PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Travelers at Palm Beach International Airport are making last-minute flight changes to avoid major disruptions from a winter storm sweeping across much of the country, with nearly 2,000 cancellations already reported nationwide on Saturday.
While PBI saw zero cancellations on Friday and only a couple of dozen delays, airports across the storm's path were already experiencing significant disruptions. The situation is expected to worsen as the winter storm intensifies this weekend.
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At Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, crews sprayed down tarmacs and positioned plows to stay ahead of potential disruptions.
Isaac, a traveler from New Jersey, expressed relief to be in South Florida ahead of the approaching snow and ice.
"I feel like I'm in a safe haven here," Isaac told WPTV. "It sounds scary, it sounds brutal. I'm excited to avoid that chaos."
American Airlines has canceled 555 flights, representing about 18% of its schedule. Southwest is seeing nearly 300 cancellations, and virtually every other airline is dealing with disruptions.
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Jennifer and Avery, heading to Las Vegas, already had to change their return flights to Palm Beach County.
"They're texting us, sending us emails, and alerts already," they said. "We were supposed to fly back through New York City, and because they're going to get hit as well, we rebooked last night to fly back through Atlanta. At least we're a little closer to home."
Sue and Larry had to leave Florida early, trading palm trees for snowy hills in North Carolina.
"We were supposed to fly out tomorrow night," they said. "We can drive up and go skiing. We'll still have some fun."
When weather disrupts travel plans, NerdWallet says airlines generally aren't going to provide compensation for meals or overnight accommodations, since weather is considered out of the airline's control.
However, many airlines, including American, Delta, United, Southwest and Spirit, are offering travel waivers ahead of the storm.
Flight plans could change quickly — so you’re reminded to check the status of your flight before coming to the airport.
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