If nothing else, the trials of this unpredictable travel landscape have taught travelers to expect the unexpected. But if you’re not ready to be left in limbo, consider this your one-stop shop for everything you need before you leave for your next flight.
You should prepare for cancellations and delays before you arrive at the airport. In fact, do it as soon as you book a flight. Phil Dengler, co-founder of travel blog The Vacationer, says start by booking directly with the airline rather than a third party.
“If your flight is cancelled, you’ll want to speak with a customer service agent. Book directly with the airline so you have access to them in case something goes wrong,” says Dengler. And, if you can, while you’re booking your flight, avoid flights with layovers. More layovers only increase the likelihood of chaos. of travel, he says.
Booking one of the first flights of the day is also important. Cancellations and delays have a domino effect, and flying early will reduce your chances of problems – and give you more flight options later in the day if you run into problems.
Use technology to your advantage
Dengler and Heather Poole, flight attendants for American Airlines, both offered the same advice: Download the airline’s app and be ready to tweet if your flight is canceled. Airline apps can notify you of gate changes and cancellations before the information has reached the gate agent. And once a flight is canceled, direct messages on an airline’s Twitter account can be the fastest way to talk to someone, while companies continue to deal with hours-long hold times on the phone.
Airline apps can also help you avoid the lines at the check-in counter by allowing you to download your boarding pass to your phone, select your seat, upload documents and even now check your bag. Alaska Airlines announced this week that it will allow customers to check in their checked bags before they arrive at the airport and transfer their flight information to electronic baggage tags through an app.
Plus, if your flight is canceled, the airline’s app will probably be the fastest way to see what other flights the airline has available.
For a flight arriving or departing from the United States, you are entitled to a refund if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed and you choose not to use another option, according to Department of Transportation rules. It also applies if you are involuntarily downgraded to a lower level of service than the one you paid for. There are no laws requiring US airlines to offer hotel, meal vouchers or other services beyond the cost of the flight, but you should always ask your airline what it can do. These services should usually be requested in person at the airport, not over the phone or online.
You are also entitled to compensation if you were denied boarding because your flight was overbooked and you did not voluntarily give up your seat. Airlines are allowed to overbook flights and there is no minimum they must offer when asking travelers if someone is willing to take a later flight. Recently, passengers have reported that airlines have offered thousands of people to volunteer to be bumped from flights.
If you are accidentally bumped, airlines must give you a form outlining your rights to compensation, which is often tied to when you arrive at your final destination. Keep in mind, most airlines require you to be checked-in or at the gate within a certain time to qualify for compensation beyond the cost of the flight.
Compensation rules vary around the world. For flights within Europe, EU regulation 261 sets out the rules for compensation and assistance for passengers if their flight is canceled or delayed, or if they are unable to board.
If your flight arrives or departs from a European Union airport, you are entitled to up to €600 for long delays or cancellations. And if your flight is delayed for more than two hours, you are entitled to food.
There is a checklist of requirements for the cause of the delay that must be met to claim compensation – passengers must be checked in on time, the airline must be responsible for the delay, and the flight must have taken off or landed in the EU, to name a few. Airlines do not need to provide compensation in “extraordinary circumstances”, which include, but are not limited to, bad weather and security risks.
If you’re going to be stuck at the airport, you’ll want to be able to use all of your gear. An external battery can set you back $30 or more, but it’s worth knowing you won’t have to fight for plug space or plug into a wall if you need a new charge on your phone or use for fun.
Also, airport food is expensive. Even if you’re unfazed by the price, there’s no guarantee that options will be open as airports deal with staff shortages. “A peanut butter and jelly is going to taste 1,000 times better than anything you’re going to get on a plane,” Poole said. As a flight attendant, she often carries oatmeal, tuna, crackers and almonds.
Finally, having a book, magazine, or other non-electronic form of entertainment can help occupy the time when you can’t use your phone.
A canceled flight does not make anyone happy. Other travelers are frustrated and airlines have fewer people on staff now to deal with the added excitement. Poole, noting her 25 years of experience, said: “Just a smile will go so far. A like please and a thank you…. Now more than ever, you just want to do everything for the person who is good.
“It’s so rare to have someone who is calm, patient and kind,” she said. “If I could do anything for someone like that, I’d go out of my way.”
