air travel delays in chicago

• Flight Tracker
• Travel Tools
• Visa & Travel Restrictions
• Business Solutions

• Flight Status
• Delays (FAA)

Airport Status Information - Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD)

Search for an Airport

Ord - chicago, o'hare international airport current conditions, current weather forecast, 20-may-2024.

Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Warm. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Breezy. Very warm with highs in the upper 80s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph, increasing to south 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.

Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s.

Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

Mostly clear in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s.

Partly cloudy. A chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s inland, but only in the upper 60s near the lake. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. A chance of showers. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the morning, then partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

Watch CBS News

Chicago airport delays: O'Hare among worst in world and weather complicates flights

By John Dodge

Updated on: June 30, 2023 / 8:46 AM CDT / CBS Chicago

UPDATE:  On Friday morning, operations at O'Hare were back to normal, with just 20 canceled flights and 44 delays. 

CHICAGO (CBS2) -- O'Hare International Airport ranks No. 2 in the world on Thursday in flight delays and cancellations. 

And those delays are likely to get worse as storms move into the area. 

According to Flight Aware, as of 4 p.m., departure delays are just over an hour (and increasing) due to thunderstorms.

Inbound flights are delayed at their origin by an average of 1 hour, and 32 minutes. All inbound flights are being held at their originating airports until 5 p.m., according to Flight Aware. 

As of 4 p.m. 65 flights have been canceled, or about 5% of scheduled departures, according to Flight Aware's data.   

A total of 341 flights, or about 30% of flights, are delayed.  

Only Denver International Airport had more cancellations worldwide, just barely.  Chicago actually has the most delays in the world as of Thursday afternoon. 

Midway Airport is reporting no cancellations so far today. 

Delays by airport

(Numbers as of 4 p.m.)

John Dodge is a veteran Chicago journalist with experience in print, television, and online platforms.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

1 killed, 2 others hurt after argument leads to shooting in South Austin

One person hospitalized after fight at Eataly restaurant in River North

Police ask for helping identifying girl found on Northwest Side

Man stabbed inside store in the Loop, Chicago Police say

Chicago O'Hare Airport sees most delays, cancellations nationwide Sunday amid heavy rain

CHICAGO -- Another wave of airline cancellations and delays is being felt across the United States this weekend, CNN reported.

According to the flight tracking website, FlightAware, there have been 862 flights canceled so far on Sunday.

A total of 4,041 flights have been delayed across the United States.

Chicago O'Hare saw the most cancellations and delays on Sunday, with approximately 12% of flights canceled and about 35% of flights delayed.

Chicago saw heavy rain Sunday, including a flash flood warning that was in place until 3 p.m. local time for portions of Cook County.

Weekend of cancellations

Saturday saw a total of 657 flight cancellations and 7,267 delays within, into or out of the United States.

American Airlines canceled 4% of its flights and 24% of its Saturday flights were delayed, according to FlightAware.

United had 4% of its flights canceled and 23% delayed, followed by Delta with 2% canceled and 22% of its Saturday flights delayed, FlightAware notes.

41% of JetBlue's flights and 36% of Southwest's flights were also delayed on Saturday, according to the website.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

(The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)

Related Topics

• O'HARE
• U.S. & WORLD

Our Chicago: Memorial Day weekend and summer travel

Boeing breached 2021 deferred prosecution agreement: DOJ

Americans need a Real ID to travel in 2025: Here are the requirements

Senate passes FAA reauthorization bill ahead of key deadline

Top stories.

Teen injured in NW Side drive-by shooting: CPD | EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

At least 45 shot, 1 fatally, in Chicago weekend shootings: CPD

• 24 minutes ago

Iran's president, others found dead at crash site: state media

Person shot after multiple fights at North Side beach: CPD, CFD

Court to rule on Julian Assange's final appeal over extradition to US

• 38 minutes ago

Who is the next 'American Idol'? A winner is crowned on finale

• 3 hours ago

Bruce Nordstrom, who helped grow family-led department store, dies

• 40 minutes ago

Woman, secret lover planned boyfriend's murder via text: prosecutors

Hundreds of flights canceled at Chicago airports as frigid temperatures linger

The extreme colds impact on chicago.

The extreme cold is keeping its grip on the Chicago area for at least another day.

CHICAGO - Chicago 's airports experienced more cancelations than usual as arctic temperatures swept the area on Monday. The extreme cold is causing certain airport operations to grind to a halt – leaving some customers to brace for turbulence.

As of 10 p.m. Monday, O'Hare International Airport reported 372 cancelations and at least 870 delays. Meanwhile, cancelations in and out of Midway International Airport totaled to 174, with more than 130 delays.

"My connection from Chicago to St. Louis got canceled," said Craig Takaoka, traveler.

"Really want to be on ground on time," said Jummy Adekoya, who is traveling to Nigeria.

On Monday, O’Hare Airport’s Terminal 1 remained busy from morning until night, with many travelers scrambling to re-book canceled flights or locate lost baggage.

"I think I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous," said Sam Ostergren, who was traveling to Kansas.

Ostergren’s flight was later canceled, and he tells FOX 32 Chicago the earliest availability he was offered to re-book is on Wednesday.

"We’re on time, that’s the surprise," said Tosin Adekoya, who is traveling to Nigeria.

Others were lucky to get off the ground on time.

"Can’t get out of here fast enough, honestly. Going to Punta Cana so about an 80-degree difference," said one woman.

When temperatures are this extreme, flying itself isn't the issue but preparing a plane for flight can be.

Aircraft hydraulics systems, cargo doors and fuel nozzles can freeze up, and de-icing planes takes time.

"I was supposed to fly out originally on Thursday night, ended up having to fly out Saturday morning because of the delays," said Alex Henning, who returned from Charleston on Monday.

Severe cold causing delays, cancelations at O'Hare Airport

O'Hare Airport had nearly 200 flight cancelations Monday morning. Fox 32's Joanie Lum spoke to some newlyweds who get to escape the bitter freeze.

Airlines, like Southwest, say they also must limit the time crews spend outdoors, and rotate their teams more frequently to lower risks of frostbite.

"This is Chicago, every other year we get something like this, kind of used to, kind of not," said Tosin Adekoya.

The frigid temperatures, on Sunday, even caused O'Hare's Airport Transit System (ATS) to break down – putting it temporarily out of service. Service was restored a short time later.

O'Hare officials said supplemental bus services will continue as needed over the next several days due to subzero temperatures.

On Monday, United Media Relations released the following statement:

"Severe winter weather has caused delays at our O’Hare operations. Our operations team continues to monitor weather developments across the Midwest and adjust our schedule accordingly. We know our customers are eager to get to their destinations. Customers may visit united.com to check their flight status and view the latest information. Additionally, we currently have waivers in place for customers traveling to, from or through impacted cities in the region."

Hundreds of flights canceled at O'Hare, Midway

O'Hare is reporting 196 flight cancelations and Midway has had 161 so far as unbearably cold temperatures grip Chicago.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines provided this statement:

"Due to forecasted and harsh winter conditions across a wide swath of our route map today,  Southwest over the weekend notified our customers of adjustments to roughly 15% of our published schedule on Monday. We are seeing challenges ranging from wintry precipitation and blizzards to frozen equipment and other airfield constraints beyond our control. The persistent dangerous sub-zero windchill requires rotating ground crews to limit their exposure and risk of frostbite.

"All this planning and work is through a Safety-first lens. Our Crew, Aircraft, and Fleet networks are balanced and fully functioning, and our operation clearly is benefiting from the concerted work across 2023 to bolster our resiliency for winter operations. As the storm moves East and the cold air behind it begins to moderate, we anticipate far fewer schedule adjustments tomorrow. We continue to offer additional flexibility for travelers as dynamic conditions evolve, and we’re working to protect our People in their work to best serve our customers."

Some customers tell FOX 32 Chicago that it has helped cut wait times by re-booking canceled flights directly on their airline's mobile app, as opposed to calling customer service.

More delays are expected Tuesday. If you are traveling, you’re encouraged to check the status of your flight before leaving home.

Severe winter weather causes travel chaos as planes grounded and over 1,000 flights canceled at Chicago's airports

• Winter storms are battering the US, causing floods, power outages, and travel chaos.
• Thousands of flights have been grounded around Chicago as blizzards hit.
• The record-breaking cold weather has been forecast to continue this weekend. 

Thousands of flights have been canceled across the US ahead of the holiday weekend as powerful winter storms bring dangerous conditions to large parts of the US.

Chicago's airports have weathered most of the disruption, with almost half of all US cancellations involving two of the city's airports on Friday as blizzard warnings were issued.

At Chicago O'Hare, a ground stop was put in place at around 5:30 a.m. preventing all flights from entering or leaving the airport until at least 8 a.m., NBC Chicago reported, citing officials.

Related stories

Over 2,000 cancellations and more than 8,000 delays affected the US on Friday, according to data from the tracking site FlightAware , with problems continuing into Saturday.

The National Weather Service warned that heavy snow, strong winds, and freezing conditions are expected to continue across parts of the US this weekend, with temperatures falling as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit in the Dakotas.

Bad weather warnings have been issued across states stretching from Oregon to Maine and affecting more than 70 million people, the BBC reported.

The powerful winter weather has also caused large power outages and flooding across the East Coast, while heavy snow in Iowa and warnings of temperatures plummeting to as low as -45 degrees Fahrenheit have stalled election campaign events, The Associated Press reported.

Flights have also been affected by the continued grounding of Boeing's 737 Max-9 fleet.

Alaska Airlines has canceled around 20% of its flights each day since it grounded its fleet of 737 Max-9s, per Reuters . It has extended the cancellations through Tuesday.

Watch: Why cold winter weather cancels roughly 60,000 flights a year in the US

• Main content

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

FAA Daily Air Traffic Report

Friday, May 17, 2024

Today's Air Traffic Report:

Low clouds may cause delays in Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD, MDW), Southern California (LAX, SAN), Philadelphia (PHL), Seattle (SEA), and San Francisco (SFO) . Thunderstorms may impact flights at Detroit (DTW), Atlanta (ATL), and Charlotte (CLT) . 

Watch our morning travel weather outlook from the FAA Command Center where we track all flights in the sky.

For up-to-the-minute air traffic operations information, visit  fly.faa.gov , and follow  @FAANews  on Twitter for the latest news and Air Traffic Alerts.

Pilots: Check out the new  Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) Tool  from the Aviation Weather Center.

The FAA Air Traffic Report provides a reasonable expectation of any daily impacts to normal air traffic operations, i.e. arrival/departure delays,   ground stoppages, airport closures. This information is for air traffic operations planning purposes and is reliable as weather forecasts and other factors beyond our ability to control.

Always check with your air carrier for flight-specific delay   information.

Today's departures from Chicago international airport

Live flight status for today's departures

Check your flight if it is scheduled, or for possible delays or cancellations.

Information provided by third parties and subject to change without notice. Fly-ord.com is not responsible for any error, modification or omission of data that may have been made.

Recommendations before flying from Chicago Airport

Getting to the airport in time.

If your flight is international, it is recommended to arrive at O'Hare International Airport at least 3:00 hours before the flight or 2 hours if it is domestic. In turn, depending on the schedule and the situation of the moment (possible traffic congestion) take the precaution of leaving with enough time. Avoid peak travel hours from 6 am -9 am, 11 am-2 pm, and 7 pm-10 pm

In case of using transport to go to the airport, check the public and private transportation available to/from Chicago (ORD) Airport:

• Public Transportation
• Regional Buses
• Taxis, Limos and Rideshare
• Transfer between the terminals

If you arrive at the airport by your own vehicle or have to drop off someone, check the parking facilities .

Arriving early will avoid setbacks. In addition, the airport offers various amenities , dining and shopping options , in addition to Domestic and International  VIP lounges.

Accommodation nearby

Baggage restrictions.

Ask your airline , about baggage restrictions, weight limits, prohibited items. Check its official website, social media or contact phones

For further information check out the Frequenly Asked Questions

Search for a Cheap Flight

Chicago O'Hare International Airport, IL

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Around the Globe

Hurricane tracker, severe weather, radar & maps, news & features, winter center, health & activities.

The vast majority of flight delays and cancellations are weather related. Conditions like precipitation, wind, and fog greatly affect how safe and enjoyable flying can be. If your current location or your intended destination is experiencing bad weather, be sure to check with your airline for any delays or cancellations before heading to the airport.

• Check with your airline to be aware of any flight delays or cancellations
• Flying earlier in the day can help avoid any cascading delays from earlier flights
• Give yourself enough time between connecting flights in case of a weather delay on your first flight

Weather Near Chicago O'Hare International Airport:

• Chicago , IL
• Joliet , IL
• Milwaukee , WI

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

Transportation | Here’s how Boeing delivery delays are hitting…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Top Workplaces
• Real Estate

Transportation

Transportation | here’s how boeing delivery delays are hitting chicago ahead of busy summer travel season.

Southwest Airlines is slashing the number of flights it will offer out of O’Hare by 33% this summer, according to data from aviation firm Cirium, as it deals with delays getting planes from Boeing and weak financial results. Boeing delays also caused American Airlines to suspend a flight from O’Hare to Paris, and prompted United Airlines to offer pilots voluntary time off in May and June. 

O’Hare will ultimately have more scheduled flights from May to August than it did last year, according to Cirium, including from the airport’s two main carriers, American and United.

But the effects of the Boeing delays are one more hurdle for O’Hare, which, Cirium data shows, is set to lag pre-pandemic traffic again this summer.

Boeing challenges have rippled across some airlines’ networks nationwide, but for travelers looking to get away over the summer, the schedule cuts aren’t likely to increase airfares across the board, said Katy Nastro, spokesperson for flight booking site Going. In fact, ticket prices aren’t likely to hit the highs seen in summer 2022, when travelers were looking to get back out after the pandemic shutdowns, she said.

But those who fly on the affected routes will feel the pinch of having fewer flights to choose from, she said. And many of the effects of Boeing’s production delays could be felt by travelers in the second half of the year, after the busy season, she said. For example, American Airlines is suspending several international routes in the fall and winter, with some expected to resume in 2025.

“It is going to be more of a targeted hit,” she said.

Boeing has faced increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers, in particular since a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. The blowout halted progress that Boeing seemed to be making while recovering from two deadly crashes of Max jets in 2018 and 2019.

The carrier has struggled with slower production in the months since, which means fewer planes for its airline customers . The company’s European competitor, Airbus, also has a backlog of plane orders.

At a March investor conference, Boeing chief financial officer Brian West said the company had put customers in a “tight spot” and was “in regular, very transparent communication” with them.

“Ultimately, our job is to make sure that we can execute on behalf of our customers in a way that’s more predictable, more dependable, with the highest quality in mind,” he said. “And we’re going to do that one airplane at a time and our customers are hanging with us and we’re appreciative of that.”

Southwest executives, during an earnings call with analysts last month, said the carrier would limit hiring, ask employees to take time off and change flight schedules. The carrier plans to stop flying to four airports and trim flights in Atlanta, in addition to O’Hare. Southwest opened a smaller operation at O’Hare in 2021, supplementing its main Chicago service out of Midway.

This summer the carrier is also planning fewer flights out of Midway — where the airline dominates — but the cuts are significantly less than at O’Hare: about 3%.

Southwest spokesperson Chris Perry said Southwest still has plans to one day grow at O’Hare, but he couldn’t provide a timeline until the plane delivery schedule is sorted out. All changes to the carrier’s schedules nationwide “revolve around fleet constraints and meeting customer demand,” he said in an email.

American Airlines said it will be trimming service on 12 long-haul routes across its network, including cutting the number of daily flights on some routes or suspending service for the winter, and boosting service on four international routes. In Chicago, the trims include the route from O’Hare to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, which will be suspended from Sept. 3 through the summer of 2025.

American said the changes were because of delays in receiving Boeing 787s.

“We’ll be proactively reaching out to impacted customers to offer alternate travel arrangements,” the carrier said in a statement.

But even as it cuts back on an international flight out of O’Hare, American is planning to grow in Chicago this summer. The growth marks a change from 2023, when American was pulling back at O’Hare.

Vasu Raja, American Airlines’ chief commercial officer, said O’Hare can provide connectivity to places like the Upper Midwest, as the carrier is able to use more of its smaller, regional jets.

“As those (regional jets) are coming back, we get to go do in Chicago (what) we haven’t been able to do in a long time,” he said during a first-quarter earnings call with analysts. “Is put connectivity into Chicago from places like the Upper Midwest that are either unique to Chicago or can be served more efficiently over Chicago.”

United, too, has said it is feeling the effects of the Boeing delivery delays. The airline has asked some pilots to volunteer to take time off in May and June.

But that hasn’t translated to broad cutbacks at O’Hare this summer. And, in a statement, United said it would be offering a new summer seasonal route to Athens from Chicago.

“While other carriers are shrinking their operation at O’Hare, United’s footprint at our hometown hub continues to grow as we offer more flights to more destinations than any other airline at the airport,” the carrier said.

Industry analyst Robert Mann said United is among the carriers most affected by Boeing delivery delays, but that’s unlikely to affect the airline’s flying out of O’Hare because United has such a large presence at the airport.

The schedule changes come as O’Hare has yet to return to pre-pandemic service levels. This summer, airlines have scheduled nearly 6% less space on flights out of the airport than they did in 2019, and 17% fewer flights.

That stands in contrast to Midway, where passenger traffic last year surpassed 2019, and where airlines are scheduling more capacity this summer than before the pandemic on a similar number of flights.

The Chicago Department of Aviation touted Chicago’s “robust aviation market,” and highlighted O’Hare’s ranking as the most connected domestic large hub airport in 2023 by travel firm OAG. The department listed three new international routes out of O’Hare this summer, and pointed out that United has scheduled slightly more capacity for the month of August than it did before the pandemic.

“The CDA is seeing (capacity) moving closer to full recovery to pre-pandemic levels,” the agency said in a statement.

The Boeing delivery delays come at a difficult time, just as service at O’Hare is ready to pick up, said Joseph Schwieterman, director of DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. The effects on Southwest, in particular, could put a damper on the city’s  newly expanded Terminal 5 , which Southwest uses along with other carriers.

“The timing of the manufacturing problems are really unfortunate, since Chicago has lagged other cities and is now poised to bounce back,” he said.

The delivery challenges come as American and United, O’Hare’s two main carriers, plan to fly more this summer across their entire networks. United is expecting its busiest recorded Memorial Day travel weekend and its busiest summer travel season ever, with both up about 5% compared with 2023.

At O’Hare, United expects to operate 6% more seats on planes over the extended Memorial Day weekend than in 2023, the carrier said. The carrier also plans to fly more across the Atlantic than last year.

The Associated Press contributed. 

More in Transportation

Transportation | New Metra station to open in Edgewater

Transportation | Six months after Yellow Line crash injured more than a dozen, investigation continues: ‘This never should have happened’

Environment | As EV popularity grows, Illinois corn farmers turn to aviation as a possible market for ethanol

Business | Justice Department says Boeing violated deal that avoided prosecution after 737 Max crashes

Trending nationally.

Ground stop lifted at Chicago's airports as storms arrive, delays continue

D elays persisted on Monday afternoon after a ground stop was issued at Chicago's Midway and O'Hare International Airports amid storms in the Chicago area.

A ground stop was issued until 2:45 p.m., halting flights bound for Midway and O'Hare at their originating airports. As of 3:35 p.m., a total of 19 flights had been canceled at O'Hare, and the airport was reporting delays of less than 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, delays at Midway were averaging 15 minutes.

Showers and storms began to move into the area around 1 p.m., with scattered rain continuing through the afternoon and evening.

"The afternoon commute could be a little soggy," NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Roman said, adding that heavy downpours were possible at times.

The storms could produce gusty winds, lightning strikes and "torrential downpours," according to the National Weather Service. Storms that do develop are not expected to be severe, the NWS said, though some localized flooding could occur.

According to the National Weather Service, thunderstorms are set to continue through 10 p.m., bringing with them a change in temperatures.

Flight delays stack up as storms hit airports in Chicago, Houston

Some of the biggest airports around the country are reporting flight delays Monday as storms move through, prompting ground stops and other issues.

A line of severe storms in Texas is affecting multiple airports, according to the FAA. Meanwhile, a larger area of unsettled weather is pushing across the Midwest, socking Chicago with rain, wind, and lightning.

Houston airport delays

As of 5:30 p.m. Central, both of Houston’s major airports were at a ground stop due to weather.

Houston Hobby Airport reported a ground stop due to thunderstorms, scheduled to last through at least 7 p.m. There was no immediate word on specific delays.

George Bush Intercontinental was also reporting ground stop conditions, scheduled to last through at least 5:30 p.m. local time.

FOX 26 image

MORE: Hail, severe storms expected in Houston Monday; when to expect it?

Southwest Airlines was also reporting delays out of Dallas, but the reason was not immediately clear.

Chicago airport delays

Departures from Chicago Midway Airport are moving again, but delayed an average of 30 minutes due to thunderstorms.

Flights into Chicago O’Hare Airport are delayed an average of 47 minutes due to storms, the FAA says, while departure delays are averaging 30 minutes but getting worse.

American Airlines and United both have hubs in Chicago, meaning delays there could potentially trickle out to other areas.

Passengers on all airlines should check directly with their airlines.

MORE: Storms move in Monday afternoon bringing heavy rain, hail

Florida flight delays

Flights in and out of Florida may experience delays this evening as the eastern edge of the Texas storm line pushes east, the FAA warned.  

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

Rule makes it easy to get money back for cancelled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and additional services not provided  

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

The final rule creates certainty for consumers by defining the specific circumstances in which airlines must provide refunds. Prior to this rule, airlines were permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund. As a result, refund policies differed from airline to airline, which made it difficult for passengers to know or assert their refund rights. DOT also received complaints of some airlines revising and applying less consumer-friendly refund policies during spikes in flight cancellations and changes. 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.  
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.  
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

DOT’s final rule also makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund — searching through airline websites to figure out how make the request, filling out extra “digital paperwork,” or at times waiting for hours on the phone. In addition, passengers would receive a travel credit or voucher by default from some airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process.  

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.   
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.  
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.    
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

The final rule also requires airlines to provide prompt notifications to consumers affected by a cancelled or significantly changed flight of their right to a refund of the ticket and extra service fees, as well as any related policies.

In addition, in instances where consumers are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease, the final rule requires that airlines must provide travel credits or vouchers. Consumers may be required to provide documentary evidence to support their request. Travel vouchers or credits provided by airlines must be transferrable and valid for at least five years from the date of issuance.

The Department received a significant number of complaints against airlines and ticket agents for refusing to provide a refund or for delaying processing of refunds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, refund complaints peaked at 87 percent of all air travel service complaints received by DOT. Refund problems continue to make up a substantial share of the complaints that DOT receives.

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• Thanks to pressure from Secretary Buttigieg and DOT’s flightrights.gov dashboard, all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov .  
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.   
• Under Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.  
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.  
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs.

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect against surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, and the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.  
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.   
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

The final rule on refunds can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news and at regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089. There are different implementation periods in this final rule ranging from six months for airlines to provide automatic refunds when owed to 12 months for airlines to provide transferable travel vouchers or credits when consumers are unable to travel for reasons related to a serious communicable disease. 

Information about airline passenger rights, as well as DOT’s rules, guidance and orders, can be found at   https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

Metra warns of ‘extensive delays' near Des Plaines after train strikes pedestrian

By matt stefanski • published may 18, 2024 • updated on may 18, 2024 at 4:45 pm.

Passengers on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest line were advised to anticipate delays on Saturday evening after a train struck a pedestrian in downtown Des Plaines, according to the transit agency.

In a post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, at 3:34 p.m., Metra said inbound and outbound traffic on the UPNW line was halted due to a train striking a pedestrian. In a follow-up post a few minutes later, Metra said "extensive delays" were anticipated and it would provide further updates as information becomes available.

Watch NBC Chicago local news and weather for free whenever and wherever

UPNW inbound and outbound traffic remains halted at Des Plaines due to train #713 striking a pedestrian. Extensive delays are anticipated, and Metra will update this site as information becomes available. — Metra UP-NW (@metraUPNW) May 18, 2024

Des Plaines police said it was investigating the report of a train that had struck a pedestrian near the Metra tracks and Pearson Street. Drivers were urged to avoid the area as the train remained stopped and was blocking multiple streets.

Additional details on the incident weren't immediately available.

15-year-old boy critically injured in Albany Park drive-by shooting

Mother, child found safe after kidnapping on Chicago's Far Northwest Side

Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.

This article tagged under:

Congress extends funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. Here's what to know.

Congress passed a new long-term funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration Wednesday afternoon, ensuring the agency's continued operation for the next five years. President Biden is expected to sign the legislation into law imminently.

The previous five-year funding bill expired on Sept. 30, and Congress has been supporting the agency with short-term measures in the interim. The latest stopgap funding was set to expire on Friday.

The new FAA authorization brings multiple safety improvements with it, including a requirement for 25-hour cockpit voice recorders. Previous regulations required only two hours of recording capacity, the limits of which were highlighted by January’s Alaska Airlines explosive decompression incident . The voice recordings from the incident had already been overwritten by the time investigators retrieved the devices.

“The American people expect and deserve the safest, most reliable and modern aerospace system in the world and this landmark bill is intended to deliver just that,'' Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee chair Maria Cantwell said in a statement after her chamber passed the legislation Thursday. "Our bipartisan legislation sets clear priorities to strengthen aviation safety standards, implement new safety technology, hire more air traffic controllers and safety inspectors, give passengers a guaranteed right to a refund, advance innovation and modernize our air travel infrastructure nationwide."

The legislation also establishes refund standards for non-refundable tickets and bars airlines from charging additional fees to families that want to sit together onboard.

Here are some key issues the draft legislation is looking to address: 

• Ensuring passenger refunds: The Department of Transportation’s recently announced rules require airlines to issue automatic cash refunds for flight cancellations and significant delays. The proposed law seeks to codify these requirements, establishing thresholds for refunds and mandating reimbursement policies for passengers affected by cancellations or delays.
• Air traffic controller shortages: The legislation aims to tackle the persistent shortage of air traffic controllers, which has led to mandatory overtime and fatigue-related incidents. The proposed law mandates the FAA to study the issue and enhance training facilities to address staffing shortages.
• Extending cockpit recordings: Investigative bodies like the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have long advocated for extending cockpit voice recording times to 25 hours to aid crash investigations. However, the legislation only requires the FAA to consider this recommendation, citing cost concerns as a potential hurdle.
• Flight simulator training: Pilots will not be allowed to substitute more time in flight simulators for time at the controls of an actual aircraft when qualifying for licenses.
• Enhancing protections for airline workers: The legislation strengthens rules against attacks on aviation workers and expands legal protections to ground-based employees like gate and check-in agents. It also enhances self-defense training for flight attendants to better respond to unruly passengers.

Notably missing from the draft is a mandate on minimum airline seat size . Instead, the bill directs the FAA to revisit seating and evacuation standards. It also doesn’t require raising pilots’ retirement age, a provision some legislators and advocates had proposed. Instead, it calls for a study on the impact of the pilot shortage on regional and commuter carriers, a decision applauded by pilot unions.

“This FAA Reauthorization is a true bipartisan win for our entire economy as well as a landmark improvement for aviation safety that will benefit the flying public and consumers across this country,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said in a statement. "Not only does this package include so many of my priorities—including my EVAC Act to ensure emergency evacuation testing reflects realistic situations , a provision upholding strong pilot certification standards and another increasing aviation workforce development funding by six-fold each year—it also represents the most significant effort by Congress in over a decade to make flying safer, easier and more accessible for passengers with disabilities.”

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected]

• Vacation Rentals
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Things to Do
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

ESTA Application Delay - Air Travel Forum

• Tripadvisor Forums    
• Air Travel Forums

ESTA Application Delay

• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• Air Travel forum

This post was determined to be inappropriate by the Tripadvisor community and has been removed.

I'm not sure if my post should be in any other forum, but any advice would be appreciated.

Have you tried checking the application status of each prison in the group separately? The group application is mainly for payment purposes, and while you can view the status of all the applications using the group details, each application is separate and can be checked separately using the passport details of each applicant.

Select “Check Individual Status” rather than “Check Group Status” on the official ESTA site and enter the details of group members one at a time to see their current application status.

Should say “each person” rather than “each prison” above. Typo/autocorrect combo…

ESTA approvals can take more than 4 days. The timescales vary, I wouldn’t be concerned at this stage.

When is the travel date?

• Beware of Lastminute.com hidden fees - No longer ABTA member 5:51 am
• Ryanair Flight Cancellation 4:34 am
• Edreams Prime membership SCAM! 4:27 am
• No Qantas direct to LAX ? you have to get to Sydney first ? 3:45 am
• Driving in the bus lane at Gatwick 3:29 am
• Budgetair.com a complete scam/Fraud? 3:26 am
• Air China carry on baggage weight allowance 1:01 am
• Funny experience with Fiji Airways Bula Bid 12:39 am
• Bula Bid System (LAX to NAN) 12:33 am
• JetBlue Perks 11:50 pm
• Trip.com Truncated Surname 11:44 pm
• About food products 11:35 pm
• Vietnam Airlines 11:20 pm
• Two PNR number with AirAsia & Air Asia Indonesia 8:27 pm
• ++++ ESTA (USA) and eTA (Canada) requirements for visa-exempt foreign nationals ++++
• ++++ TIPS - PLANNING YOUR FLIGHTS +++++++
• Buy now or later? What's with these screwy ticket prices?
• Around-the-world (RTW) tickets
• All you need to know about OPEN JAW tickets
• Beware of cheap business class tickets (sold by 3rd parties)
• ++++ TIPS - PREPARING TO FLY +++++++++
• TIPS - How to prepare for Long Haul Flights
• TIPS - Being Prepared for Cancellations and Long Delays
• TIPS - How to survive being stuck at an airport
• Flights delays and cancellations resources
• How do I effectively communicate with an airline?
• Airline, Airport, and Travel Abbreviations
• Air Travel Queries: accessibility,wedding dresses,travelling with children.
• Connecting Flights at London Heathrow Airport
• TUI Airways (formerly Thomson) Dreamliner - Movies and Seating Information
• ++++ COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION ++++
• Covid-19 Coronavirus Information for Air Travel