Blizzard warnings hit Gulf Coast: Flight cancellations top 2,600 into Wednesday

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information. Flight cancellations are mounting as a historic winter storm sweeps across the Gulf Coast. Already, the storm has brought air traffic to a virtual standstill at several airports across parts of Texas and Louisiana. Parts of eastern Texas and southern Louisiana have gone under blizzard …

Jan 21, 2025 - 23:38

Blizzard warnings hit Gulf Coast: Flight cancellations top 2,600 into Wednesday

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.

Flight cancellations are mounting as a historic winter storm sweeps across the Gulf Coast. Already, the storm has brought air traffic to a virtual standstill at several airports across parts of Texas and Louisiana.

Parts of eastern Texas and southern Louisiana have gone under blizzard warnings for the first time ever. Deteriorating conditions could be next for Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle — with ice or accumulating snow possible.

As of 4:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, airlines had canceled more than 2,100 flights across the U.S., according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. More than 540 additional flights had already been preemptively canceled for Wednesday, bringing the storm’s two-day total in the South to more than 2,600 — and one that was likely to grow.

The worst disruptions are in Houston and New Orleans.

Flight delayed or canceled? Here are the best credit cards with trip delay reimbursement

Flight cancellation rates are approaching 95% of all planned departures at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), FlightAware shows. Both airports halted all operations overnight ahead of the storm — which brought blizzard conditions to parts of the region early Tuesday.

Flight operations are temporarily suspended and our dedicated teams remain on site preparing for a safe return to operations as soon as weather conditions allow. We will provide updates as they become available. pic.twitter.com/biMqVlVEjW
— Bush Airport (@iah) January 21, 2025

Passengers should be prepared for the entire day’s schedule to ultimately be scrapped — both in Houston and at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), where close to 90% of departures were axed by midmorning.

“New Orleans is in the thick of things. I don’t think anything’s really going to be moving there anytime soon,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva told TPG. “They just don’t have the plowing equipment.”

Snowfall in New Orleans’ French Quarter Tuesday. MICHAEL DEMOCKER/GETTY IMAGES

The Federal Aviation Administration reported closures at several additional Gulf Coast airports Tuesday morning.

Flight disruptions spread across country

With each of the Houston airports serving as a major base for one of the United States’ largest airlines, flight disruptions have radiated across the country as a result — travel troubles that follow a messy weekend at airports in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast following a winter storm that snarled flights on Sunday.

Airlines have axed hundreds of flights Tuesday from Dallas to Atlanta, Miami, New York, Charlotte and Washington.

United Airlines, which operates a major hub at IAH, leads all U.S. carriers Tuesday with more than 500 flights axed, around a fifth of its entire schedule, per FlightAware.

“We’re working with our customers who are impacted by the planned airport closures in Houston and have waivers in place for cities that are preparing for winter weather,” the Chicago-based carrier said in a statement to TPG on Tuesday.

Snowfall Tuesday in Houston. MARK FELIX/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES

Southwest Airlines, which has a significant presence at Houston’s Hobby and in New Orleans, had canceled more than 420 flights by late afternoon.

Travel advisories expanded

Ahead of this latest winter storm, airlines issued sweeping travel advisories covering dozens of airports across the Deep South, Gulf Coast and Southeast.

Those waivers allow even customers flying on ultrarestrictive tickets to make free trip changes.

United’s Gulf Coast advisory covers dozens of airports — including its Houston Intercontinental hub.

Southwest Airlines’ latest alert covers a handful of airports where the carrier has a significant presence, including Houston and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) — not to mention New Orleans, which noted the mass cancellations Monday evening and urged passengers to check their flight status with their airline.

Most airlines at #MSY have cancelled flight ops, and depending on weather conditions, most airlines plan to resume operations on Wed., Jan. 22, 2025. Passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines on the most up to date flight info.https://t.co/Jxli8WM9uL pic.twitter.com/K6njAlxAlH
— New Orleans Airport (@flyneworleans) January 21, 2025

Those preemptive measures come as the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida each declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.

How air travel could be affected in the coming hours, days

Up next: The wintry blast could threaten all-time snowfall records in Florida, DaSilva of AccuWeather told TPG.

Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) announced plans to close following its final departure Tuesday evening, and not reopen until noon on Wednesday.

Due to winter weather conditions expected to impact Northeast Florida, Jacksonville International Airport will close following the last departure this evening at approximately 8 pm. The airport is anticipated to reopen at noon tomorrow. Travelers are encouraged to check flight…
— JAXairport (@JAXairport) January 21, 2025

Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines’ latest travel advisory predicts potential disruptions at its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) megahub — the world’s busiest airport.

However, it’s a “close call,” DaSilva noted, whether this winter weather system will ultimately hit Atlanta later on Tuesday.

“Overall I probably think … most of this would stay to the south of Atlanta,” he said. “There is a chance for a coating, that could obviously cause some problems.”

It’s a similar story, he said, for Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), a farther-north hub for American Airlines.

These disruptions come after a messy month for air travel in the Deep South. North Texas, in particular, has already been marred by severe storms, snow and ice in recent weeks. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the nation’s second-busiest airport, suffered thousands of flight cancellations over the past month from a barrage of foul weather.

Here’s what you can do if you’re planning to travel in the coming days:

Watch for a travel advisory

Check your airline’s website. If you’re planning to fly over the next couple of days, it’s likely your flight could be covered by one of the many travel advisories issued by major U.S. carriers.

This could allow you to more easily make complimentary itinerary changes right from your airline’s app — even if you’re flying on an ordinarily restrictive ticket like basic economy.

Here’s a full rundown of the largest U.S. carriers’ current alerts:

Keep an eye on your airline’s app

Make sure you download your airline’s app, and watch it closely. You may get notifications about flight delays or cancellations, and you’ll be able to spot early signs of trouble with your travel plans.

Also: If your flight is delayed or canceled, your airline may allow you to book yourself on a new flight right in the app.

This could save you significant time you’d otherwise spend waiting on hold with customer service.

See a good rebooking option? Don’t delay

If you’re battling flight delays and see a halfway decent rebooking option pop up in your airline’s app, don’t waste a second: Lock it in!

With thousands of flights likely to be affected by winter weather in the coming days, many other passengers will be “competing” for seats on flights that do get out on time. That means those open spots will fill up quickly.

Departures board at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Don’t forget about the lounge

If using your airline’s app to make itinerary changes isn’t cutting it, you might consider visiting your airline’s lounge (if you’re a member, of course). The customer service desks in airlines’ clubs can often have much shorter waits for assistance than you’ll find along the airport concourse.

Just keep in mind that this applies only to airport lounges that are affiliated with your airline; a credit card-branded club like an American Express Centurion Lounge or Capital One Lounge — while a great place to kill time during a delay — won’t be able to help you work on changing your flights.

Review your refund rights

Now is a good time to brush up on your rights to a refund when it comes to air travel.

Under U.S. Department of Transportation policy, airlines are required to refund you for the unflown portion of your ticket when your flight is canceled or significantly delayed — only if you choose not to travel (and don’t accept rebooking).

This rule applies even when the flight disruption is due to bad weather, and it can come in handy if you opt to stay home instead of taking a later flight in the midst of a winter storm.

Getting compensation for a delayed flight

Airlines have made a wide range of promises to the DOT for meals, hotel accommodations and other guarantees in the event of flight cancellations and major delays. However, keep in mind that these typically apply to “controllable” disruptions (like maintenance or staffing issues) and generally do not apply when bad weather affects travel.

This is where a credit card that offers travel insurance can come in handy, helping you recoup unexpected costs when flight trouble leaves you stranded. The one catch: In most cases, you’ll typically need to book your trip with that card in order to make a successful claim.

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