What Airlines Owe Travelers if Tropical Storm Bertha Cancels, Delays Flights

Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to make landfall along the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, July 22, according to AccuWeather.

For now, it doesn’t appear to be making a significant impact on air travel, which is still recovering from storms in the Northeast. More than 2,800 U.S flights were canceled Tuesday, July 21, and more than 500 have been canceled as of 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, July 22, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.

Airlines have issued travel waivers for customers impacted by the Northeast storms, but so far it appears none have been issued for Bertha.

Travelers planning to fly in coming days should check their flight status with their respective airline and know what they are and aren’t entitled to if weather upends their plans.

What Happens if Your Flight Is Canceled or Delayed?

Airlines will try to rebook customers on the next available flight whenever there is a cancellation or major delay, typically longer than 3 hours.

If a flight is canceled for any reason, the Department of Transportation requires airlines to offer travelers refunds if they choose to no longer fly.

Airlines are not required, however, to offer any compensation for delays for reasons outside their control, like weather, though some may choose to do so.

All U.S. airlines offer some sort of compensation for significant delays within their control. Travelers can find details on each airline’s website and at a glance on the DOT’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard.

Travel Waivers for Northeast Storms

Travelers with flights scheduled to, from or through certain Northeast airports may rebook flights without penalty or cancel for flight credit due to the storms.

Terms and deadlines vary by airline:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• JetBlue
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

Frontier Airlines isn’t offering a storm-specific waiver, but its website allows travelers to rebook or cancel domestic flights that have been delayed by more than 3 hours.

Customers of other airlines should reach out to them directly about disruptions.