As flights slowly resume across US, expect delays and cancellations after winter storm

WASHINGTON — As much of the U.S. begins shoveling out from under blankets of snow and ice, airports across the country are also unfreezing — albeit with thousands of delays and cancellations —  as air travel slowly resumes after the weekend’s powerful winter storm. 

According to flight tracking website FlightAware, around 4,600 flights in the U.S. have been cancelled Monday, with another 2,400 delayed.

The slow resumption of flights on Monday comes a day after the highest number of cancellations since the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 11,600 U.S. flights were canceled on Sunday, according to FlightAware. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said Sunday marked the highest number of cancellations since the pandemic. 

The last time that many flights were disrupted in one day was on April 2, 2020, when 8,606 departures were canceled as the first wave of pandemic lockdowns took hold.

According to the New York Times, the record for U.S. flight cancellations was set on March 30, 2020, when 12,143 flights, or nearly half of scheduled departures, were canceled.

As of 11 a.m. Eastern on Monday, American Airlines was feeling the brunt of the cold, with 835 domestic flights canceled, representing more than 25% of the airline’s routes for the day.

JetBlue had 46% of its flights for the day canceled as well, as of 11 a.m. Eastern.

Allan Lengel of Detroit planned to return Monday from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the temperature has been in the 80s. But he’s staying until Wednesday after Delta suggested he change his reservation because of the weather impact on flights.

“Can’t say I’m disappointed. Frankly, I had been thinking of returning later because of frigid weather,” Lengel, 71, said, referring to conditions in Michigan.

But despite Lengel’s acceptance, many others are upset they can’t get home. At major airports across the U.S., travelers were left frustrated and unable to get to their destinations. 

From San Diego to New Orleans, airlines tried to recover while facing an uphill battle. In the wake of the storm, every state in the lower 48 is facing below-average temperatures. Although planes actually fly better in cold air (because it’s denser), the associated ice and snow on both aircraft wings and runways are major dangers. 

A private plane’s flight out of Maine ended in disaster Sunday when the small aircraft, carrying eight people, crashed shortly after takeoff. Details on that crash are still emerging, but weather likely played a factor. 

According to the Department of Transportation, airlines are required to provide passengers with information about a change in the status of their flight promptly. 

If the flight is scheduled to depart within seven days, airlines are required to provide status updates 30 minutes or earlier after the airline is notified about the status change. At a minimum, the flight status information must be available on the airline’s website and by the airline’s telephone reservation system.              

Travelers can view their local airport’s website to check the status of their flights in real time. Alternatively, people can also use FlightAware to track any delays or cancellations. 

The DoT has a dashboard showing what services each airlines provide to reduce inconveniences for travelers when the circumstances causing the cancellation or delay are within the airline’s control. A green check mark on the dashboard means that the airline has committed to providing that service or amenity to its customers. A red “x”  means the airline has not made that commitment, but may provide these services or amenities for some cases, based on their discretion. 

Check the DoT’s website for more information.