DEK: American, Southwest, United Airlines, and other carriers are waiving flight transfer periods for up to two weeks, but expect air traffic to occur sooner rather than later.
As wildfires continue in greater Los Angeles, with 70-miles-per-hour winds fueling fire damage approximately the size of San Francisco, air travelers are getting a break from major airlines.
American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest, JetBlue, and Delta have all temporarily suspended travel waivers for incoming flights to Los Angeles and have waived associated flight change fees.
While approximately 60 flights were canceled on Jan. 8 at Burbank Airport, sitting in between some of the worst fire damage, flights at Los Angeles International Airport have mainly remained unimpacted by the wildfires.
One week later, both airports are fully running even as the fires gather more steam. That means travelers heading to and from Los Angeles may encounter smoke-filled skies and mandatory evacuations.
As such, some travelers may be re-evaluating their flight options, and major airlines say they will try to accommodate those changes. Here’s a look at what airlines are offering Los Angeles travelers.
American Airlines
On Jan. 10, American announced regional travelers can rebook flights with no change fees and no elevated fare prices. The extension runs throughout January 2025, the airline reported.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is offering regional travelers a travel waiver extension through Friday, Jan. 17 for all flights to, from, and through Burbank, Ontario, Orange County/Santa Ana, and LAX airports.
“Customers holding reservations to, from, or through the cities listed above on the corresponding dates who want to alter their travel plans may rebook or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying additional charges,” the airline stated on its website.
United Airlines
United Airlines is also issuing travel waiver extensions but with a few caveats.
“If your flight is affected, here are your options,” United stated on its website. “You can reschedule your trip, and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences. But, your new flight must be a United flight departing between January 7, 2025 and January 20, 2025. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.”
Jet Blue
Noting the Los Angeles wildfires are causing “severe disruption” in the region, Jet Blue is also waiving flight change and cancellation fees, but with time limits, too.
“Customers may rebook their flights for travel through Tuesday, January 21, 2025, online in the manage trips section of Jetblue.com prior to the departure time of their originally scheduled flight,” the airline stated. “Customers with canceled flights may also opt for a refund to the original form of payment. Original travel must have been booked on or before Wednesday, January 8, 2025.”
Delta Airlines
Delta announced any rebooked travel costs on or before Jan. 20, 2025, will be waived as long as the flight is in the same cabin of service as initially booked.
“A fare difference may apply when the waiver is class to class restrictive and the original booking class is not maintained in the rebooked itinerary,” the airline stated on its website.
Delta President Glen Hauenstein noted on a recent earnings call the Los Angeles wildfires are a major tragedy. Still, he expects business to pick up rather quickly once the fires are extinguished.
“Our hearts go out to everybody in Los Angeles affected by this,” Hauenstein said. “But from a long-term airline perspective, we faced hurricanes, we faced flooding, we faced all that. And usually, the impacts are in the beginning phases, followed by a recovery phase.”