This weekend, on Saturday, June 14th, the city of D.C. will be hosting a Military Parade and Festival for the Army’s 240th Birthday. In response to the parade, D.C. Police and Metro have released statements regarding any and all road closures, parking restrictions, and metro changes.
It’s not just people on the ground who will be affected, but all flights going in and out of Reagan Airport will be halted, so if you’re flying Saturday evening, you might want to consider changing your flight.
According to the NYTimes, who corresponded with a rep from the National Airport, the Airport won’t be closed entirely, but flights will be delayed during the time of the parade, as well as the fireworks show that takes place after at 9:45 p.m., a move that is “unusually disruptive” for flight passengers.
The parade is expected to include 6,700 soldiers, 28 tanks, and 50 aircraft and will last from the hours of 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m, with an estimated number of roughly 100 flights being affected. So, what do you do if you think your flight might be disrupted?
First, if you have any flights to or from D.C. on Saturday, even outside the parade hours, directly check with your airline to see the status of your flight.
You may also want to consider re-routing or rebooking your flight to be ion the safe side.
Are Airlines Offering Changes or Waiving Fees?
Yes, some big airlines are! Here are a few statements from major airlines regarding vouchers or re-routes for disruptions.
- Southwest: Passengers can rebook or travel standby, or even get refunds if they choose to cancel. Read the fine print for more details.
- American Airlines: Your change fee can be waived if you reach a certain set of criteria, such as when you bought your ticket. More details here.
- United: Change fees are waived if your new flight is with United and between June 13th and 15th. More details here.
- Delta: Passengers on Delta can rebook or re-route their flight, again, with some stipulations. Check out the details here.
For more up-to-date information, check out the official Reagan airport.