Travelers heading out or returning from winter break face flight troubles as the weekend approaches.
An expansive winter storm brought icy conditions to Dallas and other areas of the central U.S. Wednesday and Thursday and is headed for the East Coast, creating travel headaches across the country.
U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 Thursday flights – nearly two-thirds of them to and from Dallas, where American and Southwest reign – and have already canceled 1,100 Friday flights, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
Friday’s initial batch of cancellations is the heaviest in Boston; metropolitan New York; Washington, D.C.; Hartford, Connecticut; and Chicago. More than 500 flights to and from Boston’s Logan International Airport have already been canceled, on top of 130 Thursday cancelations. JetBlue Airways, which has big operations in Boston and New York, has already canceled almost a quarter of its scheduled Friday flights, or 255 flights.
Airlines have issued their usual travel waivers for those who want to change or cancel their plans without the usual penalties, even for those traveling on basic economy tickets. Keep in mind that fare differences can apply in certain cases. Refunds are not available unless the airline cancels your flight so check your flight status before making any changes.
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Here are links to the latest waivers for major U.S. airlines. The cities covered, applicable travel dates and other fine print vary by carrier. It is generally easiest to rebook or cancel tickets online as the wait times to reach a customer service center remain high.
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