Winter storm flight delays: What to know if you’re flying out of DFW, Love Field
There’s no place like home for the holidays, but traveling across the country for Christmas this year may be more challenging than usual.
A strong cold front arriving Thursday — the busiest travel day of the week — will bring below freezing temperatures to North Texas. Meanwhile, the Northeast and Midwest will experience the coldest Christmas in nearly 40 years with temperatures 30 to 50 degrees below normal.
All this when an estimated 8.9 million Texans are traveling for Christmas or New Year’s, according to AAA Texas. Nationally, nearly 113 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home, the third busiest year for holiday travel since at least 2000.
Here’s what this means for North Texans looking to catch a flight.
Could flights from DFW or Love Field get delayed or canceled?
Flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport may see delays, but travel expert Steve Cosgrove is optimistic that problems in the metroplex may not be as bad as in other parts of the country.
“Assuming there’s no precipitation in North Texas, then it’s just a matter of the airport possibly delaying the aircraft because of frost or ice build-up because of humidity in air,” said Cosgrove, CEO of Dynamic Travel and Cruises.
Early flights out of DFW or Love Field may have a greater chance of delays during the coldest hours of the day.
“Fuel lines likely won’t ice up. Things at the airport won’t be moving as fast as they’re supposed to, but it won’t have that major of an impact locally.”
The main impact will be from inbound flights from other cities that are “getting smashed” like Chicago, Cleveland and parts of the Northeast, Cosgrove said. Chicago is likely to see blizzard conditions.
Not only could those flights to North Texas run late, it will be more difficult to land at snow-covered airports with blinding winds.
The Federal Aviation Administration says Thursday should be the busiest of the week ahead of Christmas with 47,554 scheduled flights, the Washington Post reported. More than 44,300 flights are scheduled Friday.
How should you prepare for a potential delay?
“Pack the patience and be nice to the crew and ground staff,” Cosgrove said. “They’re not delaying or canceling your flight because of a personal issue with you. Prepare things in advance for the kids to do and allow plenty of time to get through TSA.”
With the anticipated high volume of passengers and bad weather, Love Field recommends checking flight times and statuses before leaving for the airport and arriving at least two hours before scheduled departures. The airport at 8008 Herb Kelleher Way also has limited parking garage availability at a first-come, first-served basis.
Can you get your flight changed?
Major carriers including American Airlines and United Airlines are offering the chance to change a flight without additional fees depending on which airports passengers are flying to, through or from. American Airlines issued a list of nearly 60 airports that could be affected by the cold front with information about how to change flights as of Tuesday.
Dallas-Fort Worth Airport is not one of those locations. But travelers could still be in luck if traveling to, through or from major locations including Chicago, New York City, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C.. American Airlines’ change fee is waived if you were scheduled to travel Dec. 21-23 for a Midwest destination, and Dec. 22-24 for a Northeast destination.
Similar to American, United Airlines is offering travel waivers for passengers flying to, from or through more than 140 airports. To account for Texas winter weather, the airline waived change fees for re-booking to and from DFW and several others. The re-booking window is Dec. 22-28.
What to do if your flight is canceled?
American Airlines will rebook you on the next available flight if yours is canceled or a delay causes you to miss your connection. American’s main contact number is 800-433-7300, where someone is available 24 hours a day.
American Airlines app: After logging into the app, patrons can view their trip changes and select a new flight if needed. Allowing app notification’s can help alert you to the flight status and boarding pass.
American Airlines website: If the mobile app isn’t your thing, you can go to the American Airlines website to see flight status in the “Your Trips” section. There you can check on your flight or select a new one.
Airport kiosk: Scanning your boarding pass at kiosks around the airport can give you updated trip details. At the kiosk you can switch flights and print off new boarding passes.
Southwest Airlines will call or email passengers with a new itinerary in the event of a flight cancellation. If this happens, your new reservation is already confirmed and there’s you need to do. There are a few ways to view your new trip or to choose a different flight with Southwest Airlines:
Change your flight: Customers can change their flight by visiting the Southwest website or using the app.
Cancel your flight: Canceling your flight can be be done on the Southwest website or mobile app.
Call Southwest: Customer service is 24 hours a day, 1-800-435-9792.
What are airports doing to prepare for the cold front?
The decision to delay flights or alter schedules is made by airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration with concern for the safety of operations.
But DFW and Love Field can still prepare for severe weather. Love Field is responsible for clearing and treating taxiways and runways of ice or frost build up, a spokesperson said.
“Our team also monitors surface temperatures and conducts friction tests on the runways. During these fluid events, the airport’s leadership staff frequently meets to discuss updates and reassign resources as needed and applicable staff remains on-site around the clock throughout the events to oversee these tasks,” the Love Field spokesperson said.
If large-scale travel disruptions happen, Love Field plans to keep a secure part of the terminal open with cots, blankets and snacks if passengers are unable to travel and need to stay overnight.
“DFW Airport monitors the weather on a continual basis and has been watching this week’s cold weather opportunity for a while now,” a spokesperson for DFW Airport said. “The airport and its partners work to ensure the infrastructure is prepared for the cold weather and its potential impact. Customers are encouraged to check with their airline for the latest information regarding their flight.”
Know your rights as an airline passenger
As an airline passenger in the U.S., your rights are minimal, said William J. McGee, senior fellow for aviation at American Economic Liberties Project. But here’s one to remember: if an airline cancels your flight, regardless of reason, you are entitled to a refund.
“Not a voucher. A refund,” McGee said.
You’re also entitled to a refund for “significant delay.” Unfortunately, the Department of Transportation doesn’t specify what amounts to a “significant delay.”
Here’s what the Transportation Department says: “Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors — including the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances. DOT determines whether you are entitled to a refund following a significant delay on a case-by-case basis.”
The amenities offered to delayed passengers typically varies by airline. For example, JetBlue offers up to $200 compensation for flights that are “significantly delayed” for several hours.
Delta will put its passengers up in a hotel if they are inconvenienced overnight “due to a delay, misconnect or cancellation within Delta’s control,” according to the airline’s website.
Delta, one airline at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, will rebook travelers on an alternative flight or convert their ticket to an eCredit for future use if there is a cancellation or significant delay. For non-refundable tickets, Delta travelers are able to request a refund of any unused portion of their ticket or for unused trip purchases, such as Sky Priority boarding or other select amenities.
American Airlines will also rebook travelers on the next flight with available seats in the case of a cancellation or significant delay. According to the airline, bags will be rerouted when checking in for your new flight.
American Airlines travelers can view or change their flight one of three ways: Through the airline’s app, website or by using a kiosk in the airport.
When flying United Airlines, another airline at DFW International Airport, travelers can check their flight or find a new one using United’s mobile app, website or a kiosk in the airport.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, travelers are entitled to a refund if the airline canceled a flight, regardless of the reason, and they choose not to travel. Refunds can also be given if the airline made a significant schedule change or significantly delayed a flight and customer chooses not to travel.
The Department of Transportation has no clear guidelines on what constitutes as a significant delay — refunds are issued on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the length of the delay, the length of the flight and other particular circumstances.
Should you find yourself stuck at the airport, you can ask airline staff to cover the cost of meals and other accommodations, the DOT said. Not all airlines will offer these amenities, however, and none are federally required to. When in doubt, officials said it’s best to contact your airline directly via phone, their mobile app or social media.