one of Chicago's two airports, and each of these airlines has issued a waiver for these airports.

As of 12:00pm ET Sunday, airlines have issued waivers for a combined 77 airports:

Here are the weather waivers issued so far:

American Airlines

Chicago

Travel dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
Must have purchased your ticket by January 25
Rebook travel anytime between January 25 - February 1
You can't change your origin or destination city. Must rebook in same cabin or pay the difference.
Avoid the phone queue. Changes available on both AA's website and in the AA app.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Upper Midwest US

Travel dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Appleton, Wisconsin (ATW); Fargo, North Dakota (FAR); Green Bay, Wisconsin (GRB); La Crosse, Wisconsin (LSE); Madison, Wisconsin (MSN); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (MKE); Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota (MSP); Rochester, Minnesota (RST); Wausau, Wisconsin (CWA)
Must have purchased your ticket by January 26
Rebook travel anytime between January 26 - February 1
You can't change your origin or destination city. Must rebook in same cabin or pay the difference.
Avoid the phone queue. Changes available on both AA's website and in the AA app.

Delta

Chicago Winter Weather

Travel dates: January 28
Airports covered: Chicago Midway, IL (MDW) and Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
Ticket must be reissued by: February 1
Rebooked travel must begin no later than: February 1
Must have purchased your ticket by: January 27
Changes to origins and destinations may result in an increase in fare. Any difference in fare between your original ticket and the new ticket will be collected at the time of booking.
When rescheduled travel occurs beyond February 1, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply.

Upper Midwest Winter Weather

Travel dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Appleton, WI (ATW); Bemidji, MN (BJI); Brainerd, MN (BRD); Duluth, MN (DLH); Fargo, ND (FAR); Grand Forks, ND (GFK); Green Bay, WI (GRB); Hibbing, MN (HIB); Iron Mountain, MI (IMT); La Crosse, WI (LSE); Madison, WI (MSN); Milwaukee, WI (MKE); Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (MSP); Rhinelander, WI (RHI); Rochester, MN (RST); Wausau, WI (CWA)
Ticket must be reissued by: February 1
Rebooked travel must begin no later than: February 1
Must have purchased your ticket by: January 26
Changes to origins and destinations may result in an increase in fare. Any difference in fare between your original ticket and the new ticket will be collected at the time of booking.
When rescheduled travel occurs beyond February 1, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply.

Frontier

Jayden 1

Travel dates: January 27-29
Airports covered: Chicago O'Hare, IL (ORD)
Must have purchased ticket by: January 26
Rebooked travel must be completed by: February 13
Customers 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.

Jayden 2

Travel dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Cedar Rapids, IA (CID); Des Moines, IA (DSM); Fargo, ND (FAR); Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (MSP); Sioux Falls, SD (FSD)
Must have purchased ticket by: January 26
Rebooked travel must be completed by: February 13
Customers 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.

Jayden 3

Travel dates: January 28
Airports covered: Buffalo, NY (BUF); Cleveland, OH (CLE); Columbus, OH (CMH); Detroit, MI (DTW); Grand Rapids, MI (GRR); Green Bay, WI (GRB); Madison, WI (MSN); Milwaukee, WI (MKE); Pittsburgh, PA (PIT); Syracuse, NY (SYR)
Must have purchased ticket by: January 26
Rebooked travel must be completed by: February 13
Customers 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

Travel dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Chicago, IL (ORD) and Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN (MSP)
Customers may rebook their flights for travel through Wednesday, January 30
Original travel must have been booked on or before Saturday, January 26

Southwest

Travel dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Buffalo/Niagara Falls (BUF), Chicago Midway (MDW), Des Moines (DSM), Detroit (DTW), Grand Rapids (GRR), Milwaukee (MKE), Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), Rochester (ROC)
Customers who are holding reservations to/from/through the cities above on the corresponding dates 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: January 27-28
Airports covered: Chicago, IL (ORD) and Detroit, MI (DTW)
Modification Charge/Fare Difference waived through January 31
After this date, the modification charge is waived, but a fare difference may apply

Sun Country

Travel dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) and Madison, WI (MSN)
Travel must have been booked by: January 27
New travel commences on or before Saturday February 2
Space must be available within the same cabin as the original ticket.

United

Northern Plains Winter Weather

Travel Dates: January 27-28
Airports covered: Billings, MT (BIL); Bismarck, ND (BIS); Bozeman, MT (BZN); Cedar Rapids, IA (CID); Des Moines, IA (DSM); Devils Lake, ND (DVL); Dickinson, ND (DIK); Duluth, MN (DLH); Fargo, ND (FAR); Great Falls, MT (GTF); Helena, MT (HLN); Jamestown, ND (JMS); Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (MSP); Minot, ND (MOT); Rapid City, SD (RAP); Sioux Falls, SD (FSD); Williston, ND (ISN)
The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before February 1, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.

Chicago Winter Weather

Travel Dates: January 27 - February 1
Airports covered: Chicago-O'Hare, IL (ORD)
The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before February 4, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley Winter Weather

Travel Dates: January 28
Airports covered: Akron/Canton, OH (CAK); Appleton, WI (ATW); Buffalo, NY (BUF); Cleveland, OH (CLE); Detroit, MI (DTW); Eau Claire, WI (EAU); Erie, PA (ERI); Flint, MI (FNT); Fort Wayne, IN (FWA); Grand Rapids, MI (GRR); Green Bay, WI (GRB); Hancock, MI (CMX); Kalamazoo, MI (AZO); Lansing, MI (LAN); London, ON, CA (YXU); Madison, WI (MSN); Milwaukee, WI (MKE); Moline, IL (MLI); Muskegon, MI (MKG); Ottawa, ON, CA (YOW); Peoria, IL (PIA); Rochester, MN (RST); Saginaw, MI (MBS); South Bend, IN (SBN); Toronto, ON, CA (YYZ); Traverse City, MI (TVC); Wausau, WI (CWA)
The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before February 1, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.

Northeast US Winter Weather

Travel Dates: January 29
Airports covered: Akron/Canton, OH (CAK); Albany, NY (ALB); Allentown, PA (ABE); Bangor, ME (BGR); Buffalo, NY (BUF); Burlington, VT (BTV); Cleveland, OH (CLE); Elmira, NY (ELM); Erie, PA (ERI); Harrisburg, PA (MDT); Ithaca, NY (ITH); Manchester, NH (MHT); Montréal, QC, CA (YUL); New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK); New York-LaGuardia, NY (LGA); New York/Newark, NJ (EWR); Ottawa, ON, CA (YOW); Philadelphia, PA (PHL); Pittsburgh, NY (PIT); Plattsburgh, NY (PBG); Portland, ME (PWM); Presque Isle, ME (PQI); Quebec City, QB, CA (YQB); Rochester, NY (ROC); State College, PA (SCE); Syracuse, NY (SYR); White Plains, NY (HPN); Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (AVP)
The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new United flights departing on or before February 1, as long as travel is rescheduled in the originally ticketed cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.

No waivers (yet) from: Alaska

Protect Your Travels

As we move deeper into winter, these storms are another reminder to book flights with a card that offers solid trip delay and cancellation insurance. One top choice for getting solid mileage earning and trip protection when booking flights is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter here: https://thepointsguy.com/mailing-list//

Featured image by Getty Images

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

4 / 5

Go to review

Apply now

at American Express's secure site

Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.

Rewards rate

4X	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4X	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
5X	New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
3X	Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
2X	Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
1X	Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

Intro offer

As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

Annual fee

$325

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Recommended credit

Excellent to Good

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.