Rough air travel week: 1,100 flights canceled Sunday, worst may be yet to come

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information. Flight cancellations are mounting as a winter storm has brought heavy snow to parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. It comes amid a busy long weekend for air travel, and ahead of a potential whopper of a second winter storm that’s brewing off the Texas …

Jan 20, 2025 - 05:13

Rough air travel week: 1,100 flights canceled Sunday, worst may be yet to come

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

Flight cancellations are mounting as a winter storm has brought heavy snow to parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

It comes amid a busy long weekend for air travel, and ahead of a potential whopper of a second winter storm that’s brewing off the Texas coast – one that could bring significant travel hurdles early in the week.

As of 9 p.m. EST, airlines had canceled more than 1,100 flights Sunday, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.

Many of those cancellations affected flyers in the New York, Washington and Boston metro areas. More than 150 Monday flights had already been canceled, as well.

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) led all U.S. airports with nearly 130 departures canceld Sunday — nearly a quarter of the airport’s entire daily schedule, per FlightAware.

New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) was No. 2, also with around 25% of Sunday’s scheduled flights scrapped. Heavy snow Sunday evening prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily halt all departures at the busy airport.

Weather conditions have caused LGA Airport flight disruptions. Check with your airline to determine the status of your flight.
— LaGuardia Airport (@LGAairport) January 19, 2025

The FAA did the same Sunday night at nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Leading the way in cancellations among airlines Sunday was Republic Airways, with more than 275 flights canceled. Republic is a regional airline that operates American Eagle-, United Express- and Delta Connection-branded flights for the larger network carriers.

JetBlue, which has a significant presence in the Northeast, canceled more than a fifth of its scheduled flights Sunday.

Hundreds of additional flight cancellations are already planned for Monday as airports contend with the wintry conditions.

Even more significantly, disruptions could continue into the work week as a second winter storm appears increasingly likely to bring snow and ice to parts of the country that seldom see wintry conditions, from Texas to the Gulf Coast and into northern Florida — and then perhaps north across megahubs in Atlanta and Charlotte by Tuesday.

Already, some airports in the Deep South have begun to warn of the potential winter blast, including planned closures at a handful of major Texas hubs.

A rough travel weekend

The long weekend got off to a smooth start for most air travelers, with only 45 cancellations reported on U.S. flights on Saturday, following a mere 47 on Friday.

By the early morning hours of Sunday, however, travelers faced hundreds of preemptive cancellations as forecasts of poor conditions became more certain.

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Cancellations and delays along the East Coast grew over the course of the day Sunday from the fast-moving winter storm, which was forecast to dump snow on portions of the New York metropolitan area, New England and the surrounding region.

Here is the latest briefing on the potential winter storm for later this weekend. For the full briefing, click the link here : https://t.co/XOyNs6MCfJ
Arctic air with sub zero windchills arrives after the storm departs for the first half of next week !! pic.twitter.com/RFYlJ2XP30
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 18, 2025

Most major U.S. airlines issued travel advisories for the long weekend covering many of the biggest Northeast hubs — from the three large airports in the New York City area, to Boston, Philadelphia and the Washington, D.C. region.

Those waivers gave travelers extra flexibility to make free ticket changes, even when flying on an ultra-restrictive ticket.

Terminal B at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Northeast winter weather

Travelers should plan for disruptions getting to or from major New York City area airports, including Newark, LaGuardia and JFK, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said ahead of the impending storm.

Those airports’ governing body urged travelers to check with their airline and build in extra time getting to the airport — particularly at JFK, amid ongoing construction at the region’s largest hub.

DC region marred by bitter cold

Making matters worse: Travelers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) had to contend with an outage to its heating system in the terminals, leading to plunging temperatures inside as travelers descended upon the city — itself bracing for bitter cold temperatures — ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Monday.

Our maintenance team is working through the night to repair an airport-wide heating system outage. Indoor temperatures by Saturday morning could drop to colder than normal temperatures, but we will remain open. Airlines, TSA and shopping and dining will operate at their normal… pic.twitter.com/3qpVgwbI8V
— Reagan Airport (@Reagan_Airport) January 18, 2025

DCA reported the heat was back on in its terminals by late Saturday afternoon.

But the airport has likewise fallen victim to snow-fueled flight disruptions Sunday, with close to 20% of departures scrapped by early evening.

More winter weather possible this week

While travel troubles from this weekend’s winter storm are likely to affect flights on Monday, parts of the Deep South are already planning for the possibility of an additional winter storm. If the forecast materializes, it could bring travel to a standstill over the coming days.

The National Weather Service warned of “increasing potential” for a storm that could sweep across portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia — perhaps bringing “accumulating snow and ice. That could even include cities like Houston, New Orleans and Tallahassee, Florida, that rarely see such conditions.

In addition to the winter storm in the Northeast, another winter storm may develop and impact much of the Deep South early next week. Here is our first Key Message about that potential winter storm. pic.twitter.com/2AUuq4TY7z
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 17, 2025

Airport closures planned in Houston

Late Sunday, major airports in the Houston metropolitan area announced plans to shutter operations effective at midnight on Tuesday.

That includes Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) a key hub for United Airlines.

To prioritize the safety of our passengers and staff, and due to extremely hazardous road conditions throughout Houston, flight operations at IAH will be temporarily suspended at 12 A.M. on Tuesday, January 21. Please do not attempt to travel to the airport after this time. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/YItcX5ta6w
— Bush Airport (@iah) January 20, 2025

Houston Hobby Airport (HOU), a key base for Southwest Airlines, also announced plans to temporarily shut down on Tuesday for the winter storm.

Several airlines have now expanded their travel advisories, allowing passengers to make changes ahead of the second storm. The alerts cover major Texas bases for United and Southwest.

Delta Air Lines’ advisory now covers its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) home base.

Parts of the Deep South, particularly North Texas, have already been marred by severe storms, snow and ice in recent weeks. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the nation’s second busiest, suffered thousands of flight cancellations over the past month from a barrage of foul weather.

Whether your travels take you to the East Coast this weekend or parts of the South in the coming days, here’s how you can start preparing now:

Watch for a travel advisory

Check your airline’s website. If you’re planning to fly to the mid-Atlantic or Northeast 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 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: this applies only to airport lounges that are affiliated with your airline; credit card-branded clubs like the 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, 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 travel credit card that offers travel insurance protections 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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