American Airlines, other major carriers delay over 4,000 flights

Flying can be stressful, even when everything runs smoothly.

Airport security screening is known to be a drag. You have to show up two to three hours before the flight and have all your documents in order. Bags need to be weighed, and there's always a chance you missed some rule, as they are often changing.

Did you know that weighted stuffed animals are not allowed on flights? That can be a problem if your child has a special toy they like taking everywhere.

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However, canceled or delayed flights bring flying stress to a completely different level.

As comedian Jerry Seinfeld once perfectly described it: “On the ground, you have options. You have buses, you have taxis, you have trains. But when you're taking a flight, if you miss it, that's it. No airline goes, “Well, you missed the flight, we do have a cannon leaving in about 10 minutes. Would you be interested in that?”

And it is especially nerve-racking when a flight is delayed or canceled, and you are in a rush to make it to a big event, conference, or meeting.

Despite carriers' tremendous efforts to keep flights on time and as smooth as possible, sometimes circumstances are out of their hands.

The FAA issued ground stops for major airports on July 8.

Image source: Shutterstock

The Federal Aviation Administration issues ground stops for key airports

Airplanes are obviously heavily dependent on good weather. When you are driving a car, and a storm starts, you usually have time to pull over somewhere safe. When in the air, a pilot can only make an emergency landing, which is sometimes impossible.

That's why when bad weather is predicted, planes don't even take off; the flights get postponed. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), weather is the largest cause of air traffic delay in the National Airspace System.

Two of the biggest airports in the New York City area (Newark and LaGuardia) have the highest flight delay rates in the U.S., with nearly 30,000 combined delays of more than 15 minutes in 2022. Other airports topping the list include Las Vegas, Chicago, and Boston (BOS).

The FAA issued ground stops for major airports on Tuesday, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

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Weather conditions were assessed as unsafe, as severe thunderstorms and harsh weather were reported across the U.S. Northeast. Thunderstorms, powerful winds, and torrential rain led to emergency alerts and thousands of flight disruptions.

Over 5,000 U.S. flights canceled or delayed

By 8 p.m. on July 8, more than 4,400 flights were delayed, more than 500 were canceled across the country, and more than 4,400 flights were delayed. These changes included flights from JFK, DCA, and LGA, writes Aviationa2z, citing data from FlightAware.

Major carriers including American Airlines (AAL) , Delta Air Lines (DAL) , and JetBlue Airways (JBLU) issued change fee waivers for impacted flyers departing from JFK, LGA, BOS, DCA, and Philadelphia (PHL).

The following airlines enacted weather waivers:

American Airlines – Waivers for flights scheduled through July 8
Delta Air Lines – Waivers through July 9
JetBlue Airways – Waivers through July 8
Southwest Airlines – Waivers through July 8
United Airlines – Waivers through July 8

These waivers usually enable travelers to rebook without fees, but every airline's waiver policy is different.

U.S. airlines don't provide cash compensation, however. If your flight is experiencing a long delay or is canceled, you can check with airline staff regarding possible reimbursement for food or a hotel room.

Will these delays and cancellations continue?

It is difficult to say, but bad weather is forecasted to continue through the week, especially across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

The National Weather Service published on July 8 a map revealing dozens of states with a slight or marginal risk of heavy rainfall following a disastrous flash flooding in Texas, where more than 100 people lost their lives and more than 160 are still missing.