A severe winter storm is forcing millions of travelers in the United States to rethink their plans. Faced with the risk of cancellations, delays, and overwhelmed airports, several airlines have activated special policies that allow flights to be modified at no additional cost. This measure aims to reduce the impact of the extreme weather and provide greater peace of mind to passengers. According to forecasts, the weather phenomenon will begin to be felt starting Friday and will mainly affect the south, midwest, and northeast of the country. A combination of heavy snow, ice, and sub-zero temperatures is expected. Authorities estimate that approximately 230 million people could be impacted directly or indirectly. Airlines are preparing for a complicated weekend. Delays and cancellations are likely, especially at key airports. For this reason, several companies have issued travel alerts and relaxed their change policies to avoid overcrowding and passengers being stranded. In addition to the airline measures, some travelers are taking extra precautions. Hopper Technology Solutions reported a 17% increase in purchases of its "Disruption Assistance" policy. This service allows passengers to reschedule a flight on the next available option, even with a different airline. Its cost is around 10% of the total trip value.

Here are the airlines that are allowing changes to their flights in the coming days at no additional cost due to the winter storm:

American Airlines

American Airlines announced that passengers affected by the storm can change their flights without paying change fees.

This applies to those who purchased tickets before January 19 and are traveling between January 23 and 25.

The airline indicated that the change must be made before January 25 and without changing the origin or destination city. The trip must be completed within one year of the original ticket date.

Delta Air Lines

“To help customers manage their travel plans and minimize disruptions, Delta is offering flexibility to change flights without fees,” the company said in a statement,activating its flexible policy.

The airline will allow rescheduling of trips in Texas, the Southeast, and the Northeast until January 28. Delta will notify affected passengers via text message or email.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier announced it will waive change and cancellation fees for flights impacted by the storm. The main condition is that the origin and destination of the trip are not changed. Customers will be responsible for any fare difference at the time of the change.

JetBlue

JetBlue has enabled a penalty waiver for flights to or from a dozen cities.

Applies to bookings made before January 22.

Passengers can cancel or reschedule without additional fees.

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines also issued a travel alert. The company will allow weekend flights to be rescheduled without charging a fare difference for trips completed before January 28.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest warned that flights between January 23 and 26 could experience delays, diversions, or cancellations.

Customers with reservations on those dates can change their flights without paying fare adjustments.

United Airlines

United Airlines indicated that those who purchased tickets before January 20 to travel between January 24 and 26 can modify their itineraries without fees or price differences. The new flight must take place between January 21 and 28 and maintain the same destinations.

For more information or details about each of these exemptions, it is recommended to contact the airline you are traveling with directly.