This is usually a topic that I discuss at DansDeals Seminars, but I haven’t done one of those in a while, so here goes.
Most weather models are forecasting heavy snow this weekend on the east coast. I think that’s it’s very likely that by tonight (or tomorrow at the latest) the airlines will allow free changes and cancellations for tickets booked for travel for Friday-Sunday, with the exact dates varying based on the city.
The airline industry is notorious for sticking it to consumers when they have a change of plans, but weather waivers are one way that consumers can have a leg up on the airlines.
But are you a gambler?
Say you have an award ticket on American from JFK-LAX in June that you know you want to cancel. Most airlines charge about $150 to redeposit those miles. However making a simple date change is free on American, although on other airlines it might set you back $75. You could change the ticket to fly this Saturday and hope the weather waiver falls into place and then you would be able to cancel and get back the miles for free.
Only tickets booked for travel on weather waiver dates before the waiver is issued are eligible for free refunds or cancellations. Once the weather waiver is issued it’s too late.
Same story goes if you want to travel next week on a flight where flights are expensive. For example a flight on American from NYC to Miami on Saturday is $82 while Sunday is $201, but that Saturday flight will be changeable for free, assuming the weather forecast remains on track.
And the same thing applies if you want to travel next week on a flight without award space. United has saver award space from Newark to Tel Aviv this Saturday, but nothing for travel on Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday. Assuming a weather waiver is issued for Saturday travel that would be changeable and most agents can force open award space.
You can hedge your bets as tickets booked on Priceline are cancellable for free until 11:29pm tomorrow. And awards on most airlines besides American can be cancelled within 24 hours of booking for free.
Have you ever used weather waiver policies for your advantage? Hit the comments!
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50 Comments On "East Coast Travel Weather Waivers Will Be Issued Soon, Here’s What You Might Want To Do Beforehand"
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Dan When Do the airlines usually put out the Waiver?
If I have a Sat flight with El Al. Can I have it changed to 2 days earlier and fly on Thursday night? Or do airlines only push off flights to later dates?
@Naphtali:
Once they know that it will for sure happen.
@Abe:
Generally you can move it a couple days earlier or later than the affected travel period, but the exact details won’t be known until each waiver is issued.
is priceline cancellation policy the same even within 7 days of the flight?
Dan, How does it work if I have a flight booked using BA Avios on an American Airline flight. American is telling me that BA must make the changes when a waiver comes out.
But what sort of availability will BA have for me? Can they just put me on any alternate AA flight or only flights with award availability?
How far out do you think you can push the rescheduled flight? Days? Weeks? end of the their schedule?
Dan,
What if I have a hotel reservation and my flight is delayed by a day. What happens with the reservation?
Random question, I would like to cancel a ticket booked a few weeks ago for mid febuary thru orbitz, is there any way to get a full refund or at least a partial refund, can I use the amex $100 airline fee credit for that?
Dan time for another seminar, come to Miami!
Gm, im traveling to tlv sat nite ua newark. Paid using my anex platinum awards (with 30% refund) what do you suggest i do ?????
Doesn’t AA let you switch award flights for same mileage amount of free?
@steve:
Yes.
@avi:
You should be able to get an AA rep to change it for you, just make take some HUCAs.
@Ross:
Days unless you get lucky.
@Mark:
Most hotels will let you cancel/change when there are weather issues.
@Yudi:
Fee credit should work.
@Sam the man:
Wait for the weather waiver.
@american:
Only if the origin and destination cities stay the same.
Question: what’s is you opinion, can I book a ticket for Saturday, and claiming that if I cant be there for Sunday night, I don’t have anything from traveling therefore they should refund me or give me a flight for another occasion for example in middle of the summer, will the airline rather give a refund or rather stay with the money and give me a ticket for whenever I would like? what do you think they will do. Thanks Dan for your service.
I had a flight to Saturday night from JFK to LA Because of the upcoming weather I change my ticket To this Thursday I paid for it out-of-pocket do you think the airline or someone will give me back money and how do I go about this thanks Dan you’re the best
Dan, I assume you are taking responsibility for them issuing the waiver like with the coin selling deals? Please let us know ASAP!!!!
@Joel:
They’ll likely just refund you. YMMV.
@Dov:
Nope.
@henche:
Anything for you henche.
Can I book a sw ticket for Saturday and change it to Thursday before pesach?
@Ash:
No, most airlines will only waive the fare difference for travel a few days before or after the affected dates.
Dan, you wrote:
@avi:
You should be able to get an AA rep to change it for you, just make take some HUCAs.
I called multiple times already to find out what i need to do if an advisory is posted and i keep getting the answer that BA must make the change.
@avi:
It’s a moot point. Until it’s issued nobody can do anything.
Don’t waste your time HUCAing until it’s issued.
How about a round trip where each way is booked on a separate reservation and only the outbound falls within the dates affected?
Will they allow change or cancellation of the inbound as well or will they give me a hard time ?
@avi:
They will allow changes for the inbound as well.
Question:
I’m abroad. My return ticket is scheduled for next Thursday the 28th. I want to return to the states earlier, hopefully leaving here Thursday the 21st. Can I use this policy to avoid paying a penalty fee? This ticket was purchased directly through American Airlines, not with points or miles.
Thanks!
I have a scheduled trip to E’y in March that i booked on the air canada glitch. Would love to cancel them. Is this weather waiver applicable?
@Dan:
lol!
Similar question to MirG. We have tickets to Scottsdale Wednesday (1/27-2/2). Do you think the waiver will include that? Can we get a refund or only change dates? For 250 tickets they want 200 change fee.
@Dan:
(lol was about Henche)
Will the foreign airlines like Aeroflot also have a waiver? how was it in the past?
#PrayingForAWeatherWaiver
Flight moved to Shabbas.
fyi… its starting. united just posted their notice
https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/news/Pages/travelnotices.aspx
Event Travel to/from/connecting through Original travel date(s) Additional information
Winter Storm Jonas Airports:
Albany, NY (ALB)
Allentown, PA (ABE)
Asheville, NC (AVL)
Baltimore, MD (BWI)
Binghamton, NY (BGM)
Boston, MA (BOS)
Charleston, WV (CRW)
Charlottesville, VA (CHO)
Hartford, CT (BDL)
Lexington, KY (LEX)
Manchester, NH (MHT)
Harrisburg, PA (MDT)
Knoxville, TN (TYS)
New York, NY (LGA – LaGuardia)
New York/Newark, NJ (EWR – Liberty)
Norfolk, VA (ORF)
Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)
Providence, RI (PVD)
Raleigh/Durham, NC (RDU)
Richmond, VA (RIC)
Roanoke, VA (ROA)
State College, PA (SCE)
Washington, DC (IAD – Dulles)
Washington, DC (DCA – National)
White Plains, NY (HPN – Westchester)
Wilkes Barre/Scranton, PA (AVP)
​​ Original travel date(s):
January 22-24, 2016
Flight changes:
The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new flights departing on or before January 20-27, 2016, as long as travel is rescheduled in the same cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.​​
And God said, “Let there be light.”
https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/news/Pages/travelnotices.aspx
Dan, have you ever had experience getting a weather change from one outbound airport to another? Or is that a stretch? Of course im also banking on aa changing my avios ticket and moving it 2 weeks ahead.. Thanks!
Dan I have an award AA (BA Avios so Refudable either way) flight Sunday Morning -3 family members & a paid return Wednesday night 27th.
If we cannot get out on Sunday Morning & cancel the trip –
Am I stuck with JetBlue and lose everything for the way back since it will be outside the window?
I used points for the JetBlue flights
Current weather forecast for NYC area is only 2 – 4 inches, downgraded from a foot of snow, FYI
@avi:
You should be able to get an AA rep to change it for you, just make take some HUCAs
Dan, Assuming AA will make the changes – will they do it for any flight with 3 open seats or only where there is saver award space?
I booked BA avios Sunday Morning LGA-PBI.
If I need it changed to Monday Morning – will AA only change it based on Award availability for Monday or based on any open seats?
Dan, have you ever had success changing outbound airports (same region) on a weather change? How about moving it 2 weeks? You think thats a stretch?
@Jack: I had luck dropping a leg on a domestic connection to an international flight- BOS-PHL-TLV (recall the cheap USAir tix from a couple of years ago) because of bad weather in the region, claiming that I was concerned about missing the connection. It took lots of HUCA though. Also, BOS was a mess that week if I recall.
BH
I have a flight sunday morning from MIA to JFK on jetblue booked via priceline? whens the latest i can change it to saturday night?
@Dan: Even if its 2 airlines?
My flight leaves la guardia Friday at 7am to Florida. Do you think I should change it to leave Thursday?
Doesn’t AA charge a $75 close-in fee if the ticket date is changed to a date within 21 days?
Does Spirit Airlines provide travel weather waivers?
will they refund car rentals based on the weather too?
DAN! These are our sooper seekrits! You’re just gonna tell everyone them all?!
What do you know about aeromexico – my flight is scheduled for sat night I planned to fly to Miami for the weekend and then catch a new flight from MIA if they would make the change but they want $200 a passenger any suggestions on how I can get them to change the tickets for me at minimal cost?
@OH NO: I agree, i read this and said, Dan needs to make money off his site, so he risks blowing it for all. People have been traveling for many years and thats how we learned all of this. With all due respect. Dan, may i suggest you leave such things for Dans Deals seminars. You know this is sensitive information and you know there are alot of people that stand to loose from this.
Gamble payed off! Was able to redeposit miles on American for no fee. Thanks Dan
spirit waiver is only for fri and saturday, have a 9:30am sunday flight. customer service wouldn’t move it. would spirit put us on a later flight, like 12pm, if 9:30 was too snowy? praying for no snow!!!!! thank you please advise really need to make this flight iyh have a good Shabbos
Dan: I booked my Delta tickets to E”Y through orbitz. Called Delta to reschedule & was told I must go through orbitz. On the phone holding for over an hour. Do they honor the Airlines Advisory ?
Anyone have any suggestions on how to get some money back for flights getting cancelled/bumped due to the weather? We changed the initial flight and it has since been cancelled twice. We lost 2 days of our trip. will Amex cover any of this?