A snowstorm grounded planes to and from London on Sunday, with more air travel chaos anticipated this week. British Airways (London Stock Exchange: IAG-GB) said it had reduced its Monday schedule after cancelling or delaying flights on Sunday. The airline, which operates a hub out of London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest, blamed the backup on low temperatures, requiring it to de-ice "every individual aircraft before it departs."But the problem is spilling into Monday as airline crews are not in place in the wake of the delays, according to a travel notice on Heathrow's website.British Airways and Heathrow asked passengers to check the status of their flights and not to come to the airport if their flights are canceled.The airline did not immediately return a request for comment on how many flights were canceled or diverted to other airports.It was unclear how much the fallout of the storm will cost British Airways. On Twitter, the airline told some passengers it would provide hotel vouchers worth 200 pounds ($270). Passengers took to Twitter to complain social media to complain about a lack of communication, and even food, from the airline as well as difficulties retrieving luggageExtensive flights delays or cancellations tend to snowball because cabin crew and aircraft are not in place for the following scheduled flights. Airlines sometimes cancel flights ahead of time when bad weather is in the forecast so they are not forced to deal with swarms of stranded travelers. Grounded planes also mean there is a lack of space at gates for inbound flights.The airline is waiving ticket-change fees for travelers booked through Monday if they can travel no later than Dec. 18. Wintry weather over the weekend prompted cancellations on the other side of Atlantic as well. Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) said it cancelled 375 flights after a winter storm hit Atlanta, the airline's hub and the busiest airport in the world. By Sunday, the airline's operations were running normally, it said. A snowstorm grounded planes to and from London on Sunday, with more air travel chaos anticipated this week. British Airways (London Stock Exchange: IAG-GB) said it had reduced its Monday schedule after cancelling or delaying flights on Sunday. The airline, which operates a hub out of London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest, blamed the backup on low temperatures, requiring it to de-ice "every individual aircraft before it departs." But the problem is spilling into Monday as airline crews are not in place in the wake of the delays, according to a travel notice on Heathrow's website. British Airways and Heathrow asked passengers to check the status of their flights and not to come to the airport if their flights are canceled. The airline did not immediately return a request for comment on how many flights were canceled or diverted to other airports. It was unclear how much the fallout of the storm will cost British Airways. On Twitter, the airline told some passengers it would provide hotel vouchers worth 200 pounds ($270). Passengers took to Twitter to complain social media to complain about a lack of communication, and even food, from the airline as well as difficulties retrieving luggage Extensive flights delays or cancellations tend to snowball because cabin crew and aircraft are not in place for the following scheduled flights. Airlines sometimes cancel flights ahead of time when bad weather is in the forecast so they are not forced to deal with swarms of stranded travelers. Grounded planes also mean there is a lack of space at gates for inbound flights. The airline is waiving ticket-change fees for travelers booked through Monday if they can travel no later than Dec. 18. Wintry weather over the weekend prompted cancellations on the other side of Atlantic as well. Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) said it cancelled 375 flights after a winter storm hit Atlanta, the airline's hub and the busiest airport in the world. By Sunday, the airline's operations were running normally, it said.
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