ATLANTA — Hundreds of flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have been impacted due to a winter storm in Georgia and in several states in the south and northeast United States.
According to flight tracker Flight Aware, 166 flights at the Atlanta airport has been canceled as of 9:13 a.m. on Tuesday.
There are also 140 flights currently delayed.
For anyone traveling who may experience a flight cancelation or delay, it is important to know your rights.
Airlines are mandated in the U.S. to provide refunds to customers whose flights are canceled.
Here’s what to know about your rights, and what to know when cancellations start piling up:
Keep an eye on weather forecasts
When airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to postpone their trips by a few days without having to pay a fee. Search online for your airline’s name and “travel alerts” or similar phrases to look for possible rescheduling offers.
Check before going to the airport
It’s better to be stuck at home or in a hotel than to be stranded in an airport terminal, so use the airline’s app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading to the airport. Airlines usually cancel flights hours or even days before departure time.
My flight was canceled, now what?
If you’re already at the airport, it’s time to find another flight. Get in line to speak to a customer service representative, and call or go online to connect to the airline’s reservations staff. It also helps to reach out on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge. That depends, however, on the availability of open seats. The good news for winter travelers is they stand a better chance of finding space in January than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods, when passengers can wait days for a seat.
Can I asked to be booked on another airline?
You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including the biggest ones except Southwest, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then it’s often hit or miss. Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, has recommended researching alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.
Am I owed a refund?
If you no longer want to take the trip, or found another way of getting to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money, even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.
“They can’t stick you with a voucher, you can get your money back,” Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, told The Associated Press last year. “That means you have to cancel your entire reservation, but that could be an easy option for some travelers — especially if you wind up booking a flight on another carrier.”
You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.
Can I get compensation?
U.S. airlines are not required to pay cash compensation and cover lodging and meals for passengers who are stranded, even if a flight cancellation is the airline’s fault — such as the lack of a crew, a mechanical problem that grounds the plane, or a computer outage that brings the airline to a halt.
What else will airlines cover?
Each airline has its own policy. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a site that lets consumers see the commitments that each airline makes for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.