Winter storm fuels thousands of flight delays and cancellations

The season’s most potent winter storm to date is wreaking havoc on air travel across a large swath of the country.

Snow, ice and bitter cold air are bearing down on much of the Midwest, fueling thousands of flight disruptions that could get worse as the system heads toward the East Coast.

As of 1 p.m EST Sunday, airlines had canceled more than 1,100 flights across the U.S., according to data from FlightAware. Another 3,300 have been delayed.

So far, Missouri’s Kansas City International Airport (MCI) has seen the worst of the flight troubles, with close to 90% of its scheduled departures canceled Sunday amid blizzardlike conditions.

Those widespread cancellations come a day after the airport, at one point, had to close down its runways amid rapid ice accumulation — something that briefly threatened the Kansas City Chiefs’ planned departure for a game in Denver Sunday.

For days, forecasters had warned of significant travel disruptions as the winter storm took shape last week, with the National Weather Service warning of potentially significant snowfall totals from the Midwest to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

“The accumulating snow, which could approach or exceed a half of a foot is expected to bring travel to a standstill in places like Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Cincinnati,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said Friday, while also noting that conditions across the mid-Atlantic states would pose “a major risk to travel between Sunday night and Monday evening.”

As early as Friday, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) said its airport snow team would be monitoring conditions with plans to deploy snow removal equipment as needed.

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) similarly warned of the potentially treacherous conditions headed into Monday morning.

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Most major U.S. airlines have issued travel alerts, which allow passengers extra flexibility to make itinerary changes amid the bad weather. That includes waiving change fees even for travelers flying on even their most restrictive fare types.

Southwest Airlines was one of the hardest-hit airlines on Sunday, leading all U.S. airlines with more than 300 cancellations — about 7% of its schedule. The Dallas-based carrier has a sizable presence in both hard-hit Kansas City and St. Louis — not to mention in the D.C. area, which is expected to feel the brunt of the storm in the coming hours.

American Airlines has scrapped more than 100 flights so far Sunday, hurt both by the winter storm and by a mid-day ground stop fueled by high winds at its Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) home base, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Here’s what to know if you’ll be traveling over the next couple of days:

It’s worth noting, several carriers also issued travel advisories this past week in the wake of the Jan. 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans.

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 knocked off their normal schedule by bad weather, a huge number of passengers are simultaneously vying for open seats on the flights that are getting out on time. And those open seats can fill up quickly.

Read more: Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next

U.S. Department of Transportation rules require airlines to refund passengers for the unflown portion of their ticket when their flight is canceled or significantly delayed — but only if the passenger opts not to travel, instead of accepting rebooking.

Easy cancellation and miles back on award bookings

Meanwhile, if Mother Nature has you wanting to stay home and forgo that trip you booked with frequent flyer miles, you’re in luck.

Generally, most U.S. airlines will allow you to cancel award bookings and get all of your miles back with no fee. You’ll typically get a refund for any associated taxes and fees, too.

Read more: 5 ways to ensure you have lounge access before your next 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, 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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