Rain, Snow May Disrupt Thanksgiving Travel Plans

Nuno André/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — What do you get when you mix rain and snow in the Northeast and 46 million people are expected to travel for Thanksgiving? A recipe for a travel disaster.

But those with plans to travel Wednesday — one of the season’s busiest days — can get ahead of the winter weather by leaving on Tuesday.

Most airlines have issued flexible travel policies for those holding tickets to fly to, from or through many East Coast Airports.

Tuesday, though not as busy as Wednesday, is still a heavily traveled day for the airlines. Air travelers who find themselves shut out of flights already oversold on Tuesday should aim for Thursday morning flights. Thursday is traditionally a slow day for the airlines.

Though policies vary slightly among individual carriers, if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed, you are entitled to a refund. Carriers will also allow a one-time change on flights that are not canceled for no fee.

Here is a list of airlines with flexible travel policies and links to individual sites:

A significant Noreaster is set to hit the East Coast Wednesday, with rain expected along I-95 from Orlando, Florida to Raleigh, North Carolina and rain from Washington, D.C. to Boston in the early part of the day, changing to snow in the early afternoon. New York and Boston could get between 2 and 6 inches of snow.

Airlines for America, an industry trade organization, has projected that 24.6 million passengers will travel globally on U.S. airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period.

This is a 1.5 percent increase from last year, or an additional 31,000 passengers per day. The busiest days are projected to be Sunday, Nov. 30; Monday, Dec. 1; and Wednesday, Nov. 26. The lightest travel days are Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28.


Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

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