Big Snowstorms, Big Travel Headaches: Tips for Coping

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at [email protected].

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Carl is snowed in and without electricity at home today, so I thought it would be appropriate to cover weather-related travel delays caused by the big storms in the Northeast and Europe. Closed airports, flight and rail cancellations, and overbooked hotels are creating logistical nightmares for holiday travelers.

Here’s a snapshot of the latest:

Among the largest currently closed airports in the Northeast, Newark and JFK are expected to reopen at 6 p.m., according to the latest FAA estimate, but there’s still no expected reopening time for LaGuardia.

Amtrak service in the Northeast is spotty, with cancellations and delays between Boston and New York, and between New York and Washington, D.C. Check Amtrak’s Service Alerts and Notices for the latest.

Across Europe, airports are resuming normal flight schedules, but delays and the sheer number of travelers who have been stranded by cancelled flights are creating complications in travel. Check with individual rail providers for the latest on train delays and cancellations.

Here are some of our tips for affected travelers:

Holiday Flight Delays: Know Your Rights

Mass Flight Cancellations: What Are My Rights?

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