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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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U.S. airlines have rolled out widespread travel waivers and begun canceling select flights as a powerful winter storm threatens to bring heavy snow, sleet and ice across two dozen states heading into the weekend.
Why It Matters
Forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS) have warned that the storm could create treacherous travel conditions, power outages and tree damage from the South to the Northeast, with ripple effects likely across airline networks, meaning travelers may face rebooking challenges and cascading delays even at airports far from the storm.
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What To Know
Major carriers—including Delta, American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit—have issued waivers allowing fee-free changes for affected itineraries within specified windows.
Meanwhile, consumer guidance emphasizes monitoring airline apps for faster rebooking and understanding refund rights if flights are canceled or significantly changed.
Delta Air Lines canceled flights at select airports in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee and said it would automatically rebook customers on the next-best itinerary while offering fee-free changes within its waiver terms.
The other major airlines have announced similar flexibility across affected regions, with details varying by carrier and date window. The airlines urged travelers to use mobile apps and websites to manage changes.
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Airline Refund Law
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires airlines to provide a refund if a flight is canceled or if passengers experience a significant delay and choose not to travel, regardless of the reason, including weather.
In the United States, when an airline cancels a flight or makes a significant change—including long delays—the carrier must provide a full refund, even for nonrefundable tickets, if the passenger chooses not to travel or declines rebooking, as required under the DOT's automatic refund rule.
Airlines are generally not required to provide hotel or meal vouchers when the disruption is caused by weather or other uncontrollable events.
The DOT's automatic refund rule also requires airlines to notify passengers promptly when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, including informing them of their right to a refund before offering vouchers or alternative compensation.
The rule was created because airlines previously set their own refund standards, often making the process confusing or inconsistent for passengers. The new regulation establishes universal, uniform refund criteria, eliminating the former patchwork system.
Delta Flight Refund Policy
Delta said winter weather could affect flights across the Southern Plains and Southeast, including its Atlanta hub, and that it had canceled select flights. The airline said it would automatically rebook customers and allow fee-free changes for eligible itineraries within its waiver terms.
Delta allows passengers to cancel refundable tickets for a full refund and will also issue refunds when a flight is canceled or significantly delayed—defined as delays of three hours or more domestically or six hours internationally—if the traveler declines rebooking.
Nonrefundable tickets generally receive an eCredit minus any applicable fees unless the disruption meets those significant‑change thresholds, per the airline's website.
For customer assistance, Delta's main U.S. reservations and customer service line is 1‑800‑221‑1212. Call 1-800-847-0578 for refund status.
American Airlines Refund Policy
American Airlines expanded flexibility across hubs such as Dallas–Fort Worth and Charlotte and allowed affected customers to shift travel within the storm period without change fees, according to Reuters and NBC New York.
American Airlines allows full refunds on refundable tickets, while most nonrefundable fares are only refundable in limited situations, such as when the airline cancels the flight or makes a major schedule change, or when the customer qualifies under the 24‑hour risk‑free cancellation rule.
Passengers can request a refund or check its status directly through American's online refund portal if the ticket was purchased from the airline.
American Airlines directs customers with compliments, concerns or questions about past travel to its customer relations team, which can be reached through the airline's online customer relations form.
Passengers may also send correspondence by mail to American Airlines Customer Relations, P.O. Box 619619, DFW Airport, TX 75261‑9616.
United, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit: Key Waiver Details
United issued a waiver spanning much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and parts of the Carolinas and Ohio Valley, including Newark and Washington-area operations, allowing affected customers to shift travel without change fees or fare differences if they keep the same itinerary and cabin, according to Reuters.
Southwest said disruptions were likely across parts of the South and East Coast and offered flexibility to rebook or travel standby within a two-week window. It also said canceled or significantly delayed flights might be eligible for refunds under its policies.
JetBlue issued a Northeast-focused waiver covering New York- and Boston-area airports and said it would waive change and cancel fees for travel to and from 11 cities from January 24 to 26.
Ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier said travelers could request a refund if flights were canceled or delayed more than three hours domestically or six hours internationally, while Spirit waived modification charges and fare differences across 13 cities for travel between January 23 and 25, according to Reuters.
What People Are Saying
Dan DePodwin, the vice president of forecasting operations at AccuWeather, said: "This will likely result in thousands of flight cancellations on Saturday, Sunday and Monday."
Commercial pilot Kathleen Bangs told Fox Weather: "I do advise to go on the app if you need to make a change. The key is don't wait, as soon as you get on there, as soon as you can, try and either change that flight or see what you can do with the flight that was missed. If you decide, 'Well, now I no longer want to travel,' don't just let that go. You want to jump on that and make that change."
What Happens Next
Airlines advised travelers to check flight status frequently and use mobile apps and websites for the fastest rebooking as the storm advances, and forecasters said ripple effects could extend beyond the affected region due to aircraft and crew repositioning.
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