Major U.S. airlines are allowing passengers to change weekend flights without fees as a powerful nor’easter approaches the Northeast, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and coastal flooding.
United Airlines, American Airlines, and JetBlue have issued weather waivers covering flights from Friday through Sunday at airports along the East Coast. The waivers apply to flights scheduled through September 27, with rebooking deadlines extending to September 29 or 30 depending on the airline.
United’s waiver covers 10 airports from Philadelphia to Portland, Maine, for flights between September 25 and 27. Passengers can reschedule eligible trips through September 29 without paying a fare difference, provided they remain in the same cabin and travel between the same cities as their original itinerary.
American Airlines is offering similar flexibility at 16 airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington Dulles International, Philadelphia International, and the three major New York-area airports: John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty International. Travelers with eligible American flights can move their trips to as late as September 29 without a change fee or fare difference.
JetBlue, which operates extensively in New York and Boston, is waiving change and cancellation fees as well as fare differences for eligible travel at 11 affected airports. Customers can rebook covered flights through September 30, and passengers whose flights are canceled can request a refund.
The National Weather Service has issued wind and coastal flood alerts as the storm approaches New England. Federal forecasters warn of high winds, heavy rainfall, and the potential for dangerous flooding through the weekend. As of Friday morning, there were minimal delays and few cancellations set for the weekend, though airlines are still assessing the storm’s potential impact.
Airlines typically cancel a significant portion of their schedules during severe storms to ensure safety, but carriers are still determining the nor’easter’s exact path. The potential disruptions follow an equipment outage on Monday that forced carriers to cancel hundreds of flights bound for the New York area and Philadelphia.
Passengers with affected itineraries are advised to check their airline’s specific waiver terms and monitor updates from the National Weather Service.