Published on : 25 May 2026
If you are a United Airlines passenger trying to get home from Memorial Day weekend — stop. Read this. Your waiver expires at midnight tonight.
United Airlines has acknowledged significant late departures and multiple cancellations across its main system, with data from aviation trackers showing roughly 427 flights registering significant delays and 8 flights canceled outright. These disruptions span key airports — especially hubs serving Chicago O’Hare, New York metropolitan airports (JFK/LGA/EWR), Denver, Los Angeles, and Newark. Travel Tourister
And Denver is worse than any of those. Denver International Airport recorded over 1,134 flight delays and 66 cancellations during the Memorial Day weekend ground stop. United had 385 delayed flights at Denver — the highest of any carrier at DIA. Southwest recorded 309 delays. SkyWest recorded 230 delays and 30 cancellations. Travel Tourister
Today — Monday May 26, 2026 — is Memorial Day. It is Day 56 of the longest sustained US aviation disruption since COVID-19. It is the second-highest return travel day of the Memorial Day weekend. And the United Airlines weather waiver that has been protecting passengers since May 19 expires at midnight tonight.
The disruption is unfolding even as the Federal Aviation Administration continues to monitor and support airlines amid broader aviation system strains. Thunderstorms, low ceilings and strong winds across Texas, Florida, and the Midwest have triggered air traffic flow restrictions. Weather conditions are known to trigger delays and cancellations that cascade across United’s network for hours after the initial event. Travel Tourister
Every United passenger who hasn’t used their waiver, every passenger whose return flight has been disrupted, and every passenger connecting through Denver, Chicago, or Newark today needs to act before midnight. This is your complete guide.
Published: May 26, 2026 — Monday (Memorial Day · Day 56 · United Waiver Expires TONIGHT) United national total today: 435 — 427 delays + 8 cancellations Denver (DIA) total today: 1,200 — 1,134 delays + 66 cancellations (Ground stop — largest DIA disruption of year) United at Denver alone: 385 delays — highest of any carrier at DIA today DIA additional carriers: Southwest 309 delays + 20 cancellations · SkyWest 230 delays + 30 cancellations O’Hare / Newark / LAX: United delays confirmed at all three primary hubs United waiver status: 🔴 EXPIRES MIDNIGHT TONIGHT — May 26 — last chance for free rebooking Waiver scope: Tickets purchased on/before May 19 · Travel May 19–26 · Rebook on any United flight May 19–26 Memorial Day traffic: 45 million Americans travelling this weekend — return peak today Denver ground stop cause: Severe weather — thunderstorms + low ceilings Southwest no-interline: ⚠️ 309 Denver delays — no rebooking onto United/American SkyWest contact rule: ✅ Call United (not SkyWest) for all rebooking DOT refund right: ✅ Unconditional for all cancellations — 7 business days Controllable delay meals: ✅ At 3+ hours non-weather delays Weather delay meals: Check airline’s voluntary policy — United provides meals for waits exceeding 3 hours at many locations
Denver International Airport has recorded its worst single disruption day of the entire 56-day post-Easter crisis. And it is happening on Memorial Day Monday — the day when every displaced Denver passenger is not just annoyed, they are trying to get home from their holiday.
The ground stop and ground delay programme were causing havoc on flight schedules. As of 8:45 p.m., FlightAware was reporting that over 1,134 flights at DIA had been delayed, with 66 flights cancelled. Most of the flight delays were supposed to be arriving at DIA. Travel Tourister
The ground stop at Denver is caused by severe weather — thunderstorms combined with low ceilings reducing runway visibility below the safe approach threshold. When a ground stop is issued, all inbound aircraft are held at their origin airports until the weather clears at Denver. Every flight that was supposed to arrive at DIA from 06:00 onwards is instead sitting on the ground at Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco — waiting for Denver to reopen its approaches.
The cascade from those held flights is immediate and nationwide. An aircraft that was supposed to arrive at Denver at 08:30 from Houston, turn around, and depart at 10:15 for Salt Lake City — that Salt Lake City departure is cancelled or delayed by the same amount as the Houston hold. Which means the aircraft that was supposed to go Salt Lake City to Portland at 13:00 is also late. Three cities, three delays, from one Denver ground stop hold at 08:30.
Most “arriving” flights delayed: Most of the flight delays were supposed to be arriving at DIA. This means Denver passengers whose connecting flight arrives into Denver this afternoon will be waiting — not the people departing from Denver first thing, but everyone trying to reach Denver as a final destination or as a connection hub. Travel Tourister
United’s disruptions span key airports — especially hubs serving Chicago O’Hare, New York metropolitan airports (JFK/LGA/EWR), Denver, Los Angeles, and others. Travel Tourister
O’Hare is operating under its FAA summer cap (activated May 17) — but the cap does not prevent weather-driven ground stops from disrupting United’s hub operation. The Memorial Day return wave combined with Midwest weather residue from the weekend is producing afternoon bank congestion at ORD. United’s post-cap O’Hare operation has fewer scheduled flights than pre-cap — but the flights that remain are running at near-100% load factor on Memorial Day Monday.
Newark Liberty International Airport recorded 179 delays and 62 cancelled flights in a recent disruption, impacting United, Republic, American, Delta, JetBlue, British Airways, Air Canada, TAP Air Portugal, and Icelandair. Disruptions created ripple effects to London Heathrow, Chicago O’Hare, Boston Logan, Atlanta, Washington Dulles, Charlotte, Orlando, San Francisco, LA, Dallas, Denver, Toronto Pearson. Nomad Lawyer
Newark is United’s East Coast transatlantic hub — every transatlantic passenger connecting through EWR to Europe, the Middle East, or Africa is exposed to today’s disruptions. The EU261 angle at Newark: British Airways, Air Canada (APPR-eligible), Lufthansa codeshares, and any EU-carrier departing EWR with 3+ hour controllable delays.
As confirmed above: United had 385 delayed flights at DIA — the highest of any carrier on the worst single-airport disruption day of the year at Denver. Travel Tourister
United’s West Coast hub is absorbing cascades from both the Denver ground stop (DEN→LAX delayed inbounds) and the Midwest thunderstorm system (Chicago→LAX inbounds delayed). United’s trans-Pacific services from LAX — to Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore — are at risk of late departures if afternoon domestic inbounds from Denver and Chicago are running 90–120 minutes behind schedule.
United will waive change fees and fare differences if the new flight departs between May 19, 2026 and May 26, 2026. The original ticket must have been purchased on or before May 19, 2026. AirHelp
This is your last chance. The waiver that United issued for East Coast thunderstorms expires at midnight tonight — Monday May 26, 2026. After midnight, any rebooking on United’s standard fare will require paying fare differences and change fees.
Who qualifies: ✅ Ticket purchased on or before May 19, 2026 ✅ Original travel date between May 19–26 ✅ New flight must depart by May 26 (midnight tonight) ✅ Same cities, same cabin, United-operated flight
How to use RIGHT NOW:
If you can’t fly today but your disrupted original flight was today: The waiver still allows rebooking — but the new flight must depart today. If same-day rebooking isn’t possible due to capacity, ask United to document the waiver application and request supervisor approval for a May 27 departure under waiver exception conditions.
SkyWest, with 30 cancelled flights and 230 delays at Denver, had the highest cancellation count of any carrier at DIA today. Travel Tourister
SkyWest’s 30 cancellations at Denver is an extraordinary number for a single airport on a single day. SkyWest operates as United Express and Alaska Alliance — meaning these 30 cancellations are flights showing United or Alaska flight numbers in passengers’ booking apps. These are the small-city feeders from Grand Junction, Montrose, Aspen, Vail/Eagle, Telluride, and other Rocky Mountain communities. Memorial Day Monday is the return day for ski-season finale trips, mountain wedding guests, and Colorado resort visitors.
SkyWest passengers: contact United at 1-800-864-8331. SkyWest does not process passenger claims. Your rights rest with United or Alaska — whichever carrier’s code is on your ticket.
Southwest Airlines recorded 309 delayed flights and 20 cancellations at Denver on Memorial Day Monday. Travel Tourister
Southwest’s 20 cancellations and 309 delays at Denver represent the second-worst carrier performance at DIA today. Southwest uses Denver as one of its major Western US hubs — and with its point-to-point model, every delayed Denver arrival cascades into delayed Denver departures that affect Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, and Chicago Midway simultaneously.
THE SOUTHWEST NO-INTERLINE RULE — MEMORIAL DAY VERSION: If Southwest cancels your Denver Memorial Day return flight, you cannot be automatically rebooked onto United or American. Southwest will offer you the next available Southwest service from Denver. On a day when Southwest has 309 delays at DEN, the next available Southwest departure to your city may be tomorrow. If that is unacceptable: request a full cash refund from Southwest and purchase independently. Keep all receipts.
Southwest rescue fare reality: The American Airlines and United fare-cap programmes have expired. If you are booking a last-minute replacement for a cancelled Southwest flight today, you are paying market rates — which on Memorial Day Monday with near-full national inventory are the highest prices of the year.
If you are at Denver right now:
Step 1 — Check FlightAware before anything else. Go to flightaware.com → search your flight number. If your inbound aircraft is currently sitting in Chicago, Houston, or Los Angeles waiting for the Denver ground stop to clear, your departure time on the board is fictional. The real departure time is “unknown” until the hold is released.
Step 2 — Claim your United waiver NOW — it expires tonight. Even if your flight is currently showing “on time,” if you have a United booking that qualifies for the waiver and you’re concerned about today’s disruptions: rebook proactively to an earlier flight while the waiver is still active. united.com → My Trips.
Step 3 — Use the airline app — not the gate queue. Denver International’s gate desk queues on a 1,200-disruption day are running 60–90 minutes. The United app processes rebooking faster. Enable push notifications so you receive cancellation notices before other passengers are competing for the same alternative inventory.
Step 4 — At 3+ hours controllable delay: ask for meal vouchers immediately. Say: “My flight has been delayed over three hours due to an airline operational issue. I am requesting meal vouchers under your DOT customer service commitment.” Weather-caused delays are extraordinary — but any component of delay that is airline-controllable (crew positioning, mechanical, scheduling) triggers the 3-hour meal commitment.
Step 5 — If cancelled by Southwest: call 1-800-435-9792 immediately. Do not queue. Every minute you wait, other displaced Southwest passengers are taking the same alternative Southwest inventory.
Step 6 — Consider DEN alternatives. If United or Southwest cannot get you home today: Colorado Springs Airport (COS) is 70 miles south — American, Southwest, and United all operate from COS with typically lower disruption than DIA. Rental car from Denver to Colorado Springs: approximately 1 hour.
If you are trying to connect through Chicago or Newark:
Every United passenger connecting through ORD or EWR to an international destination today should call United before their domestic inbound lands. If your domestic flight is running 60+ minutes late and you have an international departure within 90 minutes of landing at ORD or EWR — you will miss your connection. Call 1-800-864-8331 and ask United to protect you on tomorrow’s equivalent international departure before you even arrive at the hub.
Every cancelled United flight today triggers an unconditional right to a full cash refund within 7 business days. Airlines cannot insist on a voucher.
“I am requesting a full cash refund to my original payment method under DOT regulations.”
United will waive change fees and fare differences if the new flight departs between May 19 and May 26, 2026. Tonight at midnight is the final window. AirHelp
For delays caused by crew shortage, mechanical, or positioning — NOT weather: ✅ Meal vouchers at 3+ hour controllable delays ✅ Hotel for controllable overnight stays ✅ Rebooking on next available flight — including on partner carriers for United
Today’s Denver ground stop is weather-caused. No fixed cash payment for weather delays under US law. The refund (for cancellations) and controllable-component duty of care are your primary remedies.
Chase Sapphire and Amex Platinum: up to $500 per person for 6+ hour delays. File independently from airline duty of care. This covers weather delays. Keep ALL food, transport and accommodation receipts from confirmed delay.
Contact United at 1-800-864-8331 or Alaska at 1-800-252-7522 depending on which code is on your ticket. SkyWest does not process claims.
| Airline | Action | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | united.com → My Trips + WAIVER ACTIVE TONIGHT | 1-800-864-8331 |
| Southwest Airlines | southwest.com → Change/Cancel | 1-800-435-9792 |
| SkyWest passengers | Contact United or Alaska | 1-800-864-8331 / 1-800-252-7522 |
| American Airlines | aa.com → My Trips | 1-800-433-7300 |
| Delta Air Lines | delta.com → My Trips | 1-800-221-1212 |
| Alaska Airlines | alaskaair.com → My Trips | 1-800-252-7522 |
| Frontier | flyfrontier.com → My Trips | 1-801-401-9000 |
Denver Airport live status: flydenver.com → Delays FlightAware: flightaware.com → Search DEN, ORD, EWR, LAX DOT consumer complaint: airconsumer.dot.gov
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Posted By : Vinay
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