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If the weather is bad, the flight may cancel or have to divert to another airport. So if you can take an earlier flight, you can avoid that possibility.
A modern commercial aircraft is a sturdy beast designed to handle all kinds of wild weather, including lightning strikes in flight, while keeping passengers , pilots, and crew safe. (And planes that are hit by lightning do get a very thorough inspection afterwards to check for any electrical issues)
Summer thunderstorm delays are often because of what's not happening on the ground- the baggage handlers, wing walkers, and other airline employees out on the tarmac aren't physically protected like the people in the planes are, and health and safety rules can pull them inside until the risk of them getting hit by lightning recedes.
It's generally not the physical weather that causes issues. As beachmouse said, ramp closures due to lightning are possible, as are ground stops and ground delays at your destination airport or other flow control measures, long ATC assigned routes that the crew may or may not be able to comply with, etc. All of these delays compound throughout the day and will impact the next leg of the aircraft.
The thing with JFK and the surrounding airports is the weather doesn't have to impact the airport. The airspace to the west is extremely congested and things begin to melt down quickly when there are clouds in the sky two states over.
I wouldn't worry too much. The travel waiver just gives you more options.
The NorthEast corridor is running on the ragged edge of capacity. One little glitch can cause major problems in traffic flow (greater spacing on landings or takeoffs, ground stops due to storm bursts, etc) This is all done so that it is safe. But it means flights get pushed back or cancelled and people get annoyed. It is better if they allow people to adjust their plans ahead of time instead of being at the airport and getting stuck in a line waiting to scream at a passenger agent who can't make the problem go away (hopefully they can minimize your problem) and has already been through the same routine 10 times in the last 15 minutes. The airline is trying to be customer supportive and proactive.
Not a good flyer but flying to NYC on Friday (17th).
I get a text today from Delta saying they are giving waivers due to the weather situation and feel free to rebook.
I usually don't fly Delta but is this normal?
I checked the weather and there are thunderstorms expected but PM - we get in around noon.
Since I am not a good flyer, I am concerned and should I be?
I know no one can predict the weather.
I don't see anything in your way for Friday that would be a concern. NYC only has a 20% chance of rain and as you know Florida always have afternoon thunderstorms somewhere. The border of GA and Florida is often unstable but that would not be an issue for major airlines. Perhaps it was sent in error or pertained to another part of the country and they just sent out blanket email.
Edited: I see they did issue a weather advisory. I wouldn't be too concerned as you are flying in by noon.
Last edited by NorthofHere; 08-16-2018 at 11:03 AM..
Airlines a proactive with this and offer alternate flights when inclement weather is on the way. I've had experiences also where I would misconnect at an airport and they will change my flights for free beforehand so I don't miss the connection (or route me through an alternate airport).
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Thanks to all....
