Delays, cancellations...really hope to get away from this snow!

[rbrainerd]

Planning on leaving in 2 days and can't wait. We have never had weather conditions like this affect our travel. All flights out of our airports Grand Rapids and Detroit Michigan are cancelled today. Supposedly the "bad" weather has not even begun yet Wondering how all these delays/cancellations will affects us. Flying Southwest, we can move dates but hoping not to. How to people who have planned vacations and set dates deal with these situations?!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You always need to plan for weather conditions affecting your flight, especially in the winter.

If your flight is canceled or delayed, you adjust your vacation plans accordingly. If it will cause you to lose money, you should buy trip insurance.

Those who keep informed about potential delays and act quickly to rebook aren't usually those who get stuck waiting at airports for days.

 

[conniehar90]

Good luck! I am in neighboring Chicago and it is cooooold!!!! Southwest is the best though and usually try not to cancel flights. I hope you are able to get out of there!

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Insurance is not always the best way to go. If staying at Disney, they charge $200 for cancel & $50 for change. If flight is cancelled, most airlines don't charge a change fee. So the insurance would probably be higher than the change/cancel fees.

Good luck with your flight.

 

[rbrainerd]

Thanks! I just seen that all flights from Chicago midway are suspended. We have a condo by Disney and daughter works there so we are flexible. Just feel bad for people without the flexibility We are getting buried with snow and have blizzard like conditions.

 

[emmabelle]

We had our flight cancelled last winter, but fortunately it kept us IN Disney another night! Our neighbor borrowed our snow blower while were in Florida, so we got to come home to a nice clean driveway too. Hehehe.

 

[pigletto]

My general rule of thumb with bad weather that may affect our flight is to try to get out ahead of it rather than wait. We have done this twice and been extremely lucky that we were booked with Southwest and could change for just the cost difference (which was under $100 both times). If you don't travel this time of year, you get the fun of hurricane watches in the summer and fall.

I hope you are able to get out on time.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

With SWA you might be safer. Most of the flights being canceled are those with turbo prop planes which are not equipped to flight in extremely cold conditions.

Just remember to pack your patience too encase your flight gets canceled. Remember if you are at the airport and your flight gets canceled you can call the SWA customer service number for help rebooking. I would also still stand in line and which every option ends up being faster go with it. I saw yesterday that people stood in line to get rebooked at our airport and only moved 15 feet in 2 hours. The line spand the entire length of the concourse!