Hopefully, the only thing stuffed this Thanksgiving is your turkey, not your flight schedule.
Airlines for America, the main lobbying group for major US carriers, is predicting a record-breaking year for holiday travel as an estimated 31 million people fly between November 21 and December 1.
That’s about 2.8 million passengers a day queuing at check-in and security and vying for lounge space. The demand requires about 45,000 more daily seats, with the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving being the busiest days to fly.
United Airlines said in its holiday forecast to the media that it expects 6.6 million customers — its busiest Thanksgiving to date. It said Orlando, Las Vegas, and Boston are its top destinations.
American Airlines said it plans to operate nearly 81,000 flights over the Thanksgiving holiday and has added late-night flights to Phoenix and Chicago to meet demand.
More seats booked mean a greater chance for your flight to be delayed or canceled.
Air traffic control facilities are staffed again after the weekslong government shutdown, but the workforce remains about 3,000 controllers short and still utilizes outdated technology.
This caused mass disruptions at airports like Newark and Washington, DC, before the shutdown led to even greater chaos.
Because Thanksgiving is notoriously busy compared to a normal day, it’s not uncommon for bottlenecks to develop and spread throughout the system.
Winter weather is the main threat this year. The weather forecasting company AccuWeather warned that strong thunder, snow, and wind storms could impact flights across the country. The Dallas/Fort Worth area experienced hundreds of delays on Monday after thunderstorms hit the city.
During the 2024 Thanksgiving week, a snowstorm caused thousands of flight disruptions. Still, volume-related problems were largely absent from last year’s Thanksgiving travel period — and airlines and customers are hoping for a similarly tame week.
However, it’s good to know your passenger rights and your options when things don’t go according to plan.
Know your rights as a passenger
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If your flight is canceled and you choose not to rebook, the airline is legally required to provide you with a cash refund — not a voucher or credit.
However, things are different for delays. The Trump Administration recently killed a proposal that would have required airlines to compensate passengers for long delays, so flyers largely have to rely on airline goodwill or their credit cards to get anything for the inconvenience.
Some airlines have committed to providing accommodations, transportation, and food during a controllable overnight delay or cancellation, as outlined in the Airline Customer Service Dashboard.
Controllable disruptions include issues such as maintenance or crew staffing. Frontier Airlines is the only carrier that does not offer accommodations in the event of a controllable overnight delay or cancellation, but it will provide a meal voucher.
It still doesn’t hurt to ask for a meal or hotel voucher during a non-controllable issue, such as the weather. The worst they can say is no.
Use your airline’s mobile app to change or cancel your flight
United Airlines
During disruptions, airlines often allow you to make changes via their mobile app or website, rather than having to wait on clogged phone lines or in long customer service lines.
If this isn’t an option, try an online chat. Carriers like Delta Air Lines allow you to text a representative for help.
You can put yourself in the virtual queue and wait in line at the airport, potentially upping your chances of speaking with an agent sooner.
Here are the phone numbers for each airline:
- Alaska: 1-800-252-7522 or text 82008
- Allegiant: 1-702-505-8888
- American: 1-800-433-7300
- Avelo: 1-346-616-9500
- Breeze: No phone number to call, but you can text the airline at 501-273-3931.
- Delta: 1-800-221-1212
- Frontier: No phone number. The best way to contact Frontier is via online chat or email.
- JetBlue: 1-800-538-2583
- Southwest: 1-800-435-9792
- Spirit: 1-855-728-3555
- Sun Country: 1-651-905-2737
- United: 1-800-864-8331
Check if you have travel insurance through your credit card
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Travel credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the American Express Platinum, offer built-in insurance that reimburses travelers for hotel, meal, and transportation expenses incurred during certain flight disruptions.
Weather is typically a covered event. For this to work, the traveler would have needed to book their flight with that travel card.
If your credit card doesn’t provide travel insurance, it can be worthwhile to buy a separate trip insurance policy before traveling. This type of insurance can help reimburse costs you might lose due to flight problems, such as prepaid hotel stays or cruise bookings.
However, you must purchase this insurance before any travel disruptions occur — once you know a flight might be affected, it’s likely too late.
