Winter Storm Fern is shaping up to be a historic travel disruption. Meteorologists are tracking a 2,000-mile stretch of ice and snow that could paralyze the South and Mid-Atlantic starting today.
Airlines are already bracing for impact. American Airlines and Delta have issued sweeping travel waivers covering over 30 airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Charlotte. Thousands of flights will be canceled or delayed through the weekend as freezing rain collides with the world’s busiest airline hubs.
Today’s forecast: not so good.
A test of the automatic refund rule
This is the first monster storm to hit since the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) automatic refund rule went into full effect. Under this rule, if your flight is canceled or significantly changed—more than three hours for domestic or more than six hours for international—and you choose not to travel, the airline must provide a prompt, automatic refund to your original form of payment.
No vouchers or credits unless you choose them.
Refunds are due within 7 business days for credit cards and 20 days for other payment methods.
The trap: Some airlines are nudging travelers to "proactively" rebook using waivers. If you accept a new flight now, you may be waiving your right to a cash refund later.
How to survive the "Fern" chaos
If you absolutely must travel this weekend, here’s how to play your hand:
Don't wait to get to the airport. If you see a waiver for your city, the airline already knows it can't fly that route. Rebook or cancel from your couch. Once the storm hits, phone lines will have hour-long hold times.
Check the Inbound flight. Use an app like FlightAware to see where your plane is coming from. If your flight is in Florida but the plane is coming from icy Dallas, you aren't going anywhere.
Remember the morning rule. If you're rebooking, aim for the first flight of the day. These are the least likely to be affected by cascading delays where a crew is stuck in another city, althought it’s no guarantee.
Book a refundable safety hotel. If you’re connecting through a storm hub, book a refundable hotel room near that airport now. If you get stuck, you won't be competing with 300 other passengers for the last Marriott shuttle.
Are you getting the airline refund offer?
As Fern moves in, are you taking the airline’s offer to rebook early, or are you waiting for the inevitable "canceled" notification to force a cash refund under the new DOT rules?
And a few follow-up questions …
If you said yes, please give us the name of the airline and how long the refund took.
If an airline hesitated and instead tried to offer a voucher or rebooking, please name names. We want to know. Maybe the DOT wants to know, too.
My take: The DOT hasn’t been this deregulated in a long, long time. So I’m afraid the rules might not get followed this weekend—or this year. But I am hoping for the best.
Your turn
Are you changing your travel plans this weekend? If so, what are you doing—and is your airline being helpful? Our comments are open.