Winter Travel Experts, please weigh in

[stacy6552]

Hey gang! We are due to leave for WDW Friday night. We are expecting snow Thursday night into Friday morning. What is you experience? Do you think we will be able to get out hours after the snow stops? Help! What should we do?

 

[NotUrsula]

Not nearly enough info. Which airport, for starters? Also, what airline, and how many in your party? (If it's just 2 of you, you have a better chance of getting booked onto another flight than if there are 6, etc.)

 

[puffkin]

We are in the same boat. Flying out of PHL on Southwest Friday morning. I am anticipating a delay, but nothing more than a few hours. They deal with snow pretty well at the airports.

 

[stacy6552]

I'm not asking about another flight, though there will be 4 of us. I'm wondering about the likelyhood of our flight getting off 7-8 hours after the snow stops. No blizzard is expected, but we are expecting school to be closed. Are we likely to be pushed out of our seats by stand by passengers? Those kinds of questions.

 

[bavaria]

I don't think that you mention the airport. Are you on a non-stop, direct, or connecting flight? Time of departure? Is your flight the last one to MCO that day?

They all have an impact, that is why we are asking to try and help you out.

For instance, snow doesn't impact YYZ (Toronto) as much as it would YVR (Vancouver) which would be paralyzed by snow. Smaller airports don't always do as well as larger airports. If there is a delay you may get rebooked on a different route.

Hope that helps - if you give us some details we may be able give you possible scenarios.

 

[ducklite]

Depending on how large teh area affected by wintery weather is, there could also be delays and cancellations system wide. Bring plenty of patience and a good book.

Anne

 

[beccasmom]

If you're in the Northeast (PHL, NY, Boston, etc.), the snow will impact you because of the domino effects on other airports. There are actually two storms in the nation right now and they will eventually impact most air traffic in some way. Philly is expecting 3-7 inches (depending on who you listen to), but that could be accompanied or change into freezing rain, which will cause problems. And remember that planes might get stuck at other airports, so planning for the worst is not a bad idea. The snow is expected to begin here (PHL) anywhere from midnight to 2:00 a.m. For that reason, it is probably a good idea to plan for at least some delays, if not outright cancellations. Connecting flights will be an additional hassle. My suggestions:

1. Keep in touch with your airline through calls and/or Internet
2. Check your airport website as well
3. If you do head to the airport, be prepared to wait - bring your cellphone(s), some snacks, books, toys for the kids, etc. And some cash in case the ATM's run low on $$$$ - it's happened to us!
4. If your airport is not close by to where you live and travel is hazardous, be prepared to hunker down at the airport or save yourself some aggravation and book a nearby hotel just in case. You can always cancel. It's relatively cheap insurance, especially when traveling with kids. Shuttles are often available. Airlines most often will not compensate for hotels, food, etc.during a weather event. If they do, consider yourself lucky. But if you are stuck at your home airport, you're out of luck.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm not asking about another flight, though there will be 4 of us. I'm wondering about the likelyhood of our flight getting off 7-8 hours after the snow stops.

The thing is, the airline may declare your flight "delayed" or they may declare it "cancelled" -- depends on a large number of factors. If your flight is technically delayed, then you will normally still be boarded on it no matter when it departs, but if they cannot get that flight out of the gate on the same calendar day, then it is almost always declared a cancellation. If the flight is actually cancelled, then the airline will book you on the "next available flight", but it could be actually be days before they have another flight to the same destination that has seats available. Also, some airlines have interline agreements and will put you on another carrier's flights if your own airline does not have space, but some do not (Southwest being the most notable exception.)

So you see, if you are on the 8 pm flight, and there are delays of 4 hours or more, the flight is most likely going to get cancelled. If you had been on the 8 am flight, it would be more likely to be declared a delay. All these factors make a real difference.

 

[laurabelle]

My kids and I are booked on SW 1st flight tomorrow morning at 6:25 a.m. out of BWI. I hope we are leaving early enough to miss the worst of it...

 

[safetymom]

Be sure to have the 800 reservation number of your airline with you. That way if the flight is cancelled you can call them for new flights instead of waiting in line with the rest of the people.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Thanks for all the information!!

I'm in a similiar perdicament. As the first flight out of AVP (Scranton) I should get to PHL but from then on it is a mystery.

I've been calling an begging for seats on the 5:25 out of AVP which is the last flight to MCO. They also will not let you skip a leg of the flight. We would also like to drive down this evening and take the flight out of Philly.

Ugh. This is the first year we've had a problem in December.

 

[JerJan]

UPDATE for you. I'm in Stow Ohio, just between Akron and Cleveland and it hasn't even started to snow here yet, it's 4:30 PM. That being said at this rate it won't make it to the New York metro area for at least another 18 to 24 hours....good luck!!!

 

[NotUrsula]

I've been calling and begging for seats on the 5:25 out of AVP which is the last flight to MCO.

Generally, unless it's a full-blown blizzard with a very predictable path (or a hurricane that is bearing down directly on one of your airports), calling isn't going to get you the earlier flight, mostly because the airline can't be sure that you are going to be able to get to the airport in time. They usually are not going to waive fees/do reassignments over the phone unless the airports are actually planning to close for the storm.

When you want to try to go standby on an earlier flight because of impending weather, the best thing to do is just pack up, get to the airport, let them know that you're there, and camp out for as long as it takes. Your chances of getting onto an earlier flight are MUCH better if you are already at the airport when you ask. Whether or not they will waive any standby fees tends to depend on the seriousness and immediacy of the weather situation, but they often will waive it in a situation like this.

 

[pugdog]

Thats the nice part of flying out of MSP, very few delays and the airport has only closed for 4 hours max in the last 20 years. About the only delays are because of weather in other areas but since we fly nonstop to MCO that rarely effects us. It might add an hour onto the flight though since they mifght have to fly asround the storm.
A couple of years ago we flew out in a storm without a problem but the transfer in St Louis was delayed for 4 hours due to an inch, yes inch of snow.
Thats the difference of airports that are used to snow and those that are not. ug:

 

[Servants of Evan]

JerJan,

Howdy neighbor. Sorry, I had too ... I grew up in Stow.

 

[NotUrsula]

A couple of years ago we flew out in a storm without a problem but the transfer in St Louis was delayed for 4 hours due to an inch, yes inch of snow. Thats the difference of airports that are used to snow and those that are not.

The primary reason that STL gets nasty weather delays is the fact that our parallel runways are too close together to allow them both to be used when visibility is restricted. With only one runway in service, the takeoff and landing intervals have to be lengthened, and that makes for some spectacular delays. It isn't because we're not used to snow (or rain, for that matter); we have the equipment, we just don't have the real estate. Planes were much smaller when those runways were built. Here is the technical explanation:

"Lambert's delay problems stem from a lack of capacity. In particular, for takeoffs and landings, Lambert relies upon two parallel northwest/southeast runways known as 12L/30R and 12R/30L (the numbers denote the compass direction the aircraft faces when on the runway). The centerlines of these two runways are separated by only 1300 feet. [See Pet. App. 3a.] This close spacing means that, under FAA flight rules, arrival streams on one runway are "dependent" upon approaches on the other runway.[3 Gov't C.A. Br. 11.]

... The close spacing of the runways becomes particularly troublesome during adverse weather conditions. As weather conditions deteriorate and pilots and air traffic controllers cannot rely upon visual flight rules, instrument flight rules must be used and the airport is reduced to using only one runway with a precision instrument, i.e., advanced radar, approach. [FEIS 1-10; ROD 3 (Bridgeton C.A. App. 308, 1523)]. Because adverse weather conditions requiring instrument flight rules occur 14% of the time at Lambert, the lack of capacity resulting from the closely spaced runways frequently results in substantial delays. 26 A.R. Doc. 1, at 43 [(Table B-1) (Gov't C.A. App. 213).] And because Lambert is a major, centrally-located hub, delay at Lambert resulting from its "ineffective functioning during inclement weather often disrupts the flow of air traffic nationwide." [Pet. App. 3a; see also FEIS 2-19 to 2-22 (Bridgeton C.A. App. 335-338)]."

A third runway that will alleviate the problem is under construction now.

 

[ducklite]

Thats the nice part of flying out of MSP, very few delays and the airport has only closed for 4 hours max in the last 20 years. About the only delays are because of weather in other areas but since we fly nonstop to MCO that rarely effects us. It might add an hour onto the flight though since they mifght have to fly asround the storm.
A couple of years ago we flew out in a storm without a problem but the transfer in St Louis was delayed for 4 hours due to an inch, yes inch of snow.
Thats the difference of airports that are used to snow and those that are not. ug:

The problem is more with systemwide delays. If the equipment isn't there because it's hung up at another airport, it doesn't matter how well your home base is at handling snowy conditions.

MSP is a nice airport--but SOOOOO big!

Anne