Airlines Issue Travel Alerts Ahead of Predicted Winter Storm in the Northeast
Travel + LeisureJan 05
US: Storm Grounds Over 1.6K Flights
The Facts
On Friday, US airlines canceled more than 1.6K flights as a winter storm packing freezing temperatures blanketed more than 12 states, causing significant power outages and travel disruptions.
In the first arctic blast of the winter, the storm, known as a bomb cyclone, is expected to impact the US over the weekend and into next week. 145M people living in the continental US will be impacted by warnings for high winds and another 56M by winter storm warnings.
The Spin
Narrative A
With the busy holiday season behind us, airlines have turned their attention to the turbulent winter weather conditions. Airlines have bolstered their procedures to prepare passengers for those unavoidable delays and cancellations. By proactively issuing travel alerts and waiving cancelation and change fees, airlines are allowing passengers to travel with less stress this winter compared to previous winter seasons.
Narrative B
Thousands of flights are being canceled pre-emptively across the US, with Chicago O'Hare leading the way. While extreme winter weather is behind most of the delays, it isn't the only problem airports face, as last week's incident of a door flying off a Boeing aircraft exposed major problems with airplane manufacturing that must be addressed. This is going to have an avalanche effect on many travelers.