CLEVELAND — Travel is top of mind for many Ohioans with a winter storm expected to move through the area by the end of this week. While that could mean a white Christmas for many of us, it could also throw a wrench into many people's holiday plans.
Art Nittskoff, Owner and President of Gamble America Travel, says if your flight is delayed or canceled because of a mechanical issue, airlines are responsible for putting you up for the night, providing food vouchers or a full refund. However, when it's mother nature that's causing the trouble, you're out of luck with most airlines.
“If it's weather-related. They don't owe you anything, okay? They can't control the weather,” he said. “There might be some delays, especially when a bunch of airplanes need to get deiced. The wings need to get deiced.”
His advice for travelers, like Rob Kovitz from Twinsburg, is to get to the airport early.
Kovitz was looking to escape the Northeast Ohio winter in St. Croix until he got an email showing his plans had been derailed.
Kovitz and his wife tell News 5 they were prepared after failed travel experiences in the past.
“Needed to be there over 3 hours early last year [and] we missed the flight. So yeah, that's a lesson learned.”
Other tips to prepare for holiday travel, according to Nittskoff include, downloading the app of the airline you're flying to make sure you get the latest updates on your flight status. Lastly, be patient.
