Just after 5:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Flight Aware’s cancellation tracker indicated there were close to 3,000 flights had been canceled within, into, or out of the U.S. Additionally, the site listed more close to 7,000 delays.
As we inch closer to Christmas Day on Sunday, even more cancellations and delays are expected due to severe weather.
“Extremely cold arctic air is expected to plunge southward and impact much of the country through Hanukkah and into the week of Christmas, December 22–26,” said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Wednesday.
Early this week, major airlines were preparing their customers for potential “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” experiences.
“With extreme weather predicted, we encourage customers to use the United app to check flight statuses or change itineraries with no change fees,” United Airlines said in a Tuesday tweet. “Our team is monitoring the forecast and will proactively adjust schedules to minimize delays and get you to your destinations safely.”
This Wednesday, American Airlines announced that its operations would be disrupted by Winter Storm Elliott.
“To provide additional flexibility for its customers and to prevent last-minute disruptions at the airport, American has issued travel alerts for 87 airports in the Northeast and Midwest, and across portions of the East Coast,” said the airline.
According to FlightAware, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, LaGuardia Airport in New York, Detroit Metro Wayne Co. Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport had some of the highest numbers of delays for all airline flights as of Friday afternoon.
Travelers who decided to get to their holiday destinations via Amtrak trains were also warned about disruptions over the holiday weekend.
As of Dec. 12, AAA estimated that 112.7 million people will journey 50 miles or more away from home from Dec. 23 through January 2, making it the third busiest year since the group began tracking holiday travel in 2000. AAA said that 7.2 million Americans are expected to fly and around 102 million are expected to drive to their destinations this year.
For those braving the severe weather to get behind the wheel, the National Weather Service has some tips for staying safe.
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