Winter snowfall and COVID-19 affecting holiday travel

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- As holiday travelers prepare to hit the roads or fly-- they could experience delays, or worse, their flights could be cancelled because of the snow. 

Here in the US alone, there have been 1,054 flights cancelled-- at the time of this writing-- for either inclement weather or airlines not having enough staff due to surges in COVID-19 cases. 

According to flight tracking website, Flight Aware, 3,046 flights have been delayed at the time of this writing, and those are just the numbers for today. At least 147 flights that were scheduled to take off on Wednesday have already been cancelled. 

South Bend International Airport has had three flights cancelled, though it has not been confirmed if it was due to weather or COVID. 

This is all coming on the heels of an incredibly busy holiday season, as millions of Americans traveled by air for Christmas and more may travel for New Years. 

“We're expecting New Year's Weekend to be very, very busy with a lot of travelers flying," said Willis Orlando, with Scott's Cheap Flights. "And we're expecting these delays to continue, particularly, there's more bad weather."

Travelers who are planning on flying any time soon should check their flight's status at least a day in advance. If a traveler's flight is cancelled, they are eligible to seek a refund. 

Travelers should also remember that masks are required when flying-- those who do not wear a mask could be fined a minimum of $500.

Right now the Federal mask mandate is in effect until January 18, 2022.