A massive winter storm is expected to bite North Texas later this week, and air travelers will likely begin to see the impact soon.
American Airlines has issued a travel alert allowing those whose plans may be affected to rebook without change fees, according to an emailed statement from the company. Customers can reschedule their travel on aa.com, along with its app or by phone.
“American Airlines is closely monitoring Winter Storm Fern,” the company said in an emailed statement. “The safety of our customers and team members remains our top priority, and we will continue to track this system closely to minimize disruptions and keep travelers informed.”
Southwest Airlines “will make schedule changes and/or issue travel advisories once the forecast is more defined as to which airports will be most affected and when,” according to Ashley Bain, spokesperson for the airlines.
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Any advisories will be posted on the website at Southwest.com, and schedule changes will be communicated directly to customers.
The airlines have not begun canceling flights yet, but travel waivers are the first indication that carriers are expecting disruptions. Delta and United have also issued advisories for airports throughout the region, including Dallas Love and DFW, allowing customers to rebook flights without fees.
The air travel industry is bracing for the winter storm that’s set to start moving into the region on Thursday evening, and temperatures are set to fall steadily throughout the next day. The front is expected to bring rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow, and parts of Dallas-Fort Worth could see every type of precipitation.
“Certainly, this storm has the potential to bring air travel to a standstill,” said Tom Kines, AccuWeather senior meteorologist. “… It’s a big storm. It’s a dangerous storm. It’s one to take seriously.”
That include flight cancellations, Kines said, along with other headaches for travelers.
Flights could begin to be affected on Friday evening, and he encouraged travelers to have a backup plan, including potentially leaving before then — or on Monday. The freezing rain is a key worry with snow being easier to manage. A better precipitation for travelers would be sleet instead of freezing rain.
“Dallas Fort Worth International Airport … is monitoring weather conditions that could potentially impact North Texas later this week and into the weekend,” Zachary Greiner, spokesperson for the airport, said in an emailed statement. “DFW’s operations teams are working closely with the National Weather Service … to track the forecast and assess any potential impacts.”
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At Dallas Love Field, where Southwest has many gates, the airport’s teams are monitoring temperatures and pretreating surfaces as needed. With storm events, leadership frequently meets to discuss updates and reassign resources as needed during fluid storm events, according to Lauren Rounds, spokesperson. Applicable staff remain on-site around the clock to oversee tasks.
The airport can put a lot of equipment to use including snowplow sweepers and dump trucks.
With any anticipated high volume of passengers and weather impacts, the airport recommends that travelers::
- Arrive at least two hours before scheduled departure time
- Check directly with airlines to verify flight statuses before arriving
- Know that the parking garage availability is limited and first-come, first-served
- Monitor the airport’s website and social media pages @DallasLoveField for garage capacities and travel updates
- Drive carefully
A little more than a year ago, a storm blasted North Texas, upending air travel throughout the region. More than 1,800 flights were cancelled at one point during the wintry week.
Many North Texans may remember what was the biggest storm of the decade so far when single-digit temperatures crippled the region in 2021. That resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations.
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