Airlines cancel hundreds of flights for winter storm

More than 1,400 U.S. flights were canceled and 11,000 were delayed over the weekend after a major winter storm hit the Northeast U.S., putting carriers to the test during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Snowfall totals in the area were less than the earlier forecast, though New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey each recorded more than four inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

More than 130 flights, about a fifth of the scheduled departures from Kennedy Airport, were canceled, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Another 87 were canceled from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, about 20% of the day’s scheduled departures, and 72, or 12%, of departures from Newark were scrubbed.

Airlines canceled more than 1,700 flights on Friday, most of them ahead of the storm. Nearly 400 U.S. flights were canceled for Sunday, according to FlightAware.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and other carriers last week waived change fees for restrictive basic economy tickets. They said they won’t charge a difference in fare for any other customers flying in and out of a host of airports in the Northeast U.S.

Customers must travel by the end of the year if they change their flights, the airlines said. Flying as early as possible is likely the best bet with few seats available during the busy Christmas week.

Airlines for America, the industry lobbying group, expects carriers to fly a record 52.6 million people between Dec. 19 and Jan. 5, with this Friday and Sunday among the busiest days.

Airlines generally cancel flights ahead of time for major weather events in the forecast, like blizzards or hurricanes, to avoid planes, connecting travelers and crews from getting stranded and worsening disruptions.