Air Travel Outlook: Uncertainty Reigns
by Michèle McDonald /Hurricane Sandy left the New York metropolitan area’s transportation infrastructure in a shambles, with all three major airports shut down for more than two days, affecting not only domestic service but international flights from around the world.
More than 19,500 flights had been canceled by Wednesday afternoon, with more to come, according to FlightAware.com.
It is difficult to gauge when normal service will be restored, and the timing is complicated by several factors.
LaGuardia under water
Limited service began at Kennedy and Newark on Wednesday, but La Guardia Airport’s status was uncertain. The airport, where much of the area’s domestic flights operate, had been turned into a shallow lake, complete with whitecaps, and there were conflicting reports about when service could resume.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and representatives of JetBlue Airways said the airport had suffered extensive damage and could be closed for some time. Playing it safe, JetBlue said it planned to redeploy some of its La Guardia fleet to Kennedy.
But one onsite observer said the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the region’s airports, had made “much progress” in the removal of the water.
Some airlines, such as Delta and American, were working with the Port Authority to resume limited La Guardia service as early as Thursday.
Messed up on the ground too
“Limited” was the operative word, not only because airlines had to reposition their planes but because ground transportation to and from the airports also was crippled.
Tunnels that connect Manhattan with Long Island, home of Kennedy and La Guardia, and with New Jersey were closed. Subway stations were flooded. Whole fleets of taxis had been submerged in the flood waters.
In short, passengers may be able to fly in, but they could have a tough time getting where they need to go once they land.
And airlines will be unable to resume full service until they can ensure that their employees can get to work and that flight crews are where they need to be.
Elsewhere on the East Coast
JetBlue, the only carrier based in the Northeast, said on Wednesday that it expected “a 90% return to normal operations” at Boston Logan and Bradley in Hartford, Conn., on Wednesday.
The three Washington-area airports also were accepting some flights.
Tight rebooking windows
The Friday before Sandy hit the Eastern Seaboard, airlines began encouraging their passengers to rebook, waiving change fees. But the rebooking windows were generally tight, and with the cuts in capacity over the last two years, travelers were left with little room to maneuver.
Once the magnitude of the storm became apparent, some airlines began widening those windows.
American, for example, is now allowing passengers to complete their travel by Dec. 20. Delta, however, said rebooked travel must begin by Nov. 9. United said travel could be completed within a year of the original ticket issue date.
Confusing policies
At times, the airlines’ policies seemed to create confusion, even defy explanation.
In the aftermath of the storm, the major carriers waited as long as they could to cancel flights, leaving travelers in limbo. If travelers took the initiative to change their plans before the cancellation, they were subject to the usual fees.