Oh No! Snow!

[don8life]

We are supposed to leave Tuesday night from Philly. The weather forecast is calling for possible 1 to 2 FEET of snow. OMG!

We are flying US air. It figures. It never snows where I am and now it may ruin my trip./


Isn't Disney's cancellation policy 24 hours in advance? How am Isupposed to tell if our plane won't leave?

Any advice?

 

[PURTYPAT1]

Last year, a week before my trip there was a big storm. I followed closely since I was leaving a week later, & wanted to know what to do if it snowed when we were leaving.

Last year, what "most" airlines, were doing was letting people fly standby the day before the storm with no price penalty. If this happens, keep calling(repeat) the airlines until you speak to an agent that will give you the ok. If I remember correctly, some airlines were not so helpful, as some others, but in the long run, just about everyone on the boards were able to fly out.

Lots called Disney & they were able to get rooms the night before. Some people called the airport hotel, (Marriott, Holiday Inn.....) the ones with free shuttle, & then shuttled to the airport the following day to pick up there rent a car.

We are leaving this Saturday, & I have no plans for Friday, just in case. I am secretly sweating bullets about snow.

Can anyone else help him on this???

Hope this helps

Patricia

 

[LiloH]

I am in the exact same boat as you. Leaving Tuesday at 5:30 on Southwest from Philly. I've been glued to the news trying to figure out what is going to happen.
If it snows as much as they say it will, I am thinking we won't get out until Thursday at the earliest. And by that point, there will be HUNDREDS of delayed people and it was already going to be busy because of the holiday weekend. So, we may not even get out on Thursday. ACK!

We're keeping our options open, but we may call and reschedule. The good thing about SW is you can cancel flights with no penalties. We will lose out on our Pirates and Princess tickets, but it could be worse, right?

Update the thread if you hear anything definitive. We're chewing our nails here trying to figure out what's going to happen!

 

[seashoreCM]

Report to the airport in plenty of time to take an earlier flight. WIth such an ominous weather forecast you are almost sure to have your tickets honored (subject to space availability) even if they would not make you a reservation over the phone earlier.

But do try to make said earlier reservation in advance including calls from airport pay phones so you are not beat out by others if the airline commences taking such reservations.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[LiloH]

Has anyone ever gotten on an earlier flight with Southwest with no penalty? I called yesterday to look into changing our flight to Monday and they said we could... for an additional $145 per ticket!

If we showed up at the airport early on Tuesday before the snow could we maybe fly standby or something early?

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I'm in Philly as well and was not aware that we were getting snow. Is it definite? Good luck to everyone who is flying!

 

[TDC Nala]

Southwest will often institute a policy before and after a major weather event where they will change your flight without charge, subject to availability. Keep an eye on their website.

 

[Twende]

I flew into Philly two weeks ago in order to change planes to Pittsburgh.
I will tell you right up front I do not like your airport!

I was coming out of Raleigh into Philly on SW. I had to change planes but it was still SW so I never gave a thought to a problem. The family behind me bought lunch for the same connecting flight as I.

We all had to keep asking how to find the next gate. It was so confusing. All the signs sent us to luggage pick up! Finally an airport employee walked us to the gate. We had to leave security and go back through it again! What a pain.

I had my Britta water bottle with me but I forgot it had water in it. After all I was getting off a flight not arriving at the airport via a car. I got into the security line and started the undressing, taking off shoes routine when security noticed my water. I was informed that I had to get rid of it. Out of line, searching for a restroom! I was ready to dump the water in the nearest trash. Then back into line and go through the whole thing all over again!

The family behind me had to either drink their drinks on the spot or throw them away. Now they had just bought them at the other gate! They threw them away! What a mess! Thank goodness we had time between our flights. If the flights had been within an hour of one another we would have missed out flight.

The security man said that Philly is building a new connector building between the two gates in question but that it would be over a year before it was done. If only someone had told us that we were going to be going out of security and then re-enter...at least we would have been prepared!

I think I will avoid Philly in the future. My flight connecting in Philly on the way down to NC was delayed 2 1/2 hours. The airport said it was because of the airport in Providence but the pilots came over the speakers when we boarded and told us that the Philly airport had messed up again. They were not happy!

I hope that the weather cooperates with you and that you have a wonderful trip!

 

[Uncleromulus]

momto brandon&jacob:
With weather forecasts, NOTHING is definite. Note that word "possible". We're in Glen Rock (S. of York, Pa ) and our forecast as of a few minutes ago was 2 to 4 inches of snow on Tuesday.
So who knows???

 

[Uncleromulus]

My, my how things can change. Just got on the local TV' stations weather site and NOW (just an hour after I heard that first forecast) they're saying we COULD get a major snow on Tuesday.
So there you go-it may snow in Philly after all!!
I suppose a whole lot depends on how fast it falls as to what effect it may have on the airport and their ability to keep things clear. And what time it actually starts snowing on Tuesday----

 

[LiloH]

I suppose a whole lot depends on how fast it falls as to what effect it may have on the airport and their ability to keep things clear. And what time it actually starts snowing on Tuesday----

That's exactly our thinking too at this point. If we can get ahead of the bad snow we're in good shape. We think if our flight gets canceled we're probably out of business.

So.... now we have our fingers crossed and are waiting impatiently to see what happens!

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

My, my how things can change. Just got on the local TV' stations weather site and NOW (just an hour after I heard that first forecast) they're saying we COULD get a major snow on Tuesday.
So there you go-it may snow in Philly after all!!
I suppose a whole lot depends on how fast it falls as to what effect it may have on the airport and their ability to keep things clear. And what time it actually starts snowing on Tuesday----

Same thing here in CT. We just don't pay much attention to the forecasts more than a day out, because so much can change. As of now, we're either going to get a TON Tuesday night going into Wednesday, or it might miss us. So far this winter, we've gotten nearly nothing (one day we got 1/2 inch overnight, but it was gone by daybreak), so we are overdue.
Good luck to everyone flying out. Hope you make it with no difficulties.

 

[MEK]

For the OP flying SWA - I would change my flights and leave a day early...Better get packin!

For the OP on US Air. I think you have to wait until they delcare some sort of weather emergency and then you can change flights. Keep calling and try to be prepared to leave early.

PHL is a bad airport. I could spend the same amount of time driving to BWI as I could circling the skys around PHL waiting to land.

I live in an area surrounding PHL which must be part of a lot of flight paths. EVERY clear night I see planes stacked up - 5...6....7....8. All just holding and waiting to land. You never just land in PHL.... you circle and circle and circle.....

 

[MickeyCrazed]

Oh my goodness... I had no idea of the weather forecast before I read this post!

Good luck to the OP! I can't imagine how you must feel... I wouldn't mind getting stuck in WDW because it is snowing here, but I sure wouldn't want it to be the other way around!

 

[bethsg]

We are a soccer team group traveling to Disney next week to play in the Presidents Cup. Our group is leaving BWI at various times between Wed - Fri. We pay on Sat.
If my Wed flight is cancelled with southwest due to weather, I can surely tell there are no flights with anymore room bookable at southwest.com for fri, they are all sold out. So, the question becomes... do the people with those reserved seats on say, Thur or FRI get priority over me, who was cancelled due to weather?

 

[don8life]

I don't know what to make of it. It now says "snow showers" for all day Tuesday. I guess showers can accumulate.

LiloH we are leving around the same time 5:45

I did call US air and there policy is to wait until it is declared. Which is really stupid becasue they have alot of room on all flights tomorrow. But all the flights on Tuesday are booked solid.
I was thinking of trying to get out tomorrow but it would cost another 800 bucks.
$500 for the ticket change for 5, 169 for another night at FW who the heck knows how much for the car. Not worth it for the extra day.

Lets keep our fingers crossed. NO SNOW!!!!!

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> how do airlines work?
After the storm, people who already have reservations for those flights keep them ahead of other stranded earlier due to cancelled flights.

>>> their policy is to wait until it is declared.
(repeating myself) Nothing to lose by showing up on Monday when Tuesday looks sold out and your Wednesday just looks like it will be snowed out. But don't pony up any more money. It is foolish to not honor your ticket as-is when both you and they are there, able, and ready, but they don't have to make you a reservation. Heck, Disney might even add on an extra up front day or two at your original per night rate and put you on Magical Express when you telephone them from Orlando.

 

[LiloH]

Hi Don8Life,

From what I am seeing on 6abc.com's weather blog they are expecting the "height" of the storm to be 3am Wed - Noon on Wed. If that is true we will be long in Florida by then!

I did call SW too and they said that if an official weather warning is placed, they will let me change to an earlier flight with no penalty and that I should call back tomorrow am. We'd rather our son not miss school on Tuesday so we are still hoping for a later storm.

Of course, my sister, her husband and her kids are supposed to head down to meet us on Thursday. But... they get to worry about that.

Good luck, all!

 

[renda460]

Has anyone ever gotten on an earlier flight with Southwest with no penalty? I called yesterday to look into changing our flight to Monday and they said we could... for an additional $145 per ticket!

If we showed up at the airport early on Tuesday before the snow could we maybe fly standby or something early?

We had a Southwest flight scheduled to Orlando in 2004 the same day a hurricane hit. We wanted to change to an earlier flight to beat the weather but were not allowed to until the airline officially announced they were allowing it. Everytime we called they kept telling us to watch the website. When they finally posted it on the website, we were allowed to rebook to an earlier flight without any additional charge.

 

[pamjb]

Has anyone ever gotten on an earlier flight with Southwest with no penalty? I called yesterday to look into changing our flight to Monday and they said we could... for an additional $145 per ticket!

If we showed up at the airport early on Tuesday before the snow could we maybe fly standby or something early?

Southwest has listed a Travel Advisory on their website

http://www.southwest.com/content/travel_center/travel_advisory_0017.html?ref=wthr