A winter storm is upending travel plans across the Southeast on Tuesday.
Winter storm warnings are in effect for parts of Louisiana through the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service. As of 3:15 p.m. ET, more than 2,100 U.S. flights have been canceled and more than 2,500 others are delayed, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
The bulk of those cancellations were announced Monday ahead of the storm’s impact. They include one in five United Airlines flights and more than one in 10 Southwest Airlines flights. Both George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston have temporarily suspended operations. Nearly 90% of flights out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are also canceled.
Airlines are offering travel waivers to impacted travelers. Here’s what you’re owed if your flight is canceled or delayed by the storm.
Weather waivers vary by airline and airport and only apply to certain windows of time, so be sure to check the details for yours below.
If your flight is canceled for any reason, you are entitled to a refund if you choose not to travel.
When a flight is canceled for reasons within an airline’s control, travelers who choose to stick it out are eligible for compensation or accommodations, like rebooking on another flight or airline at no added cost, lodging or meal vouchers, and other benefits. Weather is notably outside an airline’s control.
The Department of Transportation has created a dashboard for travelers to easily access information about services U.S. airlines provide in the case of controllable cancellations or delays.
Click here to access the DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard.
According to the DOT, a controllable cancellation or delay is one caused by the airline itself. Controllable reasons include maintenance or crew problems, cabin cleaning, baggage loading and fueling. Things like weather or air traffic control flow programs do not count against the airline.
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A new DOT rule that went into effect in late October requires airlines to refund passengers if their flight is significantly delayed for reasons within the carrier’s control. It also makes airlines more responsible for following their own customer commitments in those cases.
If your flight is delayed significantly for a reason within the airline’s control, you are entitled to a refund if you choose not to travel. If you decide to stick it out, you may be entitled to some compensation or accommodation, including rebooking on another flight or airline at no cost, meal and lodging vouchers for qualifying delays, and other benefits if the delay was controllable.
No U.S. airlines currently offer cash compensation for delays, but the big four (American, Delta, Southwest and United) all offer hotel and ground transportation vouchers for controllable overnight delays.
Airline-specific details can be found on the DOT’s dashboard.
The DOT defines a significant delay as a departure or arrival that is three hours late or more for a domestic flight, or six hours late or more for an international flight.
Look up your airline’s policies and be your own advocate. Get in touch with the airline however you can, whether it’s through the app, through social media, by phone or at the airport help desk if you’re already on your way.
It’s good to have some alternative flights in mind when you speak to an agent, and be sure to ask for any accommodation or refunds you may be entitled to if you plan to take advantage of those policies.
Contributing: Josh Rivera, USA TODAY
(This story was updated with new information.)
