More than 800 U.S. flights have been canceled and over 2,600 more have been delayed as of 12:50 a.m. ET Wednesday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
United Airlines flights were impacted most heavily, with 383 flights scrapped – 13% of its schedule – and over 480 delayed. Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York are seeing the most cancellations and delays. But the problem is causing ripple effects across the nation.
At Denver International Airport, dozens of people were still resting on cots as of 9 a.m. local time, and security lines and baggage-drop lines snaked through mazes. Other customers waited in line for flight assistance service or called friends and family to update them on their delayed travel.
Many flights were delayed because pilots and flight attendants were unavailable, having themselves been stuck elsewhere, according to United updates to passengers.
United passengers throughout the country reported long waits for customer service over the past few days.
The Federal Aviation Administration warned that flying in the New York metro area could be a little more chaotic this summer with fewer air traffic controllers available to handle flights than needed. As a result, airlines were preemptively asked to reduce their schedules in an effort to reduce the strain on the system.
Even still, when summer storms hit, flights are often delayed. That leaves planes out of place and the controller shortage could contribute to longer recovery times.
Several airlines have issued waivers for passengers in affected cities to rebook their itineraries.
Airlines offering waivers
Check their websites for more details.
- American Airlines is not currently offering weather waivers.
- Delta Air Lines is not currently offering weather waivers.
- United Airlines
- Southwest Airlines is not currently offering weather waivers.
- JetBlue is not currently offering weather waivers.
- Spirit Airlines is not currently offering weather waivers.
- Frontier Airlines is not currently offering weather waivers.
Advice for summer travel
If you’re traveling this summer and want to avoid similar headaches, it’s a good idea to consider some of the following guidelines when booking your tickets:
- Travel early. Delays and cancellations tend to build up throughout the day, so morning flights are usually less likely to be affected.
- Avoid connections if you can. The fewer flights you have to take, the less likely you are to run into problems.
- Consider buying travel insurance. If something goes wrong, trip insurance can help you recoup the costs if you need to rebook or spend the night somewhere unexpected.
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What you’re entitled to if your flight is canceled or delayed
If your flight is canceled for any reason, you’re entitled to a full refund if you choose not to travel on an alternative itinerary you’re offered, even if you originally booked a nonrefundable ticket.
Delays, however, can get a little more complicated. Weather-related delays are often not covered by airline compensation policies, because they’re typically considered outside the carrier’s control. That’s why the flexibility offered by waivers is especially important when bad weather rolls through. But the Department of Transportation has a dashboard that outlines the situations in which delayed passengers can be compensated by most airlines, and what they may be entitled to.
Contributing: Trevor Hughes and Nathan Diller, USA TODAY
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com
