Adjustments to Flight Schedules Due to Winter Storm Fern
As Winter Storm Fern progresses, it's suggested for passengers traveling this weekend in the storm's path to alter their flights to before or after the storm. This advice comes in light of potential cancellations.
The storm continues to cause modifications to flight schedules, leading to additional cancellations in Atlanta and the East Coast, including major flight centers in Boston and New York City. It's anticipated that ice accumulation will affect Atlanta on Sunday, with significant snowfall in the Northeast commencing Sunday afternoon.
Provisions for Passengers Amid Winter Storm Fern
Weather-related waivers are in effect until Monday, offering passengers the option to modify their travel plans at no extra cost.
Efforts are being made to provide passengers with early notice about flight changes, in order to minimize disruption and aid in recovery efforts. To achieve this, several proactive measures are being taken:
- Flight cancellations are being enacted well ahead of scheduled departures, providing passengers with more time and flexibility.
- Staffing levels are being adjusted with additional reserve pilots and flight attendants. Experts are also being relocated from cold weather hubs to support deicing and baggage teams at several Southern airports.
- Aircraft are being positioned out of frozen precipitation, where possible, to aid in quicker recovery efforts. Once conditions improve, the aircraft will be repositioned to resume scheduled flights.
Rebooking and Refund Eligibility in the Event of Flight Disruption
If a passenger's flight is significantly delayed or canceled, they have several options available. The airline will automatically rebook passengers to the next best itinerary and they can make further changes as needed.
Passengers who experience a cancellation and are not automatically rebooked should promptly contact the airline at the airport or by reaching out to their Reservations team. If a passenger experiences a flight delay of three or more hours on a U.S. domestic itinerary (or six hours or more on an international itinerary) and chooses not to fly, they are entitled to a full refund for the unflown portion of their ticket, including any ancillary fees paid or checked baggage charges.
If a flight is canceled and the passenger chooses not to fly on their rebooked itinerary, the airline will initiate a full, automatic refund back to the original form of payment for the unflown portion of the ticket, following a 24-hour waiting period.
As per Department of Transportation automatic refund requirements, the airline will initiate an automatic ticket refund of the unflown portion of the ticket if they are unable to rebook the trip and have not heard from the customer to arrange an alternative flight.
Continuous Monitoring of Winter Storm Fern
Continuous monitoring of Winter Storm Fern is being carried out. Passengers are encouraged to adjust their flights to before or after the storm due to predicted cancellations. The priority is to notify passengers as early as possible of any flight cancellations.
Passengers can expect cancellations in the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, Nashville, and Raleigh-Durham. As the storm moves eastward, additional schedule adjustments for Atlanta and the Northeast regions are expected.
As the winter storm system moves east, current forecasts indicate significant snowfall in Oklahoma and accumulating ice throughout Northern Texas beginning Friday evening.
Due to these expected conditions, flight cancellations are necessary at select airports in North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee to ensure the safety of passengers. Extra staffing levels are being organized to ensure teams are in place to support passengers. This includes sending experts from cold weather hubs to support deicing and baggage teams at airports such as Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, Knoxville, and Nashville.
Advice for Passengers
Passengers are encouraged to verify their flight status before coming to the airport. The airline's app's self-service standby feature allows passengers to view and join available standby lists, providing more flexibility to get on an earlier flight where space is available.
The safety of passengers remains the top priority as the airline closely monitors forecasts to determine necessary schedule adjustments.
The airline is offering flexibility to passengers with existing bookings to change their travel with no fees. In the case of a flight cancellation or delay causing a misconnect, the airline will work to rebook passengers on the next available flight.
Passengers are encouraged to watch their flight status closely for the latest information. Updates can be sent directly to their mobile device or by email. The airline will provide passengers with as much notice as possible about changes to flight schedules.