Blizzard Disrupts Flights Through Chicago, Midwest

Another blizzard is disrupting travel throughout the Midwest Monday. A number of flights have been canceled at the busy Chicago O’Hare hub airport, and major U.S. airlines have issued travel waivers for customers set to fly today.

O’Hare reports that airlines have proactively canceled over 50 flights today. Denver International Airport reports it had to cancel approximately 200 flights Sunday, representing about 15 percent of its daily schedule. Today, the airport is reporting “only about a dozen cancellations” as airlines play catch-up from yesterday.

According to the latest forecast from Accuweather, the storm hit the Denver area Sunday, causing road closures and air travel disruptions throughout eastern Colorado, western Kansas and central Nebraska through the evening. Blizzard conditions are expected to persist through Monday in an area ranging from Nebraska to southeastern South Dakota, northwestern Iowa, southern Minnesota, north-central Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, bringing six to 12 inches of snow, or up to 18 inches in localized areas. The weather is expected to calm down across the central states Tuesday, followed by warmer weather later in the week.

Flight Waivers

A number of airlines have issued flight waivers in response to the storm.

American Airlines is allowing customers scheduled to fly today through airports in Colorado, Utah and the upper Midwest to rebook through January 25 between the same city pair in the same cabin (or pay the difference).

On Delta, customers set to fly today through Colorado or the upper Midwest / Great Lakes can rebook travel through January 25.

United Airlines is allowing customers scheduled to fly through Chicago O’Hare today or tomorrow to rebook through January 25. Customers set to fly today through the upper Midwest / Great Lakes or Denver region can rebook through the same date.

Southwest Airlines reports that customers scheduled to fly today through Chicago Midway or Minneapolis – St. Paul can rebook in the original class of service or travel standby within 14 days of their original date of travel.

Frontier Airlines is allowing customers scheduled to fly today or tomorrow through affected airports to rebook, with the new travel to be completed no later than February 5.

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