Delta, AirTran, Continental waiving change fees for some flights affected by winter weather

Delta, AirTran, Continental waive some change fees

DALLAS — Delta, Continental and AirTran will waive fees for some passengers who change flights to avoid potentially serious winter storms in the East, including New York.

Those passengers, however, must rebook on flights within the next few days.

Delta Air Lines Inc. said Thursday that passengers with tickets bought from Delta on flights Friday and Saturday to or from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia can rebook without penalty if they travel by Monday.

Delta said it would cancel flights ahead of the storm to minimize delays. Customers on canceled flight can request refunds, the airline said.

Continental said it too expected delays and cancellations. It said customers scheduled to fly through Sunday to or from some airports including its hub at Newark, N.J., could change plans without penalty. On its Web site, the airline identified the other airports as Baltimore-Washington in Maryland; Reagan National and Dulles in Virginia; Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

AirTran said passengers scheduled to fly Friday and Sunday to some locations can change reservations without penalty if they complete their rescheduled travel within five days of their original itinerary.

The policy covers flights to and from New York’s LaGuardia; Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Allentown and Harrisburg, Pa.; Atlantic City, N.J.; Baltimore-Washington; and Reagan National, Dulles, Newport News and Richmond airports in Virginia.