United issues disruption warning at six airports

United Airlines issued a travel waiver for six East Coast airports after thunderstorms disrupted operations ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. United’s business portal listed an “East Coast Thunderstorms” waiver dated May 20 for Baltimore/Washington International, Reagan National, Newark Liberty, Washington Dulles, LaGuardia and Philadelphia. TheTravel reported on May 21 that United had delayed 820 flights on Wednesday, affecting more than a quarter of its schedule, and canceled 95. The airline’s public travel alerts page says customers should check for the latest flight options if travel to or from certain airports is affected. ### Which airports were included in United’s warning? United’s May 20 waiver covered BWI, DCA, EWR, IAD, LGA and PHL, according to the carrier’s Jetstream business portal. The waiver listed May 20 as the impacted travel date and assigned waiver code 7JCM5. TheTravel’s May 21 report said United expanded flexible rebooking options after storm-related delays and cancellations increased at those airports. The report described the disruption as part of a broader East Coast weather event that also hit other U.S. carriers. (jetstream.united.com) ### Why were flights being disrupted? Severe thunderstorms were the main cause cited across airline and FAA updates on May 20 and May 21. (jetstream.united.com) TheTravel said the East Coast storms drove the jump in delays and cancellations, while NJ.com reported the FAA imposed ground stops at Newark, JFK and Philadelphia as strong storms moved through New Jersey and nearby states. (thetravel.com) The FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard, updated early on May 21, showed forecast traffic-management actions for LaGuardia later in the day and listed possible route restrictions affecting New York and Philadelphia airspace. The FAA page also showed an active departure delay for JFK due to traffic-management initiatives and weather. ### Why does this matter before Memorial Day weekend? May 21 falls just before one of the busiest U.S. travel weekends of the year, and the disruptions were already spreading across major Northeast corridors. (thetravel.com) TheTravel said United and other major airlines expected problems to continue into Thursday, with a high volume of cancellations already showing up in the morning. (nasstatus.faa.gov) United’s travel alerts page says customers whose flights are affected may be able to reschedule under alert-specific rules. The airline’s public guidance says travelers should review their trip status and available options through the alerts page and flight-status tools. ### Why are some airport lists different from the early reports? The earliest write-ups did not all name the same six airports. TheTravel’s published report identified United’s six-airport flexible rebooking list as Baltimore, Reagan National, Newark, Dulles, LaGuardia and Philadelphia. (thetravel.com) Some secondary summaries circulating Thursday instead referenced JFK and Boston, but the United waiver visible on Jetstream named BWI and IAD, not JFK or BOS. (united.com) The FAA separately showed weather-related constraints at JFK on May 21, which may explain why JFK appeared in some broader disruption coverage even though it was not listed in United’s waiver snapshot reviewed here. That is an inference based on the FAA dashboard and the United waiver list. ### What should travelers watch next? May 21 FAA updates and United’s alerts page are the two clearest places to watch for changes. The FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard posts active delays and forecast restrictions, while United says its travel alerts page carries the latest information on flight options for affected customers. (jetstream.united.com) (nasstatus.faa.gov)