Delta, American Airlines waive rescheduling fees as winter storm blasts US
Snow storms threaten to disrupt post-Thanksgiving travel across the US
Delta Air Lines is waiving rescheduling fees for flights at more than three dozen airports expected to bear the brunt of the first major storm this winter.
That's an expansion from waivers offered on Tuesday for Denver and Wednesday for Minneapolis, with meteorologists predicting snow and strong winds in both cities. The move will allow Delta customers traveling to, from or through the listed cities "to make a one-time change to their travel itinerary without incurring a change fee,” according to the Delta website.
BRUTAL STORM DISRUPTS THANKSGIVING REVELERS' RETURN HOME
Delta typically charges $200 to $500 to alter non-refundable tickets, depending on the destination, according to the airline's website, so the waiver comes with significant savings.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 63.34 | -0.30 | -0.47% |
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 14.20 | -0.26 | -1.80% |
American Airlines, meanwhile, is offering weather fee waivers at 29 airports affected by winter storms in the Northeast, including those in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Newark, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Providence, Rhode Island. Snowfall of 3 to 12 inches is expected in those areas. The carrier dropped fees previously for more than a dozen airports because of snow in the Midwest.
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Airlines for America, the industry’s trade group, estimated a record of 31.6 million people will travel over a 12-day holiday period around Thanksgiving, with 3.1 million passengers expected to travel on Sunday, when wintry weather is likely to cause the most disruptions.
A powerful storm making its way east from California is expected to bring intensifying snow and ice to the Midwest during the year’s busiest travel weekend.
The National Weather Service says the storm is expected to drop 6 to 12 inches of snow from the northern Plains states into Minnesota, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.
High winds and ice are expected to make travel almost impossible in some places.
Before moving east, the storm caused the death of at least one person in South Dakota and closed highways in the western U.S., affecting travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Forecasters warn that people traveling throughout the weekend should be aware of the storm’s effects.
The storm is expected to hit northeastern states on Sunday, bringing freezing rain and snow.
Here is a link to a Delta Airlines' current advisories. A full list of American Airlines travel alerts can be found here.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report