Here's what flight cancellations look like at DIA amid weather, Boeing issue

Flight cancellations in and out of Denver International Airport were on the rise Friday amid winter weather nationwide and after the grounding of Boeing's 737 Max 9 aircraft this week.

On Friday, there were 158 flight cancellations in and out of Denver as of 1 p.m., up from 76 on Thursday, 59 on Wednesday and 64 on Tuesday, according to FlightAware.com.

Chicago was the biggest pain point in the nation, followed by Dallas and Denver, data showed.

There are more than 2,600 cancellations so far Friday, with 1,900 of those flights within, to or from the United States. That's more cancellations than any other day this week, FlightAware showed.

Airlines issued travel alerts for the Midwest and Plains region due to snowy conditions. Southwest, SkyWest, United and Alaska airlines had the most cancellations.

Some of those are due to Boeing's issues. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines both fly the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, which was grounded after an exterior door blew off in the middle of a flight from Portland on Friday night.

Out of Denver's cancellations Friday, 72 were United flights. No Alaska Airlines flights were shown as being canceled. But 46 Southwest flights were, along with 20 SkyWest flights.

The delays are causing headaches for many out-of-state Colorado State University students trying to return this weekend for the start of the spring semester Tuesday.

Residence halls were closed for the winter break and didn’t reopen until Thursday.

CSU Facebook groups were abuzz with chatter about flight delays.

One student traveling back from Hawaii had a flight scheduled for Saturday canceled by Alaska Airlines and couldn’t get on another flight until Wednesday, a parent posted in a Facebook group for parents of CSU students.

Several others traveling from Texas, California and other states also had flights scheduled for Friday and Saturday canceled by United and Alaska but were able to switch to book weekend flights to Denver on other airlines.

About the 737 Max 9 grounding

After a door plug malfunction blew a hole in an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet during flight on Jan. 5, all Max 9 airplanes with plug doors have been grounded nationwide.

The Federal Aviation Administration's order affects 171 Max 9 jets. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines operate most of the affected planes. The scary situation has canceled flights nationwide.

Together, the two airlines canceled about 2,000 flights from Saturday, Jan. 6, to Thursday, Jan. 11, in part because of the grounded Max 9 jets, according to FlightAware data. Cancellations will continue through at least the weekend.

Boeing Max 9: What flyers should know as Alaska, United cancel weekend flights

What flights out of Denver use Max 9 planes?

When it comes to DIA, United Airlines' website shows that some flights to or from the following cities use the Max 9 aircraft: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles (LAX), Orlando, Newark, Houston, San Diego, Seattle and Washington Dulles. (This list may not be complete, so check your flight information.)

Alaska Airlines' website showed that some nonstop flights between Denver to Portland use the aircraft.

Check your flight information if you are travelling to or through cities, but know that connecting flights out of those cities could also be set to use the Max 9.

Overall, United Airlines operates the largest fleet of Max 9 jets, at 79. Alaska Airlines has 65 Max 9s.

What if I'm scheduled to fly on a Max 9?

Alaska has a “systemwide flexible travel policy” in effect because of the Max 9 groundings as well as winter weather disruptions. Anyone with a flight scheduled to leave through Jan. 13 and can travel through Jan. 20 can change their flight without a fare difference.

Travelers who purchased a nonrefundable ticket with Alaska and wish to cancel can receive a credit for future travel.

United is offering a similar policy: Anyone with a flight through Jan. 13 can rebook without a fare difference through Jan. 21 if they book in the same cabin and between the same city pairs as their original ticket. Those who cancel or don’t take their trip can receive a full refund.

Those who purchased their tickets through a third party like Expedia must contact the third party for assistance.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Here's what flight cancellations look like at Denver International