Holiday air travel is snarled by thunderstorms

This holiday season, severe thunderstorms — not snow or ice — have proven to be the main obstacle for millions of airport travelers.

And more troubles may arise.

Stormy weather hampered air traffic Thursday at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the nation’s second-busiest airport — and also led to increased delays at Dallas Love Airport Field (DAL) nearby and to the south at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). ).

At DFW, nearly half of departing flights were delayed Thursday. And more than a fifth of flights were canceled due to a slow-moving storm system that caused numerous ground stops throughout the day.

Help! Here’s what to do if your flight is canceled or delayed

American Airlines, which operates its headquarters in DFW, was hit hard by the severe weather, causing more than 1,000 flight delays and more than 300 cancellations on Thursday, according to data from Flight recognition.

Southwest Airlines saw more than 1,600 flights delayed Thursday, while bases in Dallas and Houston were hampered by stormy conditions. United Airlines, which has a hub at IAH, also had more than 1,000 flights delayed on Thursday.

The disruption has come to what is expected to be one of the activities of this holiday season busiest days at US airports The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.7 million passengers on Thursday, and an even higher number of travelers may pass through security checks on both Friday and Sunday.

Between the crowds, the weather and Christmas Eve technology problem at American, it was a much more chaotic Christmas travel week than what travelers enjoyed in a comparable week Thanksgiving went smoothly.

While American quickly recovered from a third-party technology glitch on Tuesday morning without canceling a single major flight (though there were delays), the weather was bad on both Christmas Eve and on Five has complicated operations at their giant DFW hub this week.

As of Friday, operations at the airline — and at other airlines across the country — appeared to be generally back on track.

However, weather conditions could worsen again this weekend, the National Weather Service said warning. Severe storms are possible in parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama on Saturday – and there’s a chance the mayhem could affect travel on the East Coast this weekend.

“Sunday weather could cause the most significant impacts for travelers over the weekend, potentially causing major disruptions to transportation in East Coast. Lightning over heavily used air corridors from Florida to Virginia could cause route deviations.” .

Overall, airlines had a much smoother year than 2022, which left travelers with too many memories of airline woes – especially due to the failure during Southwest Airlines’ holiday operations that year.

Airlines frequently point to the highest staffing levels in two decades, along with other operational improvements, as the key to getting their schedules back on track when problems arise.

But as this week has shown, Mother Nature can always throw a wrench into a traveller’s best-laid plans – as it certainly affected a portion of the more than 20 million passengers who traveled through airports this holiday season, since last year. week.

Now, with tens of millions of passengers expected at airports between now and next weekend, here’s what you should know if you’re traveling.

Know your refund rights

According to U.S. Department of Transportation policy, if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed and you choose not to travel, You are entitled to a refund for the unflown portion of your trip — and that applies even to flights that are interrupted by weather.

However, remember that the “choose not to travel” part is key: if you accept rebooking or other accommodations, you may not be eligible for a refund.

However, if the flight disruption affects your travel plans to the extent that you would prefer to stay put or use another method of transport (including traveling on another airline), a refund will be issued. Money can be helpful.

Read more: Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next

What about meal vouchers or other compensation?

Airlines have offered many guarantees on meals, hotels and ground transportation costs for stranded passengers. You can find those promises at FlightRights.gov.

Note here: these promises are for “manageable” disruptions that are ultimately the airline’s responsibility. In general, bad weather does not fall into that category.

A credit card with travel insurance may help

This is where a credit card with travel insurance can help you offset unexpected expenses when your flight goes wrong. Just remember: in most cases, to make a successful claim, you must book travel using that card.

Read more: 10 credit cards with the best travel insurance in December 2024

Keep a close eye on your airline’s application

Finally, always pay attention to the airline’s app if you expect a flight delay and certainly if you encounter problems.

Typically, airlines will give you rebooking options through the app, allowing you to make changes to your booking with just a few taps of your finger — instead of having to wait in line. waiting in long lines or waiting by phone.

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