What to Do If Your Flight Is Disrupted Because of the Blizzard

Thousands of flights have been canceled and delayed as a relentless blizzard has hit multiple northeastern states, throwing air travel into chaos. The storm, which has dumped more than two feet of snow in some areas, prompted the governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York to issue traffic restrictions and warn residents to exercise caution. And the blizzard left air travelers scrambling. More than 3,400 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. were canceled on Sunday, according to the flight-tracking platform FlightAware, and nearly 8,000 flights within, into, or out of the country were delayed. The disruptions have only continued on Monday, with more than 2,700 flights suffering delays as of the afternoon and more than 5,600 being cancelled. Airports across the Northeast shared updates on social media about air travel disruptions because of the storm, advising travelers to check with their airlines about the status of their flights. Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport announced on Monday morning that it had “temporarily suspended all airport operations” because of the inclement weather. The airport said officials will keep monitoring the weather, and “will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so.” Read more: Several States Lock Down Amid East Coast Blizzard The disruptions to air travel could extend beyond Monday; some airlines have already canceled flights that were scheduled to depart on Tuesday. Here’s what to do if your flight is disrupted by the blizzard. Keep checking with your airline about the status of your flight It’s always good practice to check the status of your flight with your airline before you leave for the airport, but that is especially important now. You can also check the Federal Aviation Administration website or FlightAware to see what conditions are looking like at the airport you’re departing from—for instance, if the airport has closed because of the blizzard or if there are a lot of delays there. If your flight is still expected to take off, you might want to consider getting to the airport earlier than you normally would, since there may be long lines and significant delays. When you arrive at the airport, make sure to keep checking the flight monitoring screens to stay up-to-date on your flight’s status. If your flight is canceled, contact your airline If you find out that your flight has been canceled, contact your airline’s customer service. If you’re at the airport, you can go in person to the carrier’s help desk. You can also call the airline’s customer service line or go to their website. Once you get through to customer service, you can rebook your flight. Many airlines will do so at no additional cost to you. If you choose not to rebook your canceled flight, you are entitled to a refund. If your flight is experiencing delays, be patient Weather is unpredictable, and airport and airline staff are working hard to try and minimize the impact to customers’ travel plans while also ensuring the safety of passengers and crew members. While delays can be frustrating, try and be patient. You might also want to consider changing your travel plans to avoid the disruptions as much as possible. Airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and United Airlines have waived fees for eligible customers if they rebook their flights.