Travel is still disrupted from New York to Boston after a historic nor'easter dumped two feet of snow in some areas, creating a cascade of thousands of flight cancellations and headaches for anyone trying to get in or out of the region this week.
As cities across the Northeast work to get back on track and dig out from the snowfall of the powerful blizzard, the ripple effects will continue to hit airline passengers hard, especially as more snow is expected on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 2,000 flights have already been canceled nationwide, according to tracking site FlightAware.
Airlines are working to get operations moving for the high volume of passengers who had flights canceled and were forced to rebook after the severe winter weather disruption.
With more than 11,000 canceled flights, carriers dealing with the massive backlog are also working through aircraft in need of personnel and equipment to resume normal scheduling.
Half of all flights departing from the three New York area airports -- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) -- have been canceled Tuesday with similar problems at Boston Logan International, according to Flight Aware.
Many flights on Tuesday and Wednesday are already sold out, which may make it difficult for travelers to secure a seat until Thursday or later.
While the early data for Wednesday looks somewhat more optimistic, another round of winter weather could introduce new complications.
Airports across the Northeast remain packed with stranded passengers, and airlines warn that the full recovery from this week’s blizzard may still take time.
Multiple governors issued states of emergency this week as the Northeast was slammed with severe blizzard warnings across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Massachusetts.
New York City saw 14 to 20 inches of snow accumulation, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with parts of Staten Island receiving more than 2 feet of snow.
On Monday, citing the Federal Aviation Administration and Port Authority, NYC Emergency Management said there were "major flight disruptions" at all three major airports; 1,110 cancellations at JFK, 1,034 cancellations at LGA, and another 1,002 cancellations reported at Newark, with no remaining arrivals or departures.
Brian Kelly, founder of travel site The Points Guy and professional globe trotter, has regularly reiterated his top strategies for travelers who may be stranded due to inclement weather.
On Monday, he shared a new video on Instagram reminding travelers what rights and protections they have, as well as how to get a refund or booked on a new flight once travel bans are lifted and it's safe to fly again.
In the post's caption, he shared a few tips for anyone whose travel plans had been "upended by severe weather."
"1) If you don't want to travel -- get a full refund and call it a day (never take a voucher -- airlines are legally required to refund you if you don't like what they rebooked you on)," he wrote. "2) File a claim with your credit card company or travel insurance for all additional costs (hotel, new flights, uber , meals etc). Many credit cards have free coverage up to $10,000 per person that covers you as long as you used that card to pay for the trip."
"3) Keep checking for seats to open up on Google Flights and then immediately buy them (I often use miles so I can full refund it if something better opens up)," he continued. "4) Use tools like @expertflyer which allow you to set alerts so if any seats open up on earlier flights than what you're on, you'll be notified and then you can have the airline switch you to a better flight."
The Department of Transportation rules state that airlines are required by law to make refunds for purchased airline tickets and fees for related services, automatically and promptly, in the form of the original payment and for the full amount.
According to the policy, travelers also have the option to accept alternative arrangements or travel credits if their original travel is impacted.
"If you chose to take a significantly delayed/changed flight or an alternative flight offered by the airline, you are not entitled to a refund under DOT rules," the department's website notes.
Canceled flights
A ticketed passenger is "entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel," the DOT website states.
Clear disruption definitions
The DOT website currently states that consumers are also "entitled to a refund if the airline significantly delays a flight or significantly changes a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel."
"Significant disruptions" are clearly defined across all airlines as a delay of three hours or more for domestic flights and six hours or more for international flights.
Previously, the duration that constituted a significant delay varied between airlines. Some considered 90 minutes to be significant, while others considered it to be upward of four hours.
Baggage delay refunds
If a bag is delayed for more than 12 hours (or 15-30 hours for international flights), travelers are eligible for refunds on bag fees.
This story was originally published on Feb. 23, 2026.
