boston air travel delays

• Flight Tracker
• Travel Tools
• Visa & Travel Restrictions
• Business Solutions

Search for an Airport

Bos - boston, logan international airport current conditions, current weather forecast, 29-apr-2024.

Mostly sunny. Near steady temperature in the lower 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph, becoming east this afternoon.

Mostly cloudy. Cooler with lows in the upper 40s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Mostly cloudy and cooler. Near steady temperature in the lower 50s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows in the mid 40s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs in the mid 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. Highs in the mid 60s.

Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the lower 60s.

Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Lows in the upper 40s.

Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs in the lower 60s.

• Travel Planning Center
• Safer Travel
• Airline Partners
• Check-in & Security
• Delta Sky Club®
• Airport Maps & Locations
• Flight Deals
• Flight Schedules
• Destinations
• Onboard Experience
• Delta Cruises
• Delta Vacations
• Shop Hotels
• In-Flight Wi-Fi
• Trip Protection
• How to Earn Miles
• How to Use Miles
• Buy or Transfer Miles
• Travel with Miles
• SkyMiles Partners & Offers
• SkyMiles Award Deals
• SkyMiles Credit Cards
• SkyMiles Airline Partners
• SkyMiles Program Overview​
• How to Get Medallion Status​
• Benefits at Each Tier
• News & Updates
• Help Center
• Travel Planning FAQs
• Certificates & eCredits
• Accessible Travel Services
• Child & Infant Travel
• Special Circumstances
• SkyMiles Help

Boston, MA (BOS) Travel Update

Due to expected customer volume, for flights departing Logan International Airport (BOS) between 5-8am and between 1-4pm (Eastern), please plan to arrive 3 hours prior to your flight for both domestic and international flights. 

For departures throughout the rest of the day, please plan to arrive 2 hours prior to departure for domestic and 3 hours prior for international.

• Investor Relations
• Business Travel
• Travel Agents
• Comment/Complaint
• Browser Compatibility
• Accessibility
• Booking Information
• Customer Commitment
• Tarmac Delay Plan
• Sustainability
• Contract of Carriage
• Cookies, Privacy & Security
• Human Trafficking Statement (PDF)

• Delays (FAA)
• Flight Status
• Logan Express
• Inter Terminal Transportation
• Water Shuttle

Real-Time Flight Status at Boston Logan Airport

Search your flight to get up to date information:

Welcome to Boston Logan Airport Guide's real-time flight status page, your go-to resource for up-to-the-minute information on flight arrivals and departures. Our flight status tool provides you with the latest updates you need to plan your travels efficiently. We also provide an historic analysis of flight delays and on time performance.

We understand the importance of staying informed about flight schedules, delays, and gate information. With our user-friendly tool, you can effortlessly track the status of both arriving and departing flights. Our commitment to providing accurate and timely information ensures a smooth and stress-free airport experience for all travelers.

Watch CBS News

Hundreds of flights canceled due to staffing, weather issues

Updated on: June 27, 2022 / 3:11 PM EDT / CBS/CNN

BOSTON -  At least 744 flights were canceled across the United States on Monday afternoon, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware , which showed dozens more cancellations and delays at Boston's Logan Airport.

Delta Air Lines alone canceled at least 214 flights nationwide Monday, or 7% of its operations, while United Airlines canceled 122 flights and American Airlines nixed 62. That followed another chaotic travel weekend, with more than 1,500 domestic flights canceled Saturday and Sunday.

"Delta teams continue to safely manage through compounding factors affecting our operation this weekend, including higher-than-planned unscheduled absences in some of our work groups, weather, and air traffic control constraints," a Delta Air Lines spokesperson said Sunday. "Canceling a flight is always our last resort, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for any disruption to their travel plans."

It's going to be a summer of travel hell, experts warn. Though airlines received $54 billion in federal assistance during Covid's peak to avoid involuntary layoffs, they now have fewer employees than before the pandemic — especially pilots — after offering buyouts and early retirement packages to trim staff and save money. As a result, operations can quickly fall apart when there's bad weather, understaffed air traffic control centers or sick staff.  

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and the New York City area's Newark Liberty International were most impacted by Monday's cancellations, with Newark alone accounting for more than 100 canceled flights.

In Boston, there were 335 delays and 61 total cancellations affecting Logan on Sunday, according to FlightAware. As of Monday afternoon, there were 223 delays and 56 total cancellations for Boston. 

"More than any time in our history, the various factors currently impacting our operation — weather and air traffic control, vendor staffing, increased Covid case rates contributing to higher-than-planned unscheduled absences in some work groups — are resulting in an operation that isn't consistently up to the standards Delta has set for the industry in recent years," said Delta Chief Customer Experience Officer Allison Ausband in an online post.

But critics say airlines should have anticipated these issues ahead of the summer travel season.

"When you stress-test the airline operation model, that's when you see the same results," Capt. Dennis Tajer, spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, the pilots union at American Airlines, said earlier this month.

With flights already booked to capacity, "one flight being canceled doesn't just cause a cascading effect, it causes a tidal wave of problems. It's déjà vu all over again," Tajer added, referencing the chaotic holiday travel season late last year.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

4 seriously hurt when boat capsizes off Cape Cod

Boston's Jewish community calls pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses antisemitism

Pro-Palestinian student protest at Northeastern Univeristy cleared by police

Man kills wife and child in apparent double murder-suicide in Lowell, police say

FAA.gov Home | Privacy Policy | Web Policies & Notices | Contact Us Contact Us | --> Help -->

Readers & Viewers: PDF Reader | MS Word Viewer | MS PowerPoint Viewer | MS Excel Viewer | MS Visio | --> WinZip

•   Weather

Search location by ZIP code

Flight cancellations, delays in boston continue after frustrating air travel weekend nationwide.

• Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied!

GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Flight cancellations and delays continued Monday at Logan International Airport in Boston after travelers were stuck waiting in terminals for hours during the weekend.

As of 11 p.m. Monday, FlightAware reported 55 flight cancellations and 206 delays.

The vast majority of flight cancellations to or from Logan Airport involved JetBlue, which has the biggest presence at the airport. Spirit canceled nearly 75 percent of their Boston flights on Monday.

A spokesperson for JetBlue said the number of flight delays and cancellations is not specific to JetBlue, and that severe weather in the Southeast and multiple air traffic control delay programs have created significant impacts on the industry over the past several days.

"You’ve got planes that are stuck on the ground in Florida and crews that are stuck on the ground in Florida, and those crews timed out," Tom Kinton, of Kinton Aviation Consulting, explained. "Their ability to fly legally was timed out, so they had no replacement crews there, and it just cascaded."

JetBlue said Monday that they've "made good progress in ramping up operations and repositioning crewmembers and aircraft that had been forced out of position due to the weather and significant air traffic delay programs."

"We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and we are working to keep them updated and get them on their way as quickly as possible," JetBlue said in a statement.

"The airlines are not in a position to recover these days like they used to because of staffing," Kinton said.

"It's much more than weather. The main culprit – there's a lot of things, but the main culprit – is a pilot shortage, as well as flight attendant shortage and mechanic shortage. The airline industry is experiencing the same thing that a lot of other industries are experiencing," Kinton said.

According to the Transport Workers Union of America, Ed Baklor, head of JetBlue's Customer Care and Programs, issued a statement on March 28 that indicated the operational problems at JetBlue are being caused by flight attendants refusing to accept assignments. The union said, in a news release , that Baklor's statement could not be further from the truth.

“It’s time for JetBlue to stop playing the blame game with their flight attendants,” Gary Peterson, TWU International Vice President and Air Division Director, said in the union's statement. “Our flight attendants showed up and kept this airline flying during the pandemic. Now it’s time for management to show up for them.”

“Flight attendants are not the cause of these problems. They are the reason customers come back to JetBlue," TWU International President John Samuelsen said in the union's statement. “The TWU is ready to meet on these issues immediately. It is time for JetBlue to take responsibility for poor management decisions and to come to the table to negotiate real solutions that will address the real problems.”

Massachusetts

Around the Globe

Hurricane tracker, severe weather, radar & maps, news & features, winter center, health & activities.

The vast majority of flight delays and cancellations are weather related. Conditions like precipitation, wind, and fog greatly affect how safe and enjoyable flying can be. If your current location or your intended destination is experiencing bad weather, be sure to check with your airline for any delays or cancellations before heading to the airport.

• Check with your airline to be aware of any flight delays or cancellations
• Flying earlier in the day can help avoid any cascading delays from earlier flights
• Give yourself enough time between connecting flights in case of a weather delay on your first flight

Weather Near Boston:

• Dorchester , MA
• Providence , RI
• Worcester , MA

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

FILE - Passenger drop off their baggage at United Airlines in C Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Houston. The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday, April 24, 2024, to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

• Copy Link copied

The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays.

Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.

Airlines still will be allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer.

The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights. And it will apply to fees for things such as seat selection or an internet connection if the airline fails to provide the service.

Complaints about refunds skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as airlines canceled flights and, even when they didn’t, many people didn’t feel safe sharing a plane cabin with other passengers.

Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. carriers, noted that refund complaints to the Transportation Department have fallen sharply since mid-2020. A spokesperson for the group said airlines “offer a range of options — including fully refundable fares — to increase accessibility to air travel and to help customers make ticket selections that best fit their needs.”

The group said the 11 largest U.S. airlines issued $43 billion in customer refunds from 2020 through 2023.

The Transportation Department issued a separate rule requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose upfront what they charge for checked and carry-on bags and canceling or changing a reservation. On airline websites, the fees must be shown the first time customers see a price and schedule.

The rule will also oblige airlines to tell passengers they have a guaranteed seat they are not required to pay extra for, although it does not bar airlines from charging people to choose specific seats. Many airlines now charge extra for certain spots, including exit-row seats and those near the front of the cabin.

The agency said the rule will save consumers more than $500 million a year.

Airlines for America said its members “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers” from their first search.

The new rules will take effect over the next two years. They are part of a broad administration attack on what President Joe Biden calls “junk fees.” Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that his department will let state officials in 15 states help enforce federal airline consumer protection laws .

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

Rule makes it easy to get money back for cancelled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and additional services not provided  

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

The final rule creates certainty for consumers by defining the specific circumstances in which airlines must provide refunds. Prior to this rule, airlines were permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund. As a result, refund policies differed from airline to airline, which made it difficult for passengers to know or assert their refund rights. DOT also received complaints of some airlines revising and applying less consumer-friendly refund policies during spikes in flight cancellations and changes. 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.  
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.  
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

DOT’s final rule also makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund — searching through airline websites to figure out how make the request, filling out extra “digital paperwork,” or at times waiting for hours on the phone. In addition, passengers would receive a travel credit or voucher by default from some airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process.  

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.   
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.  
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.    
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

The final rule also requires airlines to provide prompt notifications to consumers affected by a cancelled or significantly changed flight of their right to a refund of the ticket and extra service fees, as well as any related policies.

In addition, in instances where consumers are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease, the final rule requires that airlines must provide travel credits or vouchers. Consumers may be required to provide documentary evidence to support their request. Travel vouchers or credits provided by airlines must be transferrable and valid for at least five years from the date of issuance.

The Department received a significant number of complaints against airlines and ticket agents for refusing to provide a refund or for delaying processing of refunds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, refund complaints peaked at 87 percent of all air travel service complaints received by DOT. Refund problems continue to make up a substantial share of the complaints that DOT receives.

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• Thanks to pressure from Secretary Buttigieg and DOT’s flightrights.gov dashboard, all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov .  
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.   
• Under Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.  
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.  
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs.

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect against surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, and the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.  
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.   
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

The final rule on refunds can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news and at regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089. There are different implementation periods in this final rule ranging from six months for airlines to provide automatic refunds when owed to 12 months for airlines to provide transferable travel vouchers or credits when consumers are unable to travel for reasons related to a serious communicable disease. 

Information about airline passenger rights, as well as DOT’s rules, guidance and orders, can be found at   https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

Cancellations and Delays at New England Airports as Winter Storm Moves Through

Travel has been impacted across the country due to the wintry weather, including at boston's logan international airport, by matt fortin • published february 23, 2023 • updated on february 23, 2023 at 12:17 pm.

Air travel in New England is being disrupted on Thursday as a winter storm moves through the Northeast.

At Boston Logan International Airport, there were 125 canceled flights and 219 delays Thursday as of 12:16 p.m., according to FlightAware.

At T.F. Green International in Rhode Island, there were 12 delays and a 2 cancellations as of the same time. As of around 7 a.m., there were five total cancelations for the day at Burlington International Airport in Vermont.

Here’s what it looks like outside our window right now. 5.8” of snow have been measured thus far at the BTV airport. We would love to have your snowfall reports, too. Please include: *LOCATION* & *TIME* of measurement, unfortunately we can not accept estimates. pic.twitter.com/cYeUph0vKw — NWS Burlington (@NWSBurlington) February 23, 2023

Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.

Lines could be seen at the ticket counters in Terminal C at Logan Airport early Thursday.

“We were taking a bus coming from Seabrook, New Hampshire but there was an accident on Route 1, so we missed our 6 o’clock flight," Ruben Sanza said.

The Massachusetts Port Authority , which operates Logan, warned travelers that it was expecting system-wide disruptions this week due to the weather. It urged passengers to reach out to their airlines to check on their travel plans.

More Weather News

Dozens of Crashes in Mass., New Hampshire Amid Icy Conditions

FIRST ALERT: Winter Storm Brings Sleet, Freezing Rain and Makes for Slick Commute

This article tagged under:.

Delta Air Lines rescheduled my flight by 9 1/2 hours. Do I have to accept this ticket?

D ianne Ness and her husband were stunned when Delta Air Lines rescheduled their upcoming flight from Boston to Phoenix by 9 ½ hours. 

They were looking forward to landing in Phoenix, picking up a rental car, and making the scenic drive to the Grand Canyon while it was still light outside.

“The new flight would have had us driving through the Grand Canyon at 1 a.m. — an ill-advised idea, especially for someone who does not know the area,” she says.

But they were even more surprised that Delta only offered them one option.

“You can cancel the flight,” a representative told them. “But you purchased a nonrefundable flight so all we can do is give you a credit for future travel.”

True, the Nesses had Basic Economy tickets, the most restricted airfare Delta offers. But did they have to accept Delta’s offer?

Ness’ mess begs several questions:

• What are your rights when an airline delays your flight?
• How do you turn an airline ticket credit into a refund?
• When will airlines stop lying to us?

But before we get the answers, let’s take a closer look at Ness’s Arizona vacation.

“It was the only option”

Faced with either losing the value of her flight or accepting the ticket credit, Ness did what she thought she had to: She canceled her flight.

“It was the only option I was given,” she says. “I took a credit for future travel, which was nontransferable and had to be used by the end of the year.” ( Related : Should this Delta Air Lines flight change lead to a refund ?)

This is typical for airlines. They give you the informationthat suits their business interests. Yes, it’s true that Ness and her husband qualified for a ticket credit. But there was more to the story. ( Related : Delta’s Ausband: “Customer service is very important to the bottom line ”.)

Lawmakers are on to such tactics. The U.S. Senate version of the FAA Reauthorization bill would have required airlines to disclose all passenger rights — not just the ones that enrich the airlines.

Ness thought she was stuck with a ticket credit that she’d have to use by the end of the year but might not be able to. And if that happened, Delta would be able to keep all of her money without flying her anywhere.

What are your rights when Delta Air Lines reschedules your flight?

If your airline delays your domestic flight, you have rights under federal regulations.

If an airline cancels your flight, it must offer a full refund or a new flight of the airline’s choosing 

The airline may also owe you some compensation, depending on where you’re flying or the reason for the delay. By the way, that’s also true if the airline ends service to a destination. It has to offer a refund or a replacement flight.

If an airline delays your flight, your airline owes you less

There’s no requirement that your airline keep its timetable in the United States. For longer delays, though, federal law requires that the airline offer a full refund. It must be a “significant” delay, which airlines define differently. (If your flight is to or from a destination in Europe, you may be eligible for more compensation .)

You can find out more about your rights during a delay or cancellation in my complete guide on the subject.

But for Ness, the important question was: What is a “significant” delay for Delta? ( Related : Hey Delta, where are my vouchers? Delta, are you there ?)

The answer: 120 minutes.

“If you have experienced a flight cancellation or significant delay of greater than 120 minutes and no longer want to travel on your remaining itinerary, you can cancel your itinerary,” Delta says on its site .

Delta also has it written into its contract of carriage , the legal agreement between the passenger and airline.

RULE 19: FLIGHT DELAYS/CANCELLATIONS A. Delta’s Liability in the Event of Schedule Changes, Delays and Flight Cancellations If there is a flight cancellation, diversion, delay of greater than 120 minutes, or that will cause a passenger to miss connections, Delta will (at passenger’s request) cancel the remaining ticket and refund the unused portion of the ticket and unused ancillary fees in the original form of payment.

And it doesn’t matter what kind of ticket you have.

That small detail was missing from Delta’s correspondence with Ness. In other words, it had told a half-truth and convinced her to accept a ticket credit.

How she fought back after Delta Airlines rescheduled her flight

Ness subscribes to Elliott Confidential , the newsletter where I disclose the travel industry’s secrets. She started reading some of my back issues, where I covered passengers’  rights to a refund. And that’s when it dawned on her that Delta had been less than forthcoming with her.

“My next call was to Delta,” she said.

She asked a representative to pull up her reservation, which showed that Delta had rescheduled her by 9 ½ hours. It would have her driving the back roads of Arizona after midnight, which she didn’t want to do. ( Related : Delta threatened to call police and remove me from a flight. Am I owed anything ?)

She also explained to the representative how disappointing this was to her and her husband. They had scheduled the Grand Canyon trip during the pandemic but had to cancel it. Now they had to cancel again.

And now Delta offered her only one option: She had to accept ticket credits that would expire soon. ( Related : Delta downgraded me on my flight with no refund. P.S.: I’m in a wheelchair .)

The representative agreed with her as he reviewed her reservation. Everything had been done correctly.

And then she pulled out her ace. 

“I took a look at your contract of carriage,” she said. ( Related : Denied boarding by Delta Air Lines twice — can you help me get a refund ?)

That changed the entire conversation.

“The minute I mentioned the words ‘contract of carriage’ the representative interrupted me and asked if I was calling for my refund,” she recalls.

Why yes, she said,  “I am.”

And that was it. Mission accomplished.

“That was worth the subscription price,” she said.

It’s not just Delta Air Lines rescheduling flights. When will this lying end?

You can’t trust an airline to tell you what your rights are. That’s why I had to create this site and the email newsletter to which Ness and tens of thousands of others subscribe. 

It’s why the Senate is requiring airlines to disclose passenger rights online and in their tickets, which is long overdue. 

When I hear from readers like Ness, I wonder how many other people have simply accepted an airline’s half-truth and taken an expiring flight credit, even though they might never use it. Is it thousands? Tens of thousands? More? 

I also wonder how much money the airlines have made by telling their passengers a half-truth.

Ness learned the truth and pushed back. You can, too. We publish the names, numbers and email addresses of all the airline executives on this site . A brief, polite but firm email citing your rights should help you get what you deserve the next time an airline reschedules you.

And if it doesn’t? Well, you know where to find me.

How Boeing’s Problems Could Disrupt Summer Travel

With airlines getting 40% fewer new planes than scheduled, expect higher fares this summer and increased risk of delays and cancellations., by jeremy bogaisky , forbes staff.

U. S. airlines had been looking forward to a strong summer. Holding them back: problems at Boeing and Airbus that are delaying deliveries of new planes.

Under intense federal and public pressure to improve the quality of its planes, Boeing’s production of 737 Max jets has slowed to a trickle. In March the company said it delivered 24 of its bestselling plane to customers, down 53% from the same month a year ago. In the first two weeks of April, it delivered just three, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Boeing’s woes, combined with supply chain issues at rival Airbus and engine durability issues that have grounded planes for inspections, have led airlines to reduce flights for the upcoming summer travel season and slow pilot hiring. That could mean higher fares in some markets and increased risk of disruption as airlines rely more on older planes, which are more prone to mechanical failures, analysts say.

“The bookings are being made now, the demand for air travel is coming and the airlines have to figure out how they do more with less,” Helene Becker, an airline analyst with TD Cowen, told Forbes .

Boeing has been struggling to fulfill airlines’ orders for years after two deadly 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 brought its assembly lines to a standstill . Then, as the company restarted production in May 2020, the Covid pandemic eviscerated demand. The company expected 2024 to be the year when it would finally get its 737 factory in Renton, Washington running smoothly again, starting with a goal of 38 planes a month and working up to 47. Those plans have gone up in smoke after a panel popped off a relatively new Alaska Airlines Max jet in flight in January. Now Boeing is facing multiple investigations, with the Federal Aviation Administration capping its output at 38 planes a month and stationing more inspectors at the factory. The company has said it’s slowing the line purposefully as it seeks to improve manufacturing quality.

U.S. passenger airlines should receive 301 new planes this year, down 40% from the number they had expected as of the beginning of 2023, according to estimates by Martha Neubauer, a senior associate at AeroDynamic Advisory. While Boeing is in the spotlight, rival Airbus accounts for 38% of the missed deliveries this year to airlines worldwide, according to Neubauer. It’s struggled with supply chain issues, particularly with engines, as it’s tried to raise production rates to meet strong demand.

Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon wrote in an email that the planemaker has told customers “the supply chain continued to be the limiting factor and pacing element in our near to mid term deliveries.” Airbus plans to deliver 800 jets this year.

Boeing directed Forbes to comments made by CFO Brian West on March 20 at an investor conference: “Ultimately, our job is to make sure that we can execute on behalf of our customers in a way that's more predictable, more dependable, with the highest quality in mind and we're going to do that one airplane at a time.”

NO PLANES, NO GAIN

These seven u.s. airlines are set to receive 48% fewer planes this year from boeing and airbus than they had expected as of the beginning of 2023., how airlines are handling the delays.

Among the most impacted carriers is United Airlines, which has charted ambitious growth plans under CEO Scott Kirby. As of the beginning of 2023 it had expected to receive 127 new planes this year, according to financial filings. It’s now assuming it will get 66.

United is cutting flights accordingly, reducing its total passenger seat capacity for the summer quarter by 4.3% as of Monday, compared to when it first published its full schedule, according to TD Cowen’s Becker and fellow analyst Tom Fitzgerald.

United will still be growing its passenger capacity by 5% over the previous summer as measured by available seat miles. But that’s sharply lower growth than last year, when its capacity was 15% greater than summer 2022. It’s also stopped hiring new pilots and earlier this month asked pilots to volunteer for unpaid leave in May, which may extend into the summer.

To address the cost and complexity of the pileup of incoming new planes created by Boeing’s “repeated delivery delays,” CFO Mike Leskinen said Wednesday on United’s first-quarter earnings call that the company was planning to spread out future deliveries to about 100 a year from 2025 to 2027. That will allow it to have a steadier tempo of hiring and training, as well as capital expenditures.

“We will continue to face struggles on the delivery schemes from Boeing and Airbus,” said CCO Andrew Nocella. “But hopefully …we've built in the appropriate insurance plans.” A United spokesperson declined to comment further.

United’s problems aren’t only due to Boeing. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the airline following a recent string of in-flight safety incidents, and as a result United has said it’s hit pause on two new international routes, including Newark to Faro, Portugal. The FAA probe is delaying the use of three new planes until the summer quarter.

Also reducing the number of planes available to airlines this summer: problems with engines made by one of Airbus’s suppliers, Pratt & Whitney. Airlines like Hawaiian, Spirit and JetBlue are pulling Airbus planes out of service one by one for time-consuming engine inspections. The latter two are also restructuring their networks after their planned merger was blocked on antitrust grounds.

Southwest Airlines, which only flies Boeing jets, is expecting the embattled manufacturer will deliver about 20 planes this year, according to Reuters , down from 86 it was planning for as of the beginning of 2023. That total had included 45 of the 737 Max 7, the smallest version of the plane whose certification has taken longer than expected due to new tests required by Congress in response to the MAX crashes. It’s facing further delays in the wake of the Alaska incident over an issue with the engine anti-icing system discovered in current Max models. The same issues have also delayed certification of the 737 Max 10, the largest version of the Max, leading one its largest buyers, United, to give up on getting the plane in the near term and pivot to line up Airbus planes to lease instead starting in 2025.

So far, Southwest has cut its summer capacity by 1.4% since its schedule was first published, which would still be up 4% over the previous summer. Southwest also said last month it would scale back its hiring of pilots this year to half as many as planned and flight attendants by 60% due to Boeing’s delivery delays.

A Southwest spokesperson said the airline couldn’t comment in the quiet period before its quarterly earnings report next week.

Also pulling back: all-Boeing airline Alaska, whose CFO, Shane Tackett, said on its quarterly earnings call Thursday that the airline could get “somewhere between 10 and 20” planes from Boeing this year. It had expected 26 as of January 2023. Alaska has trimmed its summer capacity by 6.7%. Amid uncertainty over when Boeing will get back to a stable production rate and certify the 737 Max 10, of which Alaska has ordered 45, the airline could decide to take fewer planes, he said. “It will probably be less than we had been thinking a year ago.”

Travelers wait in the terminal as an Alaska Airlines plane sits at a gate at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, on January 11, 2023.

In an email, an Alaska spokesperson told Forbes, “We're confident in our ability to operate our schedule reliably to deliver our guests to their vacations and summer plans.”

Airlines’ August schedules remain relatively unchanged so far, suggesting more cuts could come, a Cirium spokesperson said.

Experts said capacity was most likely to be trimmed in places with multiple flights a day, and to secondary cities rather than major hubs. For example, in the vacation hotspot of Orlando, Florida, United has cut almost a third of flights scheduled from Reagan National Airport in D.C. in July, leaving it with an average of nine flights a day, according to data from Cirium.

One Solution: Older Planes

In some cases, the plane delivery delays are leading to older planes being kept in service longer, particularly widebodies used for international flying, where demand has been particularly strong, analysts said.

For example, because Boeing has struggled to regain the pace of deliveries for the 787 after federal regulators halted production for a year between 2021 and 2022, United has kept flying its aging 767-300s overseas.

Southwest reportedly now plans to keep more than a dozen 737s flying that it had planned to retire this year, requiring millions more in maintenance spending.

Older planes tend to break down more regularly. Add that to the reduced number of new planes, and it raises the odds for travel disruptions this summer — particularly since airlines don’t hold too many spare planes in reserve for when things go wrong, pointed out Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research.

For some airlines, the forced easing up on domestic growth plans provides a welcome operational breather after having ramped up service quickly following the near freeze in travel during the worst of the pandemic in 2020, said Geoff Murray, a commercial pilot and longtime consultant for Oliver Wyman who retired from the firm last month.

Growth in domestic yields – the amount of revenue per passenger mile — has trailed yields for international flights, he noted.

Particularly with domestic-focused low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers, “I think they're quietly saying, certainly not in the public domain, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity for us to catch up,’ ” Murray said.

There’s another positive for airlines: a tighter schedule should lead to fuller planes and higher profits. “It's not a bad thing because it does enable them to generate better margins,” said Becker.

The slowdown in pilot hiring by the big carriers offers another silver lining, said Murray. It should allow regional airlines, which the better-paying majors had raided for talent amid the post-pandemic travel rebound, to staff back up and restore service to some of the secondary cities they’ve been forced to drop over the past few years.

Plenty of factors play into whether your flight gets disrupted during the busy summer season. The biggest is weather: thunderstorms can wreak havoc on schedules. This summer, Harteveldt said labor unrest could be a risk, with United and American in contract negotiations with their flight attendants.

But there’s at least one thing that could help schedules run smoother. Airlines that shed thousands of workers during the deep travel downturn of the pandemic brought on a surge of rookie staffers in 2021 and 2022. Those gate agents, baggage handlers and other workers are now better at their jobs, improving efficiency, noted Becker.

MORE FROM FORBES

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Ryanair sues air traffic control body Nats over 'terrible' flight delays

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told Sky News that passengers and airlines alike had been suffering because of failures by National Air Traffic Services (Nats).

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

Wednesday 24 April 2024 15:03, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Ryanair is suing air traffic control body Nats over last summer's flight chaos when more than 700,000 passengers were hit by cancellations and delays.

The low-cost carrier's chief executive Michael O'Leary said his company had been forced to pay out around £15m in compensation following the widespread disruption around the August Bank Holiday Monday.

An investigation into the meltdown found it was caused by a National Air Traffic Services (Nats) technical glitch during the processing of a flight plan.

Regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the chaos had also been fuelled by a "lack of planning" and engineers working from home.

Around 300,000 people suffered cancellations, while approximately 95,000 endured delays of over three hours, and at least a further 300,000 were hit by shorter delays.

Airlines lost a total of £100m in refunds, rebookings, hotel rooms and refreshments.

Money latest: TSB announces big increases to mortgage rates

Mr O'Leary said it was unfair that Ryanair and other carriers had been forced to stump up costs when they had not been to blame.

He told Sky's Business Live with Ian King : "When things go wrong in the airline industry, we have to compensate our passengers and we want to recover those costs directly from Nats.

"We continue to call for the chief executive of Nats, Martin Rolfe , to either step down or be dismissed. We think he's demonstrated he's incapable of running an efficient ATC [air traffic control] service.

"We're the same size in the UK as we are in Italy. Last year in the UK, 7,000 Ryanair flights were delayed because of either Nats short-staffing or system failures. Only 170 flights in Italy were affected by Nats delays."

Mr O'Leary added: "So, it's a terrible service that Nats is providing. We pay them over £100m a year in ATC fees and we're entitled to expect a better service.

"The August Bank Holiday weekend last year was a complete shambles."

Read more from business: Premier League toasts £40m deal with Guinness Post Office scandal 'extends beyond Horizon' Lloyds profits plunge following record year

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

A spokeswoman for Nats told Sky News: "We were served with legal proceedings this week confirming that Ryanair is initiating a High Court claim against Nats... in connection with the events of 28 August last year.

"Our legal team is reviewing the claim and will respond as required."

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

It came as Ryanair issued a new forecast on Wednesday in which it predicted that its British traffic would grow 22% by 2030, up from the current 53 million passengers per year to 65 million travellers.

Mr O'Leary also renewed warnings that passenger fares could rise 10% this summer and revealed the airline planned to restart flights to Tel Aviv in Israel in June, if the security situation allowed.

Related Topics

• Travel chaos