U.S. airlines offer to waive fees ahead of big winter storm

Jan. 22, 2026 Updated Thu., Jan. 22, 2026 at 5:57 p.m.

By Siddharth Philip Washington post

U.S. airlines are already announcing backup plans for passengers ahead of an expected winter storm this weekend that could be the biggest of the season and cause massive disruptions to air traffic nationwide.

Delta Air Lines is offering rebooking for flights to and from 41 airports across the South and Southeast, including its main hub in Atlanta as well as Dallas, Austin, Houston, Charleston and Memphis. Passengers will be allowed to make new plans without paying a fare difference until Wednesday, the airline said on its website.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. will waive change fees and fare differences for flights impacted from 61 airports, including East Coast cities such as Boston, Newark and New York’s La Guardia.

A smaller storm in late December led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights at New York’s major airports.

American Airlines has a travel alert for 34 airports in the South and Southwest, from Virginia to New Mexico, and said it will waive change fees on travel from Friday to Sunday as long as passengers do not change their origin or destination.

Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines Inc. has similar rebooking options on its website. Southwest Airlines Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp. also said they would waive fees for affected travelers.

The National Weather Service has a winter storm watch from eastern Arizona to the mid-Atlantic states and extreme cold warnings and advisories extending as far south as Texas.

New York City and other places in the Northeast may get as much as 10 inches of snow on Sunday, according to the U.S. Weather Prediction Center.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.