Many airlines offering free rebooking this weekend due to weather

(WXYZ) - A big winter storm expected to hit the Northeast this weekend is causing airlines to offer some special deals.

For this weekend only, airlines are instituting flexible rebooking waivers so you can avoid a hassle at the airport.

Big delays are expected for flights heading anywhere from Maine to Pennsylvania because of the winter storm expected to dump up to two feet of snow on the region.

At Detroit Metro Airport, there are already pre-canceled departures and arrivals from planes going to and coming from the Northeast.

Liz Natividad is happy to be home on Thursday night; she came home from a business trip to Boston one day early  because of the storm headed that way.

She says she wasn't the only one trying to get out of town.

"Everybody kind of had the same idea...everybody is moving out of town," said Liz.

Officials at Detroit Metro Airport tell us the airlines would rather have people in their homes than stranded in a terminal. 

Delta was among the airlines to relax its rules, saying fliers heading to the Northeast can make a one-time change to their travel schedules without the standard fee. Normally big carriers charge $150 or more for changing tickets -- a fee that comes in addition to any difference in fare that might result.

Other airlines are also instituting similar policies including: AirTran, Air Canada, American, Porter Airlines, Southwest, United, and US Airways. 

If you're planning on flying this weekend, we suggest you check with your airline for any deals or options being offered.