Travel chaos as multiple airports ground all flights for second day,
Flights at several major US airports have been grounded in preparation for severe thunderstorms set to batter the East Coast.
Newark Liberty Airport and LaGuardia issued ground stops until 6pm, while Philadelphia International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport are set until 5pm.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport put a ground stop until 4:30pm and Baltimore/Washington International Airport will be at a standstill until 5:45pm.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for these areas until 9pm ET.
The agency forecasts up to 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-size hail in some parts of the East Coast.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted that there is up to a 60 percent chance the ground stops could be extended at certain airports.
The ground stops have also sparked ground delays, with travelers at Newark Liberty Airport facing more than three-hour wait times.
The announcement comes about 24 hours after similar alerts were issued at the same airports, which saw thousands of flights canceled.
The NWS expects up to three inches of rain along the East Coast, with localized amounts up to four inches.
The wind will be strong enough to down trees, snap branches and damage power lines and buildings, the agency warned.
Newark Liberty Airport and LaGuardia were initially ready to take flight at 5pm, but pushed the halt another hour at around 4:30pm, just as rain started to fall in the area.
New Jersey’s airport serves nearly 50 million travelers each year, making it the second busiest in the New York Metro area behind John F. Kennedy International Airport, that sees more than 145 million.
LaGuardia serves approximately 32.4 million passengers annually, putting it in third.
The FAA notice also showed closures at Boston Logan International Airport and Las Vegas Airport due to non-scheduled, transient general aviation aircraft.
This means general aviation airplanes that are not part of a regular flight schedule and are temporarily at an airport that is not their home base.
With back-to-back travel stops, experts have said that it’s best to be prepared for the worst and have a plan for rebooking your flight.
Dollar Flight Club founder Jesse Neugarten told Travel + Leisure: ‘If the plane that’s supposed to become your flight is delayed in another city, you’ll often see the writing on the wall before the airline officially tells you.’
Neugarten added that, when it comes to rebooking a cancelled flight, you have to act quickly.
The travel expert recommended using your airline’s app or website to view rebooking options before you even get out of line at the gate.
‘Airlines usually load alternate flight options right into the app when a cancellation happens, and sometimes you’ll even get rebooking offers without asking,’ Neugarten explained.
Also, if you’re trying to call the airline’s customer service line to rebook, try the help desk line for another country, like Canada or the UK.
Neugarten noted that the wait times on the phone are usually much shorter than the US help line, but the operators can still provide help rebooking a cancelled flight.
Travelers on Tuesday may have to pack some patience as well. Meteorologists from AccuWeather said that there will be more thunderstorms along the entire East Coast, from New Hampshire to the Carolinas.
.
