FAA outage disrupts East Coast flights: Check waivers before rebooking

An FAA communications outage triggered around 1,100 flight cancellations nationwide by late Monday, according to FlightAware, with Newark hardest hit. Travellers should check flight status and airline rebooking waivers before heading to the airport or buying replacement tickets; aircraft and crew displacement could affect Tuesday operations too.

The disruption involved FAA communications in Philadelphia and an accidentally severed telecommunications fibre line, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Although the line was repaired by early evening, cancellations continued. United, American, Delta and Southwest issued travel waivers, with coverage and alternative-airport options depending on the itinerary. Use the airline app to check available changes, particularly for Newark, Philadelphia and connections through New York or Boston.

For Canadians departing YYZ, YVR, YUL or YYC, check the entire itinerary, including Air Canada connections to affected US hubs. Aeroplan members booked on United should consult Aeroplan as the ticket issuer as well as United’s operational alerts. WestJet Rewards travellers should check WestJet’s own notices rather than assume a US carrier’s waiver applies. US travellers using MileagePlus, AAdvantage or SkyMiles should confirm award-ticket rebooking or mileage-redeposit options before canceling.

US refund protections still apply when an airline cancels or significantly delays a covered flight and you decline further travel, even if air traffic control caused the disruption. A refund of the unused ticket is not a promise to cover a more expensive replacement. Compare alternatives in CAD for Canadian bookings and USD for US bookings, allowing for currency conversion where relevant.

Airlines generally do not pay hotel or meal costs for air traffic control disruptions. Check the specific insurance certificate on the card used to book, including eligible Amex Membership Rewards Canada cards or US Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards cards: earning those points alone does not guarantee coverage. For award bookings, verify payment requirements and covered delay causes, and retain receipts and airline notices.