The Latest on the Upcoming East Coast Nor’easter Threatening Weekend Travel

This story was updated at 8 a.m. EST on Friday, Sept. 25, to include the latest forecast models from AccuWeather and new airline weather waivers from United, American, and Delta.

While the East Coast has dodged the worst of hurricane season so far, a strengthening nor’easter grinding up the coast this weekend is set to cause plenty of headaches for travelers.

The storm is already churning off the Mid-Atlantic and ramping up today. Just how messy things get over the weekend ultimately comes down to the storm’s track, but here’s where things stand right now:

AccuWeather Warns of a Multi-Day Grind

According to the latest from AccuWeather, the fall season’s first big nor’easter is looking increasingly likely to hug the coast and nearly stall off southern New England. That means the area is looking at a drawn-out, multi-day event rather than a quick storm system moving through.

The worst of it should hit late Friday night through Sunday, Sept. 27, with lingering rain hanging around into Monday morning. AccuWeather says to expect wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph along the coast, heavy rain, and a real risk of flash flooding and power outages-especially across eastern Long Island, Cape Cod, Boston, and coastal Maine.

Airlines Roll Out Travel Waivers

JetBlue was the first out of the gate with a waiver on Thursday, but United and American have since followed suit as forecast models worsened. Delta has also posted flexible travel advisories for the region.

If travel advisors have clients flying in or out of the Northeast this weekend, here is what the major carriers are offering:

United Airlines: Covered airports include BOS, EWR, JFK, LGA, BDL, MHT, PHL, PVD, PWM, and ACK for travel between Sept. 25 and Sept. 27. Rebooking fees and fare differences are waived for same-cabin travel.

American Airlines: Advisory covers major Northeast hubs (BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, and PHL) for Sept. 25-27 travel. Clients can move their trips to Sept. 24-29 without paying a fare difference.

JetBlue: Covers NYC-area and New England airports (including JFK, LGA, EWR, HPN, ISP, BOS, PVD, ACK, MVY, and HYA) for Sept. 25-27 travel. Rebooking is penalty-free through Sept. 30.

Delta Air Lines: Delta is encouraging passengers moving through Boston Logan and its NYC hubs to keep a close eye on flight statuses and jump on early rebooking options where available.

Cruise Lines Watching 18-Foot Seas

No major cruise lines have officially pulled the plug on ports yet, but Canada and New England sailings running out of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Cape Liberty, and Boston could be impacted.

In New York City, Manhattan and Brooklyn berths are scheduled to welcome luxury ships like Crystal Symphony and Viking Mars docking alongside Cunard’s iconic Queen Mary 2, which embarks Saturday on an Atlantic Canada voyage, and Norwegian Escape, setting off on a 16-night transatlantic crossing.

Meanwhile, across the harbor at Cape Liberty, Royal Caribbean’s giant Oasis of the Seas and Independence of the Seas are scheduled for weekend departures to Bermuda and the Bahamas, while Boston’s Flynn Cruiseport expects port calls and turnarounds from Norwegian Breakaway and Vision of the Seas.