When every seat out of your airport is gone, the fastest way home can be another airport an hour or two's drive away. It works well in some cities and not at all in others. Here is how to weigh it up, and how to do it without losing the ticket you already have.
When it makes sense
- Your airport is the problem, not the weather everywhere. A ground stop at one airport may not affect another nearby. A storm system over the whole region probably does.
- There is a realistic alternative. Some cities have several airports close together. Others have none within a sensible drive.
- The numbers work. Drive time, plus getting there at least an hour or two before departure for check-in and security, must still beat the next flight from where you are.
Where it works best
Cities with more than one major airport give you the most options:
- New York: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, though delays often affect all three at once.
- Washington, D.C.: Reagan National, Dulles and BWI.
- Chicago: O'Hare and Midway.
- Los Angeles: LAX, plus Burbank, Long Beach, Orange County and Ontario.
- San Francisco Bay Area: SFO, Oakland and San Jose. These often run normally when SFO is in a low-cloud delay program.
- South Florida: Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
- Dallas and Houston: DFW and Love Field; Bush Intercontinental and Hobby.
Every airport page lists its realistic alternates with approximate drive distances, or says when there are none.
Do it through your airline if you can
The safest way is to ask your airline to rebook you from the other airport, or to the other airport at your destination. Airlines will often do this within the same city, and then your booking, your onward flights and your bags all stay connected.
"My flight from O'Hare was cancelled. I can get to Midway. Could you rebook me on your 7:15 from Midway instead?"
If your airline does not fly from the other airport, ask whether it will move you to a partner or another airline that does. See can you be rebooked on another airline?
If you book it yourself
If the airline cannot help, you can take a refund for the cancelled flight and buy a new ticket from the other airport. See refund or rebooking. Before you go:
- Request the refund properly. Do not just abandon the original booking.
- Think about the rest of the trip. If the cancelled flight was part of a longer journey or a round trip, ask what happens to the other flights first.
- Check your bags. Checked bags will stay with the original airline. Ask whether you can have them back before you leave.
- Price the drive. A one-way car rental can carry a large drop-off fee, and rideshares between cities can be expensive.
- Leave enough time. Allow for traffic, returning a rental car, check-in and security.
Plan it before you need it
This is much easier if you already know your options. Before a trip, note the alternate airports at both ends and the flights that run from them. See the pre-trip checklist. LateGate shows nearby airports with drive times when your flight is disrupted.
For the rest of the steps after a cancellation, see what to do when your flight is cancelled.
This guide is general information for US travelers, not legal advice. Rules and airline commitments change; check with your airline or the US Department of Transportation for your specific situation.