Airlines Offers Travel Waivers, DIA Prepares For Winter Storm
DENVER (CBS4)- Some airlines are preparing for the possibility of flight delays and cancellations at Denver International Airport because of the winter storm that's moving into Colorado this weekend.
United, Southwest and Frontier Airlines are offering travel waivers for passengers.
The following is from Frontier Airlines: All customers scheduled to travel February 19, 2015 through February 23, 2015, who purchased tickets on or before February 18, 2015, may make one itinerary change, rules and restrictions regarding standard change fees, advance purchase, day or time applications, blackouts, and minimum or maximum stay requirements will be waived. Travel must be completed by March 1, 2015. Origin and destination must remain the same. Passengers whose flights are cancelled may request a refund.
United Airlines has issued travel waivers for passengers flying in and out of DIA, Colorado Springs and Aspen.
Southwest is offering travel waivers for passengers traveling in and out of DIA between Friday and Sunday.
DIA is anticipating about a foot of snow between Friday night and Monday morning. The airport has more thna 270 pieces of snow removal equipment and more than 500 trained snow removal personnel.
The equipment being deployed at DIA for this storm includes blowers, brooms, blades, plows, runway sanders, 4,000 gallon chemical trucks, loaders with box plows and multi-function equipment. They will also be deploying snow melting equipment that includes 10 melters that melt 600 tons of snow per hour, and one that melts 150 tons an hour.
The airlines are expected to be in full deicing mode for the duration of this storm, so passengers should expect to spend a little extra time on the aircraft prior to departure.
At this time there are no pre-planned cancellations by the airlines, but passengers should check their flight status prior to departing for the airport. Delays are possible.
The airport was already expecting lighter passenger traffic than normal this weekend, with about 117,000 passengers on Saturday and 137,000 passengers on Sunday. Average daily traffic is about 144,000 passengers.
Additional Information From DIA:
Travel Tips for Passengers
- Travelers should check their flight status before leaving for the airport with their airline or on flydenver.com
- Motorists should drive with caution and allow extra time when heading to the airport.
- A good rule of thumb is to be inside the airport two hours prior to flight departure time. This should allow for plenty of time to navigate flight check-in, security lines and travel to the gate.
- Garages often become full during inclement weather. Passengers can guarantee a reserved parking spaces in the garages by visiting DIAreservedparking.com
