Airlines Issue Waivers Ahead of Northeast Winter Storm

The first major winter storm of 2024 is expected to hit the Northeast and mid-Atlantic U.S. this weekend, and airlines are expecting some significant changes to their schedules.

The National Weather Service (NWS) on Thursday issued several winter storm watches, broadly covering the area between North Carolina and Maine.

While the forecast is changing, the expectation from the NWS is that some level of snow will fall in the Northeast, impacting travel from New York, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Boston, and more. The expected snow totals vary city by city, including up to 6 inches in Boston, up to 4 in New York and Philadelphia, and up to 3 in Baltimore and D.C.

In anticipation of the storm, airlines have issued travel waivers for this weekend. Here is the latest:

American Airlines
American issues its waiver for those scheduled to travel on Jan. 6 and 7 to, from, or through the following airports:

Albany, New York (ALB), Allentown, Pennsylvania (ABE), Baltimore, Maryland (BWI), Bangor, Maine (BGR), Boston, Massachusetts (BOS), Burlington, Vermont (BTV), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (MDT), Hartford, Connecticut (BDL), Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT), New York Kennedy, New York (JFK), New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA), Newark, New Jersey (EWR), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PIT), Portland, Maine (PWM), Providence, Rhode Island (PVD), Salisbury/Ocean City, Maryland (SBY), State College, Pennsylvania (SCE), Syracuse, New York (SYR), Washington Dulles, Washington D.C. (IAD), Washington Reagan, Washington D.C. (DCA), White Plains/Westchester County, New York (HPN), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania (AVP), Worcester, Massachusetts (ORH).

Tickets must have been purchased by Jan. 3 and can be rescheduled without fees through Jan. 12 as long as the cabin class and origin and destination remain the same.

Delta Air Lines
Delta issued its waiver yesterday for travel on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 to, from, or through the following cities and airports:

Albany (ALB), Allentown (ABE), Baltimore (BWI), Bangor (BGR), Binghamton (BGM), Boston (BOS), Charleston (CRW), Charlottesville (CHO), Harrisburg (MDT), Hartford (BDL), New York Kennedy (JFK), New York LaGuardia (LGA), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), Pittsburgh (PIT), Portland (PWM), Providence (PVD), Washington D.C. Dulles (IAD), Washington D.C. Reagan (DCA), and White Plains (HPN).

Those traveling through the above airports, on the 6 or 7, can rebook for travel on or before Jan. 12 in the same class of service with the fare difference waived. Ticket holders can also cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for one year from the original ticket issuance. 

JetBlue
JetBlue’s waiver also runs on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7, to, from, and through the following airports:

Albany, NY (ALB), Boston, MA (BOS), Buffalo, NY (BUF), Hartford, CT (BDL), Newark, NJ (EWR), New York, NY (JFK), New York, NY (LGA), Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Pittsburgh, PA (PIT), Providence, RI (PVD), Rochester, NY (ROC), Syracuse, NY (SYR), Westchester County, NY (HPN), Worcester, MA (ORH).

JetBlue’s waiver allows for rebooking through Jan. 10 without cancellation or change fees or fare differences.

Southwest
Southwest is offering free changes, with the fare difference waived, for those traveling on Jan. 6 or 7 from, to, or through:

Albany, NY (ALB), Baltimore, MD (BWI), Boston (Logan), MA (BOS), Hartford, CT (BDL), Long Island/Islip, NY (ISP), Manchester, NH (MHT), New York (LaGuardia), NY (LGA), Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Portland, ME (PWM), Providence, RI (PVD), Syracuse, NY (SYR), Washington (Dulles), D.C. (IAD), Washington (Reagan National), D.C. (DCA).

Those who want to change their plans can rebook in the original class of service or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city pairs) without paying additional charges.

United Airlines
United is offering its waiver, also for travel on Jan. 6 and 7, for the following airports:

Allentown, PA, US (ABE), Albany, NY, US (ALB), Hartford, CT, US (BDL), Boston, MA, US (BOS), Burlington, VT, US (BTV), New York/Newark, NJ, US (EWR), New York, NY, US (JFK), New York, NY, US (LGA), Manchester, NH, US (MHT), Philadelphia, PA, US (PHL), Providence, RI, US (PVD), Portland, ME, US (PWM).

United is allowing travel to be rescheduled without change fees and fare difference waived for travel through Jan. 12. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.