by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:25 AM ET, Thu December 27, 2018
Update: December 28, 2018 at 4 p.m. ET
More than 5,300 flights within, into or out of the U.S. have been delayed Friday as of 4 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, while more than 500 others have been canceled.
A majority of Friday's travel headaches were being felt at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (770-plus flight delays), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (500-plus flight delays), Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (400-plus flight delays), New York's JFK Airport (380-plus flight delays), Newark Liberty International Airport (350-plus flight delays), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (140 canceled flights) and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (200-plus flight delays).
Other issues compounded problems for passengers at DFW Airport Friday.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (240-plus flight delays), Philadelphia International Airport (260-plus flight delays) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (190-plus flight delays) were also being significantly impacted.
Update: December 28, 2018 at 6:30 a.m. ET
The winter storm that caused major travel headaches in the Midwest and northern Plains Wednesday and Thursday was also wreaking havoc in the central southern United States, especially Texas.
According to FlightAware.com, Friday is starting with 248 flight cancellations and 282 delays. The airports most impacted by the storm include Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque International, Phoenix Sky Harbor and Chicago O'Hare.
As for yesterday's totals, 955 flights were canceled across the U.S. and another 8,262 were delayed, with most coming at four major airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston Bush, Chicago O'Hare and Phoenix Sky Harbor.
While many airlines waived change fees Thursday due to Winter Storm Eboni, they did not extend the travel advisories into Friday. Travelers are being asked to call their airline before leaving for the airport.
Update: December 27, 2018 at 3:20 p.m. ET
In addition to Winter Storm Eboni impacting travel in the Midwest and northern Plains, severe thunderstorms to the south are causing flight delays and cancellations in Texas and Oklahoma.
In total, over 650 flights within, into or out of the United States have been canceled so far Thursday, with another 4,000 delays reported across the country, according to FlightAware.com.
The storms were impacting significant airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin-Bergstrom, Houston Bush and Tulsa International. Meteorologists estimate around eight million people throughout the central U.S. are being affected by the storm Thursday.
As travelers head home following Christmas and prepare for their New Year's celebrations, more rain and snow is in the forecast, especially in the Midwest and the northern Plains
According to Weather.com, Winter Storm Eboni will be bringing heavy snow and strong winds Thursday and Friday, with conditions possibly deteriorating and leading to officials declaring the storm a blizzard.
With wind gusts reaching as much as 50 miles per hour, temperatures dropping to dangerous lows and a mix of rain and snow likely to fall throughout the Midwest and northern Plains, travel is expected to be heavily impacted.
According to FlightAware.com as of 8:25 a.m. ET, over 360 flights within, into or out of the United States have been canceled Thursday and another 650 flights were delayed. More delays are expected during the busy holiday travel period.
Airlines serving the region over the next several days have started issuing travel advisories and are waiving change fees for impacted customers. Major carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have started helping passengers scheduled to fly to or from areas in Winter Storm Eboni's path.
For American, travel advisories have been issued for airports in Bismarck, North Dakota; Fargo, North Dakota; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Rapid City, South Dakota; Rochester, Minnesota; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
As for Delta and United, they have issued waivers for travelers coming through many of the same airports, sans Minneapolis-St. Paul. Some of the other cities with impacted airports include Devils Lake, North Dakota; Dickinson, North Dakota; Duluth, Minnesota; Hancock, Michigan; Jamestown, North Dakota; Minot, North Dakota; Williston, North Dakota; and more.
As always, travelers are being asked to reach out to their carrier to ensure flights are still on time and not delayed or canceled before making the trip all the way to the airport.
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