Thanksgiving Week Storms Bring Headaches, InsureMyTrip Ranks Airports

WARWICK, R.I., Nov. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As Thanksgiving week begins, travelers are now bracing for storm activity nationwide. One storm battered the East over the weekend, and another one will lash the Midwest. A third weather system is expected to move through the West sometime mid-week. While the weather forecast may change over the next few days, many holiday travelers will likely be impacted, with the potential for weather-related flight delays and cancellations.

Bad weather is always a concern for the nation's busiest airports. Based on data collected for 2019 thus far, researchers at InsureMyTrip ranked airports prone to flight cancellations and also provide guidance on how the latest data trends can aid travelers when comparing travel insurance benefits.

Data Summary:

• Chicago airports have endured a rough patch with on-time performance issues. Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) and Chicago Midway International (MDW) are currently experiencing the highest cancellation rates in the country, based on available 2019 data. Those numbers don't yet include the latest round of storms which grounded over 1,000 flights.
• Hawaii airports are considered the least stressful followed by Salt Lake City (SLC) and Atlanta (ATL).
• InsureMyTrip predicts New York's LaGuardia (LGA) will no longer be most stressful for travelers this 2019 Thanksgiving. LGA has improved its cancellation rate this year. The airport previously reported the highest percentage of canceled flights in the country for both 2018 and 2017 (winter storms a factor).
• Flights scheduled for departure between 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm are more susceptible to delays and cancellations.

This is the list of stressful airports this Thanksgiving, based on flight cancellation rates only:

Ranking 2019 — City/Airport

This list contains the data for non-stop domestic flights by major air carriers collected in 2019 thus far by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and analyzed by InsureMyTrip.

Flight Cancellation Policies

Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.

Airlines are also not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight, such as prepaid, non-refundable:

• Hotel room
• All-inclusive vacation or resort
• A cruise
• A tour or safari
• Concert or entertainment tickets

Travelers concerned about protecting any trip expenses should buy travel insurance.

Dealing With Flight Delays

Each airline has its own flight delay policy for passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements. Travelers concerned about delays should be aware of the following:

• Generally, early departures are less likely to be delayed.
• Book a non-stop flight (no stops).
• When booking, ask the airline about the on-time performance percentage for an individual flight.
• Closer to departure, check real-time airport data. This will provide timely information on weather concerns or air traffic delays.
• Be aware of "creeping delays." This is when an airline continues to push back a departure time it can sometimes be extended for hours or lead to a cancellation.
• If a flight is delayed, try to learn the reason why to better gauge if the flight is in jeopardy of being canceled. Reasons for delays may include maintenance, fueling, crew issues, weather, previous flight with the same aircraft arrived late, causing the present flight to depart late, or security issues.
• Some flights will be delayed on the tarmac before or after take-off. As a general rule, DOT prohibits flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours.
• Passengers with departing flights at busier airports should consider travel insurance with robust travel delay benefits.

To schedule an interview with an expert or to request specific research data on US airport statistics, please contact news@insuremytrip.com.

Methodology

Rankings were based on the flight cancellation rate per airport. Airports on the list also reported 14,000 or more scheduled flights for 2019 thus far. Researchers also noted other factors, like hurricanes and winter storms, led some airports to report a high number of canceled flights earlier in the year.

About InsureMyTrip

It's simple. InsureMyTrip finds you the right travel insurance plan, every time. InsureMyTrip is the authority on travel insurance. We are committed to empowering travelers to make the best possible insurance decisions by leveraging our technology, data intelligence, and expertise.

Contact:
Danny DeMello 
news@insuremytrip.com

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SOURCE InsureMyTrip