United Airlines and other major carriers across the United States experienced delays and cancellations on Wednesday, which will continue into Thursday. For the most part, the flight disruptions have been caused by severe storms on the East Coast. Due to the disruptions, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have responded by offering passengers flexible rebooking options.
United extended the offer to six major East Coast airports.
The issues aren’t just impacting United flights. Delta also saw cancellations soar due to FAA stoppages, including a sinkhole on the runway at LaGuardia.
As for American Airlines, although it doesn’t have as many flights on the East Coast as Delta and United, it still faced issues of its own this week, cancelling hundreds of flights due to ground stops at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, one of the busiest hubs in the U.S.
Disruptions for major airlines, including United, are expected to continue, with a high volume of cancellations already announced for Thursday morning.
Severe Storms Caused An Increase In Flight Disruptions On The East Coast
Flight disruptions increased on Wednesday, just ahead of Memorial Day weekend. According to FlightAware, there were 7,327 delays within, into, or out of the United States, along with 1,099 cancelled flights. A major reason for the disruptions was due to severe storms on the East Coast, including flooding and downed trees across New York and New Jersey. More than 10,000 people lost power during the height of the thunderstorm.
Due to the weather, several major hubs were impacted. LaGuardia Airport had the most cancellations worldwide, while United’s other major hubs also experienced increased disruptions, including Newark Liberty International Airport, Reagan National Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport.
The high volume of disruptions has affected the major airlines. United Airlines saw an uptick in delays and cancellations on Wednesday.
The Impact On United’s Wednesday Operations
United Airlines had the third most delays on Wednesday, with 820, affecting more than a quarter of its total flight volume. Cancellations were also high at 95. Among its major U.S. competitors, only American Airlines and Delta Air Lines had more cancelled flights.
With increased disruptions, United Airlines updated its travel alerts page. The carrier added an “East Coast Thunderstorms” section, offering flexible rebooking at six major airports that have seen delays and cancellations increase.
United Airlines’ Flexible Rebooking At 6 Major Airports
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Baltimore, MD, US (BWI) |
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Washington, DC, US (DCA) |
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Newark, NJ/New York, NY, US (EWR) |
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Washington, DC, US (IAD) |
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New York, NY, US (LGA) |
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Philadelphia, PA, US (PHL) |
United Airlines adds that the original ticket must have been purchased on or before May 19, 2026, in its travel warning. United will waive the change fees and fare differences if the new flight departs between May 19, 2026, and May 26, 2026.
United tells passengers, “If your flight is affected, here are your options: 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 May 19, 2026 and May 26, 2026. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.”
With a busy travel schedule ahead for Memorial Day weekend, flight disruptions are ongoing for United and the other major airlines heading into Thursday.
The Current Outlook For United Airlines’ Delays And Cancellations
As of early Thursday morning, cancellations are ongoing. Delta Air Lines currently has the most flight cancellations at 57. United’s cancellations are also high, currently at 37, with disruptions expected to continue throughout the day.
Like United, Delta Air Lines has also offered flexible rebooking options for passengers on the East Coast.
Delta wrote in its “New York City Weather” advisory, “New York City Weather, travel to, from, or through the destinations listed below may be affected. Check flight status frequently for up-to-the-minute information about your flight plans.”
The affected airports listed by Delta include:
- New York, NJ (EWR)
- New York-JFK, NY (JFK)
- New York-LaGuardia, NY (LGA)
- White Plains, NY (HPN)
American Airlines also updated its travel alerts page, specifically for flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
Airlines will seek to minimize delays in the coming days. In the event of further weather-related complications, it is likely that major airlines, such as United, will offer passengers more flexible rebooking options.
For now, United’s flexible rebooking accommodations for East Coast passengers will remain in place until May 26.
