Plus, what to do if your flight is delayed.
Many travelers Monday found their flights significantly delayed or cancelled because of heavy rains affecting several East Coast airports that had knock-on effects across the country.
Airlines scrubbed over 2,000 flights Monday, with the New York City, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia airports most heavily affected, although there were cancellations at many other airports across the country as aircraft and crews remained out of place because of delays and cancellations.
A total of 34% of scheduled flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport were cancelled Monday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Twenty-eight percent of flights were cancelled at Newark Liberty International Airport, while 27% of flights were scrubbed at Washington’s Reagan National Airport.
Other airports, including Houston Bush Intercontinental, Denver International, Orlando International, and Dallas-Fort Worth International, experienced higher-than-normal percentages of delayed flights, even as cancellations remained comparatively low to the most affected airports in the northeast.
United Airlines has issued a travel advisory for passengers booked to fly from Newark Liberty, New York LaGuardia, or New York Kennedy airports on Tuesday, allowing passengers with tickets purchased on or before July 12 to rebook a new flight without fare difference or change fee through July 18.
The Federal Aviation Administration has forecasted that some airports may continue to be affected Tuesday, with ground stops or delay programs possible for many airports throughout the day, including those at San Francisco, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Denver.
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What to Do If Your Flight Has Been Delayed
The best tool passengers have at their disposal if their flight has been delayed or cancelled is the airline’s mobile app. Many airlines will rebook passengers automatically following a cancellation, a significant delay, or a delay that will cause them to miss a connecting flight.
The airline’s app will also give passengers easy access to the airline’s customer service commitment and contract of carriage, both of which outline what the airline has pledged to do to accommodate passengers whose journeys have been disrupted. In most cases, airlines will not provide accommodations aside from rebooking on the next available flight for weather delays, although some airlines may offer additional amenities to elite frequent fliers or premium cabin passengers at their discretion.
Passengers whose flights have been delayed or cancelled should check the app first. If their flight hasn’t been automatically rebooked, many airlines will turn on functionality allowing passengers to choose a new flight at no additional cost on their own, or cancel their flights and request a refund if they elect not to travel. Some airlines will also send hotel or meal vouchers via their app or text message, if applicable.
Most airlines request that passengers with cancelled or delayed flights should check their app or contact them via phone for rebooking before heading to the airport to prevent crowding ticket counters and gate areas.
Travel insurance can also help make up the gaps for travelers who incur expenses that airlines won’t cover because a delay is beyond their control (like weather). Many travel insurance plans outline what expenses they’ll reimburse for, and what length of delay is required before the coverage will apply. Be sure to take screenshots of any delay notification provided by the airline to submit as documentation of the delay.
More delays could pile on in the coming week. The National Hurricane Center is currently monitoring a tropical depression east of Florida for the possibility it could strengthen into a tropical storm in the coming days. The progression of the system is currently projected to cross Florida into the Gulf region before making landfall again somewhere on the Gulf Coast later in the week.