With a powerful coast-to-coast winter storm expected to hit the Central and Eastern United States this weekend, the nation’s largest airlines moved quickly on January 22 to relax ticket-change rules. Delta, United, American, JetBlue and Southwest all issued travel waivers covering dozens of airports from Houston to Boston.
Under the waivers, passengers who purchased tickets before January 22 can rebook once for travel between January 21 and January 29 without paying standard change fees or fare differences, provided the itinerary stays within the same city pair and cabin. The airlines also pledged automatic rebooking for flights they proactively cancel and reminded customers that federal rules guarantee cash refunds if travelers opt not to fly after a significant schedule change.
![Airlines waive change fees nationwide ahead of major winter storm]()
For international travelers who suddenly need to rearrange connections or extend stays because of weather-related disruptions, VisaHQ can help smooth the process. Its user-friendly platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers quick visa checks, expedited renewals, and emergency processing services, ensuring unforeseen itinerary changes don’t turn into documentation headaches.
Business-travel managers welcomed the early notice, which allows companies to reroute travelers before snow and ice snarl operations. The storm is forecast to deposit up to 12 inches of snow in the Northeast and lay a dangerous glaze of ice across Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee, potentially grounding aircraft and triggering crew-scheduling cascades. New York City’s Emergency Management Department warned that even flights far from the storm track could be delayed because of aircraft and crew displacement.
Travel-management companies recommend that employers activate escalation teams, enable mobile push alerts, and secure spare hotel rooms near key hubs. Employees should check in 24 hours before departure, download airline apps for real-time rebooking and retain boarding passes—even for canceled flights—to facilitate expense reimbursement.
Under the waivers, passengers who purchased tickets before January 22 can rebook once for travel between January 21 and January 29 without paying standard change fees or fare differences, provided the itinerary stays within the same city pair and cabin. The airlines also pledged automatic rebooking for flights they proactively cancel and reminded customers that federal rules guarantee cash refunds if travelers opt not to fly after a significant schedule change.
For international travelers who suddenly need to rearrange connections or extend stays because of weather-related disruptions, VisaHQ can help smooth the process. Its user-friendly platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers quick visa checks, expedited renewals, and emergency processing services, ensuring unforeseen itinerary changes don’t turn into documentation headaches.
Business-travel managers welcomed the early notice, which allows companies to reroute travelers before snow and ice snarl operations. The storm is forecast to deposit up to 12 inches of snow in the Northeast and lay a dangerous glaze of ice across Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee, potentially grounding aircraft and triggering crew-scheduling cascades. New York City’s Emergency Management Department warned that even flights far from the storm track could be delayed because of aircraft and crew displacement.
Travel-management companies recommend that employers activate escalation teams, enable mobile push alerts, and secure spare hotel rooms near key hubs. Employees should check in 24 hours before departure, download airline apps for real-time rebooking and retain boarding passes—even for canceled flights—to facilitate expense reimbursement.
