‘Pack your patience’: What to do if your flight gets canceled at Boise Airport
Flight delays and cancellations at the Boise Airport have occurred throughout the week and look set to continue as the Pacific Northwest braces for another bout of snow.
Three departing flights were delayed and one was canceled at Boise Airport on Sunday as 2 inches of accumulating snow resulted in the temporary closure of both runways. Another 12 departing flights out of Boise were canceled because of severe weather conditions elsewhere on Sunday.
“The safety of our passengers is a top priority,” Boise Airport spokesperson Shawna Samuelson told the Idaho Statesman by phone Tuesday.
The disruptions to air travel continue to affect all five major airlines that fly in and out of Boise: Southwest, American, Alaska, Delta and United.
Here’s how to prepare in the case severe weather impacts your flight.
Why flights are delayed with cold weather
Alaska Airlines spokesperson Bobbie Egan on Tuesday warned potential travelers to “pack your patience.”
Severe weather across the U.S. has caused a huge backlog in flights for Alaska, among other airlines, in recent days.
For Alaska Airlines specifically, Egan said the carrier has had to cancel flights not only because of planes being unable to take off, but also because runway workers were unable to get to work due to the snow and pilots were “timing out.” (A pilot can spend only so many hours reporting for duty per day.)
Every airplane coming in and out of the Pacific Northwest also has to be de-iced and sprayed with Glycol — a fluid that helps melt and prevent further ice from forming on planes — which can take over an hour and slow down flight schedules.
The only way to remain somewhat on schedule is by canceling flights, Egan said.
Alaska Airlines is unable to accommodate guests with canceled flights for at least the next three days and is asking passengers to hold off on rebooking until after Jan. 2.
“This is the busiest time of year already,” Egan said. “Coupled with the snow and our out-of-place planes and crew, we’re just not able to even help our guests.”
What to do when a flight is canceled
Egan and Samuelson stressed the importance of regularly checking your flight status online. Flights can be tracked via a Google search using the flight number, and most national airlines also have the information on their website and on an app.
Additionally, Boise Airport keeps track of flight schedules on its website.
“The best thing they can do is kind of stay put, check the status of their flight before they head to the airport,” Egan said. “And then if they need to make a change, do that online on the website.”
Egan also said not to show up at the airport to reschedule. Airlines don’t have the ability to put guests on different flights until after the new year, he said.
That also includes passengers who already arrived at the airport ahead of the cancellation. For passengers who have already checked in their luggage, bags can be claimed at the baggage carousel.
Under federal law, passengers are also allowed to cancel their ticket with a full refund if the flight was canceled or significantly delayed.
Where travelers should park
Weather conditions around the Boise Airport area not only affect the airplanes, but also ground travel.
Most of Boise Airport’s parking is situated in a garage, and the airport maintains the road conditions in and around the terminal.
The main parking garage, on 3201 W. Airport Way, can sometimes fill up on busy days — including last Christmas weekend. The airport also offers parking in an overflow lot at South Orchard Street and West Victory Road, with a shuttle service that runs between the airport and parking lot.
“The shuttles run whenever our economy lot is running; it runs every 15 minutes,” Samuelson said. “The economy lot is located at Orchard and Victory and it has plenty of space available.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
