Thunderstorms Continue to Cause Flight Issues in the Northeast

Another round of rolling storms, which forced the FAA to issue ground stops on Tuesday, is making travel difficult for those flying through several major Northeast airports on Wednesday.

According to FlightAware, as of 7 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) were all reporting above-normal flight cancellations and delays because of the storms that ripped through the area on Monday and Monday night.

No airport is impacted more than JFK right now, with close to 60 flights canceled and another 30 delayed.

The good news for travelers is that the National Weather Service expects Wednesday to be better than Tuesday—there is a chance of rain this morning, followed by a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, but that is far from Tuesday’s forecast that called for potentially devastating rain and thunderstorms.

The other good news for travelers is that airlines continue to be flexible with their cancellation policies for those impacted by the weather and its fallout:

• JetBlue: Covering flights through Wednesday, July 22, across 11 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic airports (including JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, DCA and PHL). Passengers can rebook for travel through Sunday, July 26, with no change fees or fare differences, or opt for a full refund if their flight was canceled.
• Delta Air Lines: Issued a waiver for travel through July 22 covering major hubs across the region (JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, DCA, BWI and PHL). Customers can rebook in the same cabin for travel commencing on or before July 25 without paying a fare difference.
• American Airlines: Allowing passengers traveling through affected Northeast hubs (including LGA, JFK, EWR, BOS, DCA and PHL) on July 22 to make a one-time change to their itinerary online without a change fee, provided tickets were purchased prior to the storm system.
• United Airlines: Issued a travel waiver covering its primary East Coast footprint—specifically EWR, JFK, LGA, PHL, BOS, BWI, DCA and Washington-Dulles (IAD). The waiver applies to tickets purchased on or before July 19. Change fees and fare differences are waived for rescheduled flights departing through July 23, provided passengers keep their original city pair and remain in the same cabin.