Finland’s flag-carrier Finnair has issued an urgent travel advisory after the U.S. National Weather Service predicted a swathe of blizzards, ice storms and severe cross-winds that will sweep across large parts of the Midwest and Northeast between 23 and 25 January 2026.
According to the notice on Finnair’s Travel Updates page, the airline expects knock-on delays and cancellations on its daily services to Chicago (O’Hare), New York (JFK) and Dallas–Fort Worth, as well as on partner-operated feeder flights that form part of on-going trans-Atlantic itineraries. Finnair’s operations-control centre is already re-routing wide-body Airbus A350s around the worst jet-stream turbulence and preparing for out-of-sequence aircraft and crew positioning once the storm passes.
For passengers originating in Helsinki, the carrier is automatically rebooking seats on the next available service and sending revised itineraries by SMS and e-mail. Travellers with onward connections are advised to allow extra time at U.S. hubs, keep a close eye on ‘Manage booking’ for seat changes, and file refund claims only once their entire booking has been cancelled. The airline also reminds corporate travel managers that hotel and meal vouchers issued under EU261 will only be available if a passenger physically checks in and the flight is subsequently cancelled.
![Finnair warns travelers of major U.S. storm disruption 23–25 January]()
For anyone needing to reroute through alternate hubs—say, a sudden diversion via London or Montréal—double-checking transit or entry requirements is crucial. VisaHQ’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) lets travelers instantly confirm whether they need a visa, apply online for e-visas, and receive real-time status updates, ensuring paperwork doesn’t become another obstacle during weather-related disruptions.
Finnair stresses that safety remains the top priority, and urges passengers to check real-time gate information via the Nordic Sky portal while on board. Those who can postpone non-essential trips are encouraged to contact the Finnair HELP chatbot or their travel-management company to move departures to later in the week, when weather models show a return to VFR (visual-flight-rules) conditions at the eastern seaboard.
From a mobility-management perspective, the advisory underlines the growing need for robust disruption-response protocols: HR teams with expatriates on assignment in the U.S. should verify that employees have valid ESTA re-entries and check hotel-and-meal per-diem caps in company travel policies. Cargo customers shipping temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals via the airline’s JFK cool-chain facility are being offered priority re-booking but should prepare contingency ‘plan B’ routings via Brussels or Frankfurt until the backlog clears.
According to the notice on Finnair’s Travel Updates page, the airline expects knock-on delays and cancellations on its daily services to Chicago (O’Hare), New York (JFK) and Dallas–Fort Worth, as well as on partner-operated feeder flights that form part of on-going trans-Atlantic itineraries. Finnair’s operations-control centre is already re-routing wide-body Airbus A350s around the worst jet-stream turbulence and preparing for out-of-sequence aircraft and crew positioning once the storm passes.
For passengers originating in Helsinki, the carrier is automatically rebooking seats on the next available service and sending revised itineraries by SMS and e-mail. Travellers with onward connections are advised to allow extra time at U.S. hubs, keep a close eye on ‘Manage booking’ for seat changes, and file refund claims only once their entire booking has been cancelled. The airline also reminds corporate travel managers that hotel and meal vouchers issued under EU261 will only be available if a passenger physically checks in and the flight is subsequently cancelled.
For anyone needing to reroute through alternate hubs—say, a sudden diversion via London or Montréal—double-checking transit or entry requirements is crucial. VisaHQ’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) lets travelers instantly confirm whether they need a visa, apply online for e-visas, and receive real-time status updates, ensuring paperwork doesn’t become another obstacle during weather-related disruptions.
Finnair stresses that safety remains the top priority, and urges passengers to check real-time gate information via the Nordic Sky portal while on board. Those who can postpone non-essential trips are encouraged to contact the Finnair HELP chatbot or their travel-management company to move departures to later in the week, when weather models show a return to VFR (visual-flight-rules) conditions at the eastern seaboard.
From a mobility-management perspective, the advisory underlines the growing need for robust disruption-response protocols: HR teams with expatriates on assignment in the U.S. should verify that employees have valid ESTA re-entries and check hotel-and-meal per-diem caps in company travel policies. Cargo customers shipping temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals via the airline’s JFK cool-chain facility are being offered priority re-booking but should prepare contingency ‘plan B’ routings via Brussels or Frankfurt until the backlog clears.
