Today’s storm is especially difficult for people planning to fly out of Logan. Not because it’s so hard getting to the airport … but, because you may not be sure your flight will leave on time, or at all. There haven’t been any wide-spread changes or alternations to the day’s departure screen, but there have been cancellations here and there .. and the question of refunds always pops up.
I am happy to tell you, some of the airlines, like Delta, have loosened their general policies, so it is easier to get a full refund if you decide you don’t want to make a trip .. but, the terms and conditions are important; you can’t simply ask for your money back.. it needs to be within a specified period of time. Check with the individual airline.
Now, having said that, it is different when there are weather related problems. Laws are sketchy on this; the FAA gives the airlines a lot of slack when setting policies .. they mostly have the freedom to come up with whatever they like, with one caveat: they must get you to the destination for which you paid. If they can’t, they have to give you a refund. However, if a flight is simply delayed, it’s harder. Most airlines will accept a weather-related itinerary change free of charge, but they won’t automatically issue a refund. Of course, it never hurts to ask. And as I said earlier, check with the individual airline to see what its policy is .. because they vary between carriers.