Nearly 45 million people coast to coast are under winter weather alerts as a major winter storm begins its trek across the US. Throughout the rest of the week, heavy snow and blizzard conditions are forecasted in parts of the Northern Plains and upper Midwest, including Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a hub of Delta Air Lines.
The Atlanta-based airline said its teams are monitoring the storm to prepare for potential travel disruptions. In addition, the carrier has issued a travel waiver through Friday for passengers who could be affected by flights in and out of various locations in Minnesota.
“A last-resort decision”
Canceling flights due to weather disruptions is a decision that Delta takes very seriously, according to the airline.
“Delta’s in-house meteorologists are actively reviewing and sharing up-to-date weather forecasts with others in the airline’s Operations and Customer Center as they make decisions on whether to cancel flights in the days ahead. Canceling flights is a last-resort decision that is never taken lightly. We strive to cancel flights well in advance of scheduled departure to allow our customers to adjust their plans before going to the airport.”
Forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS) cautioned that Minneapolis could be added to the blizzard warnings in the near future, which would be rare for the historically snowy city.
“Due to obstructions, it is hard to get blizzard conditions in major metropolitan areas such as the Twin Cities, but with the actively falling snow and strong winds, this would be an event that could do so,” the NWS said in an NBC News report.
Travel waiver
According to the carrier’s website, a travel waiver has been issued for seven Minnesota cities: Bemidji, Brainerd, Duluth, Hibbing, International Falls, Minneapolis, and Rochester. The airline said the fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before February 27, 2023, in the same cabin of service as originally booked. If passengers book travel after February 27th, the difference in fare between the original ticket and the new ticket will be charged at the time of booking.
The carrier also mentioned that its employees are prepared for any challenges the storm may bring, noting that,
“While there are challenges that come with running an airline safely through a weather system spanning nearly 2,000 miles, Delta people on the front lines and behind the scenes remain steadfast to the airline’s commitment to safety and getting customers where they need to be as quickly as possible as operations recover at impacted airports.”
What happens when a flight is canceled?
If a flight is canceled, Delta will attempt to rebook passengers automatically on the next flight available. While the measure would minimize delays, the airline encouraged its customers to download and use its app or website to check their flight status and manage their rebooking with convenient self-service options.
As the carrier anticipates that its reservations phone wait times will be longer than usual, itinerary updates will be communicated to passengers directly through a mobile device, including an online messaging feature.
Source: NBC News