Winter Weather Airport Tips
Mar 06, 2023
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Winter Weather Airport Tips
In the middle of the winter season, you can expect tons of snow to sweep across the nation. This usually wouldn't be an issue if everyone stayed home, but with half of the holidays occuring within the winter months, it's not entirely possible for people to avoid traveling.
Whether you're flying home to see your family for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or maybe you're going to New York City to see the giant Rockefeller tree, there are some extra steps you will want to take to ensure you have a safe and smooth trip.
When the weather is terrible, most flights are grounded, and hundreds of thousands of passengers end up stranded across the US (and sometimes the world) waiting to reach their final destination. We've provided some tips below, so you know what to do if you are ever in these unfortunate circumstances.
Always Be Prepared
Airlines may initially claim that they're not offering refunds or changes due to the weather conditions. But asking politely can still help. A customer service agent may be willing to provide a hotel voucher or upgrade a passenger's seat on a new flight. They can also give the traveler miles for their rewards program.
More airlines are allowing their employees to make decisions regarding a customer's request at the gate or over the phone. This is a philosophy that's been advocated by Herb Kelleher, who founded Southwest Airlines.
Always check the status of your flight so that you know whether you need to get booked onto another flight or prepare to stay in the area for a few extra days. Sleeping in an airport overnight is horrible, and this will help prevent that from happening.
Be Familiar With Your Rights As A Passenger
Federal law requires airlines to give a full refund if passengers request it after their canceled flight, even if the issue is due to inclement weather. However, you should always talk to the airline before you cancel to see their procedures when booking another flight and ensure you won't have any hidden fees.
Not all airlines offer passengers the option to switch flights. However, the ones that do include United, American Airlines, and JetBlue. Alaska and Delta do, too, depending on the circumstances. But you might have more issues when it comes to Spirit or Frontier.
Some airlines go by a 'significant delay' clause, which means that your flight is delayed by more than two hours due to the weather. Check online to see the policies of the airline that you're traveling with.
Use Whatever Leverage You Have
The predicted chaos could allow travelers to take advantage of lower fees and better flights. However, airlines would rather keep your money than refund you, and they will do their best to accommodate you on another flight.
A trick to get a hold of the airlines is to call their customer service number instead of going to a kiosk within the airport. Customer service operators usually have more leverage and the ability to change your flight. You have a higher chance of being charged extra fees at the airport, whereas the customer service number usually changes everything for free.
Booking through online travel agencies like Expedia typically requires customers to go through these companies for refunds or changes. Booking directly through the airline makes it easier if you do face cancelations or delays.
Find Different Transportation From The Airport
If there is a snowstorm in the city you land in, the trains and buses may operate on a limited schedule, if they continue to operate at all. Also, car rental places tend to close down due to liability issues when the weather is terrible. This can be for ice storms as well as snowstorms.
In this case, you should look into airport car services. That way, you can safely get from point a to point b. The same goes if you find yourself grounded at a transitional airport and don't want to stay the night. An airport car service can bring you to your hotel and return you to the airport for your flight.
Stay Informed
We've all heard the saying that 'knowledge is power,' and it's true. It's better to be stranded with family and friends than at some random airport where you know no one.
If you will miss your connecting flight or your connecting flight is canceled due to weather problems, call the airline and change your travel dates. That way, you can hopefully bypass the chaos altogether.
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