Hundreds of Flights Canceled, Airlines Issue Advisories, As Winter Storm Slams Midwest

12.01.2024 - 19:49 / travelandleisure.com / Winter Storm

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or delayed due to extreme winter weather throughout the midwest and northeast. 

A check of FlightAware's Misery Map shows that the storm system has already caused over 800 delays. The most affected airports were Chicago O'Hare, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Denver. Chicago’s O’Hare airport has canceled over 800 flights have, due to the ongoing winter storm. 

The winter storm is forecasted to deliver several inches of snow in Chicago, which is under a winter storm warning through Jan. 13, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather system has matched the anticipated forecast, with heavy snow and wind whipping around the midwest. In a dramatic video from The Weather Channel, meteorologist Jim Cantore spotted the phenomenon of ‘thundersnow’ during a live television report in Chicago.

As winter storm Gerri slowly moves across the United States, airlines are offering solutions to travelers affected by the delays through travel advisories which can provide flexible rebooking opportunities.

United has issued a travel advisory for flights operating through Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Omaha, and other cities. Delta has issued a travel advisory that includes Toronto, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and more. The travel advisory from American Airlines includes many of the same markets. 

Other airlines such as Spirit, Frontier, Alaska, and Southwest have dedicated landing pages for travel advisories as well. Many of the airlines listed have extended the flexible travel booking period for rebooking through Saturday.

Another component adding to the flight disruptions are Alaska Airlines' and United's Boeing Max 9 aircrafts are grounded.

For travelers navigating airports during this time, airline executives have previously provided the advice to download the airline’s app on a smartphone, as many rebooking and ticketing processes can be completed digitally before even arriving at the airport.