(CNN) – Winter is sure to come to the United States with a bang. An Arctic blast and bomb cyclone will push through most of the country as the season officially begins, and that’s bound to bring disruption to millions of holidaymakers.
In fact, just over 1,000 Thursday flights within, in or out of the United States had already been canceled by 19:50. ET Wednesday, according to data from flight tracking site FlightAware.
US air travelers had a decent run over the Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving holidays with mostly favorable weather conditions. But it seems to me for another story for Christmas.
Scott Keyes, founder of discount travel site Scott’s Cheap Flights, told CNN this week that “our luck has finally run out.”
The giant winter storm, which the National Weather Service calls a “once in a generation type event,” will deliver deadly cold, possible blizzards and a proverbial crunch in our travel socks. And it all coincides with a travel season that is returning to full, almost pre-pandemic levels.
AAA, the auto and travel membership club, expects nearly 113 million people to travel over the year-end holiday season.
The number of travelers expected to fly – 7.2 million – is just shy of 7.3 million in 2019.
And when you consider that airlines are operating fewer flights that are more crowded, there is serious potential for a serious mess.
Travelers check in for their flights at Terminal 1 in Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota on Wednesday.
How bad could it get this week?
We can’t know for sure how big a mess Trip will be until the storm unleashes its misery, but it doesn’t look good. On the same subject : The US is suspending 26 Chinese flights in response to the cancellation of flights in China.
“We are looking at major airports affected by delays and cancellations, including Denver, Chicago, Houston, possibly Atlanta, and later in the weekend, highly affected New York area airports as the weather systems move east,” said Kathleen Bangs, a former airline. Pilot and a spokesperson for FlightAware.
“But really, if things play out like the big weather forecasters are predicting, hundreds of airports could be affected.”
Keep your eyes on the Midwest, especially Chicago.
“Chicago is a major hub for American, United and Southwest, and that’s not even counting neighboring Delta hubs Minneapolis and Detroit,” Keyes said.
“Flight disruptions in the Midwest have the potential to snuff out not only people going to Chicago, but millions of passengers whose routes only connect them in Chicago.”
A direct option for air travel that reduces disruption? Change your flight.
Airlines have already been proactive in offering waivers on fees for switching flights, allowing people to bypass trouble spots like Chicago — and dozens of other potentially affected cities — without financial penalty.
The sooner the better, said Keyes, who noted that flights are more packed than they were pre-pandemic in 2019 because, although travel volume is still down, airlines have cut back on flights.
Keyes said Dec. 22 and Dec. 23 are typically the busiest travel days leading up to Christmas. This year it is Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, Thursday will be the most difficult day for travel, according to the CNN Weather Team.
Travelers walk through Terminal 3 at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Monday
The bedeviling nature of winter storms
The bedeviling nature of winter storms
Massive winter storms create all kinds of problems: dangerous cold for travelers and workers, frozen precipitation and high winds. All play havoc with the people to get safely to their destinations.
“With snow events, winds can increase and visibility can decrease for hours, even in a day or two, where airports have to close because … the visibility is too low” to land, Bangs said. To see also : How to Survive the Travel Armageddon of Summer 2022 – Black Girl Geeks.
“And when it comes to ice, that’s where things end,” Bangs said. “Most northern airports are equipped to handle snow, but there is no easy way to conquer widespread ice.”
Some of this is just out of our control.
“There is no amount of safety protocol or preparation that airlines can take that will make it safe to land or take off in the middle of a snowstorm,” Keyes said.
Airline prepare as much as they can with deicing equipment and waivers for changing passenger flights.
Remember that airline and airport workers feel the stress of these storms every bit as much as the passengers. But they have to put safety above the expedition.
“If there are weather-related delays, know that the people who work on the slopes – handling luggage or heavy equipment – do so in bad weather, and some of the jobs carry operational and safety risks,” said Gautam Thakkar, CEO of Unifi Aviation, the largest provider of aviation services in the United States.
“They have to follow precautions and guidelines, and they can’t rush what they do.”
What can airline passengers do to avoid a fiasco?
What can airline passengers do to avoid a fiasco?
• Take advantage of airline travel waivers to leave earlier or reroute. On the same subject : Are you planning to travel this spring? Now is the perfect time to book a flight!.
Bangs said if your flight is cancelled, consider flying on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Although there are fewer flights, there are also fewer passengers.
“Scheduling the first flight of the day is a great way to avoid flight delays,” Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, told CNN Travel in a recent email. “Studies show that the first flights of the day are more likely to depart on time and arrive on time.”
• Leave plenty of time. “The number one thing, and I can’t stress this enough, is that you need to get to the airport early and well before your flight time,” Thakkar said. “If you’re traveling with a lot of luggage or packages to check, for example, arriving two hours early won’t cut it.”
• Pack light. “The best way to ensure that all luggage reaches a traveler’s destination safely is not to check a bag. Packing light and traveling is a great way to save money and have peace of mind that your luggage will make it with you to your Destination does,” said Klee.
• Put your travel tools in order. The FlightAware app and airline apps deliver alerts right to your phone.
If your flight is delayed or canceled, Keyes recommends calling an airline’s international offices instead of competing with scores of other passengers on their domestic lines.
He also encourages travelers to ask about interline agreements between airlines. Your airline could get you to your destination by putting you on another carrier.
A few silver linings
The next few days look daunting, but there are a few things in store for air travel this week.
Bangs points out that US airlines are more fully staffed than they were at this time last year, although there is a drop in experience levels.
The industry group Airlines for America said in a recent media briefing that the industry is adding about 4,600 employees per month. Airlines have increased hiring, reduced capacity and built reserves and buffers to improve performance, the organization said.
And while the flu, RSV and Covid are proving to be a respiratory triple threat, they don’t seem to be creating the havoc with employees that the Omicron strain of Covid did last year around Christmas, Bangs said.
Finally, the timing of Christmas and New Year’s Day could help.
“This year, the travel season will be extended due to Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Sundays,” said Paula Twidale, AAA’s senior vice president of travel, in a statement.
“With hybrid work schedules, we see more people taking long weekends to travel because they can work remotely at their destination and be more flexible with the days they leave and return.”
With a longer calendar to play with, passengers will have more options when it comes to finding new flights. And with the winter weather the United States is expecting, this flexibility may be especially important this holiday season.
Top Image: Workers deice an Alaska Airlines plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Tuesday, December 20. Much of the rest of the United States will see severe weather in the coming days.
