Severe weather may snarl 4th of July air travel plans

The 4th of July is always a very busy travel time, and this year is no exception. In fact, because Independence Day falls on a Friday this year, many people are planning to take trips on the three-day holiday weekend.

So many people will hit the road that AAA is actually anticipating a new record number of travelers.

💵💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💰💵

Around 72.2 million Americans are expected to travel domestically during the Independence Day Holiday. That's an increase of 1.7 million compared to last year. It's also a whopping 7 million more than the number of travelers in 2019.

Unfortunately, not everyone who's planning a trip this upcoming holiday weekend is likely to reach their destination on schedule. That's because meteorologists are already warning that millions of travelers could have their plans affected by severe weather.

Bad weather could affect flight patterns for travelers.

Image source: Shutterstock

Watch out for bad weather that could affect your travel plans

Bad weather conditions have begun even before travel gets fully underway this 4th of July, with flood warnings and a severe storm happening the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1, in parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Troubled conditions are far from over, though, as the Southeast faces the threat of storms over the holiday, starting as early as Wednesday, July 2. This includes areas in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Worse yet, there's a hurricane watch on the Southeast Coast, and Florida is expected to see tropical downpours even if a more severe storm doesn't materialize. FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin warned, “We're in for a soaker, and it's going to happen over a holiday weekend.”

These stormy conditions are expected to impact the entire region, meaning many people could have their travel plans derailed, especially if they were heading to the Florida area to enjoy the beaches or the many amusement parks this popular tourist destination has on offer.

More on travel:

Unfortunately, the storms are also expected to continue throughout the entirety of the holiday weekend, meaning it's not just flights, but all holiday travel plans that could be affected.

What are your rights if your plane is delayed by a weather event?

If you end up caught in the bad weather this 4th of July and it affects a planned flight, you should know your rights as a passenger.

Airlines have strict rules they must follow for refunds if there is a controllable flight cancellation or delay.

In fact, under the Biden-Harris Administration, a new rule was passed that entitled passengers to:

A full refund if their flight is cancelled or significantly changed, which is defined as a change of more than three hours for a domestic flight or six hours for an international flight. An increase in the number of connections or being downgraded to a lower class of service are also considered significant changes.
A refund of a checked baggage fee if the bag isn't delivered within 12 hours for a domestic flight or 15 to 30 hours for an international flight.
A refund of fees paid for extra services, such as WiFi or seat selection, if the airline doesn't provide the service.

However, there are exceptions to some of these requirements in circumstances where bad weather is the cause of your delayed flight. Bad weather is typically considered an extraordinary circumstance beyond the airline's control.

Still, if your flight is affected by the storms, your airline should help with rebooking or provide information on refund eligibility, so always reach out to the airline directly.