What to do if your flight gets canceled due to winter storms
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The Brief
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- You are entitled to a refund if your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed this weekend – regardless of the reason – but only if you choose not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers or other forms of compensation offered by the airline.
- If you want to rebook your flight, do it as soon as you learn your flight is delayed or canceled. Speed is your friend here.
Flight cancellations are likely this weekend as a massive winter storm is expected to cripple much of the U.S.
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With more than 150 million people under a winter storm watch or warning, you may want to be proactive and not wait until the airline cancels your flight. Here’s what you can do:
What if my flight is canceled?
Big picture view:
If your flight is canceled, airlines will book you on another flight. Sometimes, they’ll partner with competing airlines to offer seats on other flights when the airline you’re flying with can’t accommodate.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, you are entitled to a refund if your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed – regardless of the reason – but only if you choose not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers or other forms of compensation offered by the airline.
A flight information board displays delayed, cancelled, and on time flights at the Miami International Airport on November 10, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
If you want to rebook your flight, do it as soon as you learn your flight is delayed or canceled. Try re-booking it quickly online, with the app or at the kiosk. If the airline’s phone number is backlogged, try calling through the international number – according to The Points Guy. If that doesn’t work, then try a ticketing agent. Speed is your friend here.
What they’re saying:
“I do advise to go on the app if you need to make a change,” commercial pilot Kathleen Bangs told FOX Weather. “The key is don’t wait, as soon as you get on there, as soon as you can, try and either change that flight or see what you can do with the flight that was missed. If you decide, ‘Well, now I no longer want to travel,’ don’t just let that go. You want to jump on that and make that change.”
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Winter storm travel waivers
Dig deeper:
The following airlines are offering travel waivers ahead of this weekend’s winter storm. This allows passengers to rebook their flights without penalty.
American Airlines
Passengers with flights to, from or through certain airports between Jan. 23-25 may rebook without penalty. The tickets must have been purchased on or before Jan. 19 and all changes must be made by Jan. 25 for travel by Jan. 28. Details can be found on the American Airlines website.
Delta Air Lines
Passengers with flights to, from or through certain airports between Jan. 23-25 may rebook without penalty. New flights must be booked by Jan. 28 for travel no later than Jan. 28. More details can be found on Delta’s website.
United Airlines
Passengers traveling to, from or through certain airports in Texas between Jan. 23-25 with a ticket purchased on or before Jan. 20 can reschedule their flight. The new flight must be on or before Jan. 29. More details can be found on United’s website.
Spirit Airlines
Passengers traveling to, from or through certain airports between Jan. 23-25 can reschedule their flight. The new flight must be on or before Jan. 28. More details can be found on Spirit’s website.
Southwest Airlines
Passengers traveling to, from or through certain airports between Jan. 23-26 can reschedule their flight. The new flight must be within 14 days of the original travel date. More details can be found on Southwest’s website.
Will I get reimbursed for a hotel or food?
No. Airlines will not provide a hotel, food or other reimbursements if a delay or cancellation is due to weather, which is considered outside the airline’s control.
United Airlines exec on flight reductions amid shutdown, what passengers should know
United says it will be making “rolling updates” to its flight schedules.
ByAyesha Ali and Sam Sweeney
November 7, 2025, 12:15 PM
4:01
Flight capacity will be reduced by 10% at 40 major airports: FAAThe Federal Aviation Administration will reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 major airports across the country, officials announced during a press conference on Wednesday.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Major airlines are complying with the Federal Aviation Administration’s call to reduce flight schedules starting Friday, with some carriers already beginning to cancel flights.
But in an interview with ABC News, United Airlines’ chief customer officer, David Kinzelman, said most travelers will be unaffected by the small number of cancellations, and the airline is aiming to have the least amount of impact on its passengers.
“We are going to cancel about 4% of our schedule in certain markets over the next several days,” Kinzelman said.
“The good news here for customers is we’re getting those cancellations in today for tomorrow through Sunday. That will help customers who might be traveling over the weekend to be able to look for alternatives during that course. And keep in mind, it’s select cancellations through select markets. United’s a large airline, so we are confident that we’ll be able to reaccommodate customers and still meet their travel needs,” Kinzelman added.
The airline has listed the flight cancellations on a special website along with other information for travelers.
A company spokesperson told ABC News that about half of United customers who had their flights canceled were able to be rebooked within 4 hours of their original departure time.
Delta Air Lines said it has already canceled around 170 of its flights for Friday. The airline says it expects the number to be lower on Saturday due to the low travel volume.
American Airlines plans to cancel 220 of its 6,000 flights each day through the weekend and has already begun to notify passengers.
Best Advice
Experts say the best advice is to download the airline’s app so you can be easily notified and rebooked if your flight is canceled. Morning flights are also the least impacted by cancellations and delays; additionally, they allow more time to find an alternate flight if there is an issue.
International flights will not be impacted
American, Delta and United have stressed that their long-haul, international flights will not be impacted by the flight cuts.
The airlines are also saying that flights between their hubs are also not expected to be impacted.
What does this mean?
If you are flying from Newark Liberty International Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport on United or Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on American, or vice versa, those flights are not expected to be impacted as they are hubs for United and American Airlines.
United Airlines says it will be making “rolling updates” to its flight schedules as the shutdown continues to help notify travelers in advance and minimize disruptions.
What travelers should expect at airports as FAA cuts flights across the country
Delta said it plans to notify travelers at least a day in advance of any cancellations, similar to how the airline operates during a weather-related cancellation.
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All three airlines have also waived their flight change and cancellation fees and are allowing customers to get a refund if they choose not to fly during this time.
How are airlines deciding which flights to cut?
United is trying to cut flights where it operates multiple flights at different domestic airports, according to Kinzelman.
The reductions are happening after the summer travel rush and before the peak holiday travel period, which will allow airlines to prevent mass cancellations.
Where could we see those cuts?
The majority of cuts are anticipated to be on regional flights. These are flights operated between smaller airports and major hubs on small planes. Planes like the Bombardier CRJ are most commonly used on regional flights, which can typically seat between 50 to 80 passengers.
What might airlines do?
To accommodate a larger volume of passengers, airlines might swap out smaller planes for bigger planes like the Boeing 787or Boeing 777. These bigger planes can fit double and even up to five times more passengers on a flight compared to smaller planes like the CRJ regional jet. The bigger aircraft are generally operated on long-haul and international flights.
However, aviation experts warn that the flight reductions will result in a travel mess.
“It’s going to be heavily chaotic because the FAA and DOT are giving airlines only 48 hours to start to make these changes,” Henry Harvedelt, president of Atmosphere Research, told ABC News. “I believe what will also happen is we’ll see changes on Friday differ from those made on Saturday. The airlines may change the schedule again on Sunday. So it’s going to be really, really chaotic and hugely, hugely disruptive for the traveling public.”
80% of NYC-area air traffic controllers absent amid ‘surge’ in callouts: FAA
In a LinkedIn post, which has since been deleted, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle advised travelers to book a backup ticket on another carrier to avoid being stranded at an airport.
“Don’t book a basic ticket. For example, book Economy on Frontier so you can reuse the ticket value as changes are free or you can get a credit. If your flight is cancelled your chances of being stranded are high so I would simply have a backup ticket on another airline,” Biffle posted.
These reductions come as Airlines for America, an airline trade group, projects a record high of 31 million people to fly over the Thanksgiving holiday period between Friday, Nov. 21, and Monday, Dec. 1.
Claim compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight
If your flight is cancelled or delayed, you may be entitled to refreshments, accommodation and compensation. Find out how to claim.
In this article
- Can I claim compensation for a flight delay?
- Can I get compensation if my flight is cancelled?
- Flight delays: what assistance you’re entitled to
- How to claim compensation for a delayed flight
- How much compensation you’re entitled to
- Compensation for connecting flights
- What are extraordinary circumstances?
- How to challenge extraordinary circumstances
View more links
Can I claim compensation for a flight delay?
If your flight is delayed, you have certain protections providing the flight departed from a UK or EU airport or was operated by a UK or European airline.
Providing the delay was the airline’s fault, UK law and EU regulations apply (Denied boarding regulations – Regulation 261).
The compensation due depends on the length of the delay and the distance you are flying; starting at £220 and rising to £520.
You have up to six years to submit a claim. Use our free flight delay compensation tool to make a claim.
If you’re travelling with a non-EU based airline flying from a destination outside of the UK or EU, the airline doesn’t have the same duty to look after you. But you can check the airline’s Conditions of Carriage to see what compensation you are entitled to.
Make a claim for a flight delay or cancellation
If you travelled to or from a UK airport and your flight was delayed or cancelled, our free tool can calculate what compensation you’re entitled to and help you make a claim. Start your claim
Can I get compensation if my flight is cancelled?
If your flight has been cancelled, you could be entitled to a refund or an alternative flight, food, phone calls and accommodation and/or compensation.
Check out our full guide on your flight cancellation rights.
When you’re entitled to assistance
| Type of flight | Distance | How long you have to wait |
|---|---|---|
| Short-haul | Up to 1,500km (932 miles)Flight time is usually about two hours or less | two hours or more |
| Medium-haul | Between 1,500km – 3,500km (932-2,175 miles)Flight time is usually between two about four hours | three hours or more |
| Long-haul | More than 3,500km (2,175 miles)Flight time is usually more than four hours | four hours or more |
Flight delays: what assistance you’re entitled to
What assistance you’re entitled to depends on the distance of your flight and how long you’re delayed.
Each passenger can claim flight delay compensation, providing the delay wasn’t due to ‘extraordinary circumstances‘.
Sometimes, airlines may advise you to make alternative travel arrangements or arrange your own food and accommodation.
If you’re asked to do this, you should keep hold of all your receipts and ensure your costs are reasonable. Some airlines will provide information on what reasonable costs are, so it’s very unlikely that you’d be refunded for alcohol or luxury hotels.
Make a claim for a flight delay
If you travelled to or from a UK airport and your flight was delayed or cancelled, use our free tool to calculate what compensation you’re entitled to and make a claim.Start your claim
Delay of more than two hours
If your flight’s delayed for at least two hours and depending on how far you’re flying, your airline has to give you:
- A means for you to communicate (often a refund of the cost of your calls)
- Free meals and refreshments appropriate to the delay (often given as vouchers)
- Free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required (often a nearby hotel)
- Transport to and from your accommodation, or your home if you’re close enough to stay there
When there are no airline staff around to provide the above or the airline simply refuses you are within your rights to purchase food and drink and book a taxi or hotel, if required for an overnight stay, and claim those costs back. Make sure you keep the receipts, and be aware that it can take several months to claim the money from your airline
Delay of more than five hours
If your flight is delayed for more than five hours you’re entitled to choose between being rerouted on a different flight or getting a refund, just as if your flight had been cancelled.
And each affected passenger is still entitled to claim flight delay compensation if the delay is not due to extraordinary circumstances.
You can make a claim up to six years after the delayed or cancelled flight if your flight flew in or out of a UK airport.
How to claim compensation for a delayed flight
If your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late, each affected passenger is entitled to claim flight delay compensation.
The distance of your flight, length and the reason for the delay will affect how much compensation you can claim.
The Civil Aviation Authority provides further information on how to write a good claim.
How much compensation you’re entitled to
Depending on the distance of your flight and the length, and reason for your delay, you could be entitled to claim compensation.
If you are delayed more than five hours and decide that you do not want to travel, you are entitled to a refund.
| Flight distance | Duration of delay | Entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500km (932 miles) | More than 3 hours | £220 / €250 |
| 1,500km-3,500 km (2,175 miles) | More than 3 hours | £350 / €400 |
| More than 3,500km (2,175 miles) | Less than 4 hours | £260 / €300 |
| More than 3,500km (2,175 miles) | More than 4 hours | £520 / €600 |
These compensation amounts apply to:
- Flights departing from a UK airport
- Flights departing from any country and arriving at a UK airport, with an EU or UK airline
- Flights departing from any country and arriving at an EU airport with a UK airline.
If you’re flying between two EU airports with a non-UK airline, then the EU version of the rules (EC261) will apply and your compensation will be paid in euros.
Compensation for connecting flights
Passengers flying with a non-EU airline are entitled to compensation if a flight departing from the UK is delayed by at least three hours at the final destination as a result of a missed connection outside Europe.
This means that European guidelines on passenger rights during disruption are now clear, the final destination of a connecting flight is the last airport listed on the passenger’s ticket.
For example, if you are flying from London to Sydney with a stopover in Singapore and the Singapore to Sydney portion of your journey is delayed by more than three hours, you are entitled to claim flight delay compensation.
If you missed a flight connection because your first flight was delayed, then you are entitled to a flight back to your original departure point.
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What are extraordinary circumstances?
If the airline can prove the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances, it won’t have to pay you compensation.
Extraordinary circumstances are situations beyond the control of the airline.
List of extraordinary circumstances for flight delays
- A security risk
- Unlawful acts
- Political instability
- Drone disruption
- Long security queues
- Severe weather that makes flying dangerous
- Restricted Air Traffic Control operations
- Strikes by non-airline staff (eg baggage handlers employed by the airport)
Staff shortages and strikes by airline staff are not usually considered an extraordinary circumstance. See our guide on what to expect from your airline in the event of a strike.
Although you are not entitled to financial compensation when there’s an extraordinary circumstance, you are entitled to assistance when your flight is delayed.
Assistance can include meals, refreshments, accommodation and hotel transfers, as explained earlier.
Key Information
A ‘technical problem’ is not an extraordinary circumstance
Van der Lans v KLM
The European Court of Justice ruled that ‘a technical problem’ is not one of the extraordinary circumstances that airlines can use as a valid defence against paying flight delay compensation.
How to challenge extraordinary circumstances
Airlines may stretch the definition of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ further than they should, so it is worth challenging your airline if you don’t agree that there were extraordinary circumstances involved.
For example, if you’re told you can’t fly due to weather conditions but other flights are departing, you could challenge whether the adverse weather really was the genuine cause of the delay.
There may be some circumstances in which you can claim – for example, if your flight is delayed due to knock-on effects resulting from an extraordinary circumstance.
For example, if on Wednesday morning there was drone disruption at the airport, delays that day would be classed as an extraordinary circumstance.
But if you travelled on Thursday after the drone disruption took place, and your flight was delayed as a result of it, this would be seen as a knock-on effect and you could be entitled to a make claim.
Can I claim for extra out-of-pocket expenses for a delayed flight?
As well as the compensation, you might also be entitled to claim for any extra out-of-pocket expenses under the Montreal Convention.
For example, these could include if the flight delay or cancellation caused you to:
- Miss a night of pre-booked accommodation
- Miss a concert or event you’d bought tickets to
- Miss a day of car rental, which you’d already paid for
However, this can be quite a tricky legal argument. If you’d like to know if you may be entitled to additional compensation the Which? Legal advice service offers advice.
How to appeal your airline’s decision
If you have an unresolved complaint about an airline, it is required to inform you that you can escalate the complaint to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) holds a list of approved providers of ADR schemes and the airlines they cover.
Please note the Civil Aviation Authority can only help you if the flight was cancelled or delayed within the UK, or was on a UK based airline. If your flight was cancelled or delayed outside the UK, you will need to complain to the airline regulator in the country the delay occurred in.
Regardless of whether you choose to use a CAA-approved ADR scheme, you still have the right to take an airline to the small claims court if you feel it is unfairly refusing your compensation. But it’s a good idea to seek legal advice before taking this step.
