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Expect Delays Today As Airlines Are Being Routed Up to a Thousand Miles Off Course

May 23, 2019
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3 min read
LAX-EWR UA flights
Expect Delays Today As Airlines Are Being Routed Up to a Thousand Miles Off Course
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Coast-to-coast flights in the US typically take a fairly predictable route across the country. After all, as we learned in school, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And shorter routes typically mean faster flights and less fuel burn than going a roundabout way. However, wind and weather can sometimes force flights to take very different routes from day to day.

One of the most drastic examples of this is on the world's longest flight between Newark and Singapore. Some days that flight flies the most direct route over the North Pole, sometimes it flies over central Europe and sometimes south of Japan.

Courtesy of Flightradar24.com

That's a fairly extreme example. For flights between the US coasts, flight paths will vary a bit depending on the jet stream, but generally stay relatively the same. That's why it was newsworthy in mid-April when coast-to-coast flights were flying over Florida, up to a thousand miles south of where those flights typically go.

And today, it's happening again. The same Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control elements are in place again Thursday. As with last time, this is because of a line of severe convection acting as a blocker for coast-to-coast flights:

These two air traffic control advisories (FCAA08 and FCAOB1) are forcing airlines to take a very southerly route when flying coast-to-coast this afternoon.

The clearest example of just how far off the normal route airlines are flying can be seen in the United flights currently flying between Los Angeles and Newark. United flight 2041 was able to take a fairly normal transcontinental route, but later flights are routing across the heart of Texas to just north of New Orleans before heading north:

Courtesy of Flightradar24.com

But it's not just United that's having to route south. As of 2pm ET on Thursday, all transcontinental flights currently flying from the California to the Northeast are routing along this extraordinarily southerly route:

Courtesy of Flightradar24.com

Although this southerly route just went into effect this afternoon, weather is already causing some serious delays to US flights. As of 2:30pm ET Thursday, FlightAware has tracked over 3,400 US flight delays and more than 520 flight cancellations. And it's not getting better anytime soon.

Based on the weather-related air traffic controls in place, the Air Traffic Control System Command Center forecasts the following average delays through late Thursday:

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  • New York Kennedy (JFK): 166 minutes
  • Newark (EWR): 136 minutes
  • New York LaGuardia (LGA): 51 minutes

The air traffic control elements that are causing this southerly route are predicted to cause an average delay of 69 minutes.

Related: The Best Credit Cards With Travel Protections

As weather is to blame for any delays caused by this routing, airlines likely aren't going to cover lodging, ground transportation and meal expenses in the case of extended delays.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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 $6,000 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.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.