Holiday flight cancellations: Know your airline’s policies and best options

Flight cancellations are top of mind for holiday travelers as a harsh winter storm is expected to hit a large swath of the U.S. 

Heavy snow, ice and strong winds are among the conditions expected from Thursday to Saturday in various parts of the country, stretching from the Plains and Midwest all the way to the East Coast. On top of that, forecasters expect severe cold during the holiday weekend. 

The National Weather Service said Wednesday the storm was so large and encompassing that around 190 million people are currently under some type of winter weather advisory.

Airlines have proactively issued travel waivers to help travelers whose flights are canceled during a certain stretch of the holiday. This means travelers won’t have to pay any change fee or fare difference when rebooking their flight. 

TRACK THE STORM WITH FOX WEATHER

However, it’s important to read the fine print. Passengers need to book within a certain time frame and buy a seat in the same cabin. They must also rebook the same cities they were previously flying between. Impacted travel dates will differ depending on the area of the country. 

The Department of Transportation’s new online dashboard, which launched just ahead of Labor Day, shows what kinds of guarantees major domestic airlines offer for disruptions due to circumstances within the airline’s control.

HOLIDAY TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS: AIRLINES ISSUE WAIVERS AHEAD OF WINTER STORM

FOX Business looked at Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United to see what they guarantee passengers if a flight is canceled.

Below are the categories that make up the “Commitments for Controllable Cancellations” section on the DOT’s customer service dashboard. Airlines listed in each section below are the ones that offer that service or amenities.

TIPS FOR HOLIDAY AIR TRAVEL FROM TSA

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The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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