Airlines issue travel waivers ahead of ‘bomb cyclone’

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

The key U.S. airlines have issued travel waivers ahead of what’s forecast to be a brutal “bomb cyclone” of wintry weather in the Midwest and other regions later this week.

The important aviation hub of Chicago is forecast to be one of the cities hit the hardest, with the National Weather Service warning of the potential for a blizzard.

By Tuesday morning, United Airlines, headquartered in Chicago, was offering four separate winter weather waivers: One in the Midwest, one for Texas, one for the East Coast and another for Central and Northwest U.S.

Other major U.S. carriers, including American and Southwest, had also issued a variety of weather-related waivers.

United Airlines waivers

Change fees and fare differences on United will be waived for modified bookings within the originally ticketed cabin and between the same cities within short rebooking windows this month.

United Midwest waivers: This is for passengers who purchased a ticket with United by this past Saturday, Dec. 17, for travel between Dec. 21 and Dec. 25.

Almost 30 airports come under the Midwest waiver, including Chicago O’Hare, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis and St. Louis.

United Texas waivers: This is for people who purchased a ticket by December 18.

The waiver is for travel that was booked from Dec. 22 to Dec. 25. More than a dozen airports come under the waiver, including Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso and Houston.

United East Coast waivers: This is for passengers who purchased a ticket with United by December 18, for travel between Dec. 22 and Dec. 25.

About 50 airports come under this waiver, including Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Nashville, all the major New York City airports, Philadelphia, Toronto (Canada) and Washington, DC.

United Central and Northwest waivers: This is for passengers who purchased a ticket with United by this past Sunday, December 18, for travel between Dec. 20 and Dec. 23. About 50 airports come under this waiver.

What other airlines are doing

Here’s what the other large US airlines had issued by Tuesday morning:

• American Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, has also issued a waiver for travel in, out or through almost 30 airports in the Midwest as well as another waiver for approximately 30 destinations in the Northeast. More details on American’s website.

• Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, issued a “Rocky Mountain and Midwest Winter Weather” waiver as well as a waiver for more than a dozen Northeast destinations.

• JetBlue, the discount carrier based in Queens, New York, issued a “Midwest Winter Weather Fee Waiver” for people changing flights in or out of four airports — Chicago (ORD); Kansas City (MCI); Milwaukee (MKE); and Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP).

• As of Tuesday morning, Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, issued a travel advisory and waiver information for two airports in the Northwest: Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA). Tickets must have been purchased on or before Dec. 18 for travel on Dec. 20-22.

• As of Tuesday morning, Alaska Airlines, headquartered in the Seattle metro area, had issued a winter weather waiver only for flights to and from Seattle because of heavy snow. Tickets needed to have been purchased on or before Dec. 18 for travel on Dec. 20.

• Spirit Airlines, the discount carrier headquartered in Miramar, Florida, issued a waiver for a half dozen Midwest airports for travel between Dec. 21 and Dec. 23.

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