Thanksgiving rush at Atlanta airport could test new federal airline cancellation-refund policy

ATLANTA - The big holiday travel season is in full swing. This is expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving ever for travelers. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is expecting more than 4 million passengers to pass through as a new federal cancellation-refund policy may be put to the test later in the week.

Hartsfield-Jackson reports about 326,000 fliers on Tuesday will be screened at security checkpoints.

Anabelle Wildes, who flew in from college in Oklahoma City to see her parents in Alpharetta, says she has had a long semester.

"I’m very excited to home," Wildes said. "Very happy."

Wildes is one of millions of passengers flying to see their loved ones this Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving rush bursts into holiday travel season as recent changes to federal policy now mandate airlines promptly and automatically refund passengers’ money for delayed and canceled flights. Airlines and ticket agents must produce refunds through customers’ original payment method. That includes credit or debit cards or airline miles.

"I think it’s a good idea," said Isabelle Howard, who flew in from Kentucky to see her parents. "We dealt with that last year."

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Bad weather expected later this week in other parts of the nation, staffing shortages at airlines and a shortage of air traffic controllers could put that new cancellation policy to the test if flights are grounded as people try to return from the holiday.

"This week, I’ve just been trying to get through my classes so I can come home," Howard said. "I’m not really concerned about it."

Under the federal cancellation policy, airlines must provide refunds for domestic flight delayed three hours, six hours for international flights. Airlines must provide refunds within seven days if paid for your ticket with a credit card and 20 days for all other forms of payment.