CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Winter weather is already impacting flights at Charlotte Douglas International Airport during the holiday travel weekend. Cancelations and delays are expected to get worse further into the week because of the weather.
Some airlines tried to get ahead of the cancelation and delays by asking people to move their flights. Airlines including American, Delta, Spirit, and Frontier are waiving flight change fees out of airports impacted by the storm.
Anette Cox, who traveled from South Carolina to Charlotte to meet her 22-year-old son, said her son managed to avoid any cancellation from Phillidalephia.
"I was very fearful of that because he's right there in the midst of the snow," Cox said. "And because we're from South Carolina, he's not accustomed to driving in the snow. So he was able to get to the airport on time and safely and get here safely."
Cox’s son, along with millions of other people around the country, are taking to the sky to get to their holiday destination.
Did you change your holiday travel plans because of the weather? We want to know. Text us at 704-329-3600.
AAA says this year air travel will see a 14% increase over last year with nearly 7.2 million Americans expected to fly. Flights and airports are reminiscent of pre-pandemic days.
Even though airports are packed the roads are going to be the busiest this week. Nearly 102 million Americans will drive to their holiday destinations, according to AAA.
This holiday season will see an additional two million drivers compared to 2021.
Law enforcement is taking notice of the extra travelers.
"We've got guys working overtime, we will be doing extra traffic," Master Trooper James Miller, who oversees community relations and recruiting for South Carolina Highway Patrol Troop 4, said.
The National Safety Council estimates 346 people may die on U.S. roads this holiday season. Distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes nationwide.
"If they're speeding, and they get a text message, instead of leaving it alone, they try to check your phone while they're driving too fast, or they're driving under the influence at the same time," Miller said. "The more of those things going on at one time, the greater the risk."
With the winter weather impacting both roads and airports, people can expect widespread cancelations and delays to their flights.
“We often see a domino effect take place when there are delays," Lindsay Schwimer, a Travel App Hopper Consumer Travel Expert, said. "Especially earlier in the day, you can often see the flight scheduled for the afternoon and evening become impacted."
The largest cause of air traffic delays is the weather.
What prevents planes from flying is a long list, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Airport ground operations can easily be impacted by snow, which can be easily kicked up by winds thus reducing visibility for pilots and affecting traction. A winter storm could have violent wind gusts, which can be unpredictable.
Travelers do have rights when it comes to delays and cancellations.
There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed. Airlines are however required to provide passengers with information about a change in the status of the flight if the flight is scheduled to depart within 7 days.
Airlines are required to provide those status updates within 30 minutes of changes.
There are also opportunities for you to be rebooked or get a full refund if your flight is canceled by an airline. If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you for free on their next flight to your destination as long as the flight has available seats.
If your flight is canceled and you choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation. This also applies to nonrefundable tickets.
You are also entitled to a refund for any bag fee that you paid, and any extras you may have purchased, such as a seat assignment.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.