I’m flying out of California. What if I need to cancel my flight because of COVID?

Air travel totals are predicted to mimic U.S. pre-pandemic levels, but the current wave of COVID-19 — driven by the omicron variant — has resulted in an uptick of positive cases before the holidays.

The new variant was first detected in California at the beginning of December and has spread across the United States.

Many airlines are allowing you to change or cancel your flight bookings for free including Southwest, American Airlines and United Airlines.

Here’s what you need to know about flight cancellation policies and COVID-19 ticket waivers for several airlines that operate out of California airports:

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge fees to change or cancel flights.

AMERICAN AIRLINES

American Airlines doesn’t charge fees to change tickets for all domestic, short-haul international and select long-haul international flights on premium, economy and main cabin fares.

UNITED AIRLINES

United Airlines has permanently gotten rid of change fees for most economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S., Mexico and Caribbean.

DELTA

Delta gives you the flexibility to change the date, time or location of your trip without a fee.

AIR CANADA

Air Canada has a 24-hour cancellation policy and will refund the value of your ticket or cancel the payment transaction.

ALASKA AIRLINES

Alaska Airlines has a 24-hour cancellation policy and will cancel your flight or make a change to your itinerary without a fee.

SPIRIT

Spirit will allow changes or cancellations 60 days or more before your trip without a fee.

JETBLUE

JetBlue doesn’t have change or cancellation fees on most of its fares, except blue basic.

FRONTIER

Frontier allows you to cancel tickets for a full refund up to 24 hours after the time of purchase without a fee.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

Hawaiian Airlines allows you to cancel your tickets within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund with no fees for any bookings made at least seven days before the flight’s scheduled departure time.

CONTOUR AIRLINES

Contour Airlines allows you to cancel your tickets within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund with no fees for any bookings made at least seven days before the flight’s scheduled departure time. Tickets also purchased at a flexible fare can be canceled up until the departure date.

Here’s what you need to know about flying during COVID-19 including protocols and what to do if you or your travel partner test positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention air travel page, which was last updated on Dec. 17:

COVID-19 air travel restrictions

If you are 2 years old or older and plan to travel internationally, you will need to get a COVID-19 viral test, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship no more than one day before you travel into the U.S, according to CDC.

You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.

If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you must instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 including your positive viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you are cleared to travel.

What happens if I test positive?

If you test positive before a flight, you should self-isolate and delay your travel.

I tested negative but my travel partner tested positive

If you are not fully vaccinated and have had close contact with a person with COVID-19, you should self-quarantine 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.

If you are fully vaccinated or have documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, you do not have to self-quarantine after exposure to a person with COVID-19 and can travel unless you have COVID-19 symptoms.

Follow CDC’s criteria for discontinuing quarantine.

Fully vaccinated checklist

You are considered fully vaccinated:

• Two weeks or 14 days after your dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine.
• Two weeks or 14 days after your second dose of an accepted two-dose series.
• Two weeks or 14 days after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not a placebo) in a clinical trial.
• Two weeks or 14 days after you received two doses of any mix-and-match combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart.

Health officials are urging vaccinated individuals to also get a booster shot.

This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 1:33 PM.