For as many times as I’ve traveled, I’ve been pretty lucky to have good flights overall. But every once in awhile my flight gets cancelled or delayed and my original plans are shot. Here are some ways I’ve learned to deal with a flight chance out of my control. Hopefully you’ll never have to use them, but they might come in handy just in case:
Make a Plan: Have a plan in place BEFORE your flight is ever cancelled. Are you okay taking a different flight? Is a rental car an option? Can you fly another airlines? Having a Plan B will allow you to keep calm and will help keep your trip back on track. Before you leave home, program the number of your airlines help desk into your phone, as well as the number of your travel agent, if you used one to plan your travel. Also, make sure you check your flight status before you ever head to the airport. This is especially important in bad weather. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best they always say.
Keep Calm: Throwing a fit or cussing out an airline employee will get you nowhere and certainly won’t help your cause. While they have no control over the status of your flight, they do have control over helping to re-book you, so if you make them angry, they will be less likely to do so. I suspect the meanest customers get booked last and the middle seat! Seriously though, you can have a cancelled flight and be happy, or have a cancelled flight and be irate. Either way, you still have a cancelled flight.
Know Your Rights: Federal rules guarantee your right to a refund or a reroute, but many airline have individual policies that might help your situation. Read up on their flight delay or cancellation policies and know your rights. It will also help to have those polices at your finger tips, as occasionally airline employees aren’t that versed in them.
Make a Phone Call {and Get in Line}: While I get in line {with everyone else on my cancelled flight} at the ticket counter, I immediately call an airline rep while I wait. I can often reach someone on the phone before I ever reach the front of the line. Make sure you ask them for all of your options and again, know your rights.
Get Creative or Comfortable: Travel with a neck pillow and a small blanket in your carry on if you have room. You never know when you might be crashing on an airport floor. But if floor sleeping is not your thing, get ready to be flexible and get creative. Consider rebooking with a different airline, possibly flying into a different destination and renting a car to your destination city, making a few more connections, or even driving to and flying out from a nearby airport. Make sure you keep your airline informed otherwise they won’t be able to get your luggage to your destination with you and so you don’t get booted off your return flight.
How do you handle a flight cancellation? Any tips that you have used that help?
~Mavis
lilton says
Sadly, I am the queen of rebooked, rescheduled, and cancelled flights–I have the WORST luck when it comes to flying. The greatest discovery I recently made is the free overnight toiletry kit that most airlines give you if you have been rebooked onto another flight and your luggage is potentially still in limbo; the rebooking is a pain, but that one little giftie upon landing really lifts my mood. The airlines usually have an office that you will pass on the way to baggage claim where they distribute those kits.
Also, on short trips, I try to just take a carry on bag. If my carry on bag is a small suitcase, the attendants can usually stow it under the plane for you while you are boarding so you don’t have to hoist it up into the overhead bin, but you also don’t have to worry about whether your luggage got rebooked on your flight with you.
We also ALWAYS pack snacks and books in our carry on bags. And divide up our clothes when we travel. Spare clothes in each person’s carry on, and, when our whole family is traveling, each person has some clothes in each of our checked bags. That way, if only one checked suitcase arrives when we do, everyone still has something to wear.
Lynne says
I agree with your suggestions, Mavis and lilton. My first line of defense is to avoid connecting flights if at all possible. That makes any delay so much more complicated. Always have a charged phone and the numbers of your travel agent, company travel department (for business trips) or the airlines. If a family member or friend can help, you double your chance of getting to someone who can help you. Be calm, positive and flexible. No one did this to hurt you, everyone is just as inconvenienced as you, making a big fuss simply brands you as a jerk.
pamela says
When you get home from a delayed or cancelled flight, contact https://www.refund.me/ . We had a delayed overseas flight, and because they rescheduled our flight I assumed we were not eligible for a refund – I was sooo wrong. refund.me handles everything, they do take a percentage but it is well worth not having to fill out all the forms/paperwork. I think it was within 90 days that we had a substantial refund. I am not affiliated in anyway with them but I sing their praises!
Michele for refund.me says
Pamela thank you so much for your endorsement – we greatly appreciate it. And we’re very pleased we were able to help!
Krista says
This happened to me once too on a connecting flight. It was the last flight of the night and there were no more until the next day. The options were get a hotel or sleep in the airport. A group of us ladies (all strangers) banded together and got a rental SUV. To sweeten the deal, if I drove, I didn’t have to pay my share. Planes, trains and automobiles.
Deborah says
Have you ever had it when the airlines say they called your name, but no one I. The party (6) heard the announcement? This happened to us on my second flight ever!
Marcia says
We hit weather on our trip back from the East Coast this summer.
First flight delayed >2 hours. Missed connection. Husband got in line with the first delay and also got on the phone while in line. It took about 3 phone calls to the airline, while he was in line. First they said “can’t do anything”, maybe a connection to a different airport. (Otherwise overnight in Newark). Second and third he got some traction, and they re-booked us on a later flight. (By being pleasant.) We got seats in economy plus which was nice, but they didn’t recline, so not so nice.
Later flight also delayed 2 hours due to weather. Ended up getting out of the final airport 23 hours after we woke up (still 2 hours drive from home). So in the end we got a hotel and napped for a couple of hours.
We generally get travel insurance to cover these types of things on big expensive trips, which is great. In this case, we were flying on miles, so we were more than happy to pay for an emergency hotel with our kids. Had we not been rebooked, we would have stayed in a Newark hotel.
The less savvy travelers waited until Newark to try and get a new flight to Los Angeles.
diane says
Thankfully, I’ve never been in the situation of having flights cancelled just delayed. But, I always make sure my carry on luggage has my basic toiletries and a change of clothes – as well as a couple of books and some snacks. It always pays to be prepared.
SilverIzzy says
I used to fly a lot. Like, seriously, a lot. Sadly, airline policies have vastly changed from the 90’s. If your flight has been cancelled and the next available flight is the next morning, generally they will still comp you a hotel stay (last personal experience 2013). It used to be automatic (’90-’99), with a free shuttle ride to the hotel, but times have changed. It helps if you’ve flown with them before (the more the better) and to always be firm. The employees just want to get through the night and go home, you just want to not be stranded, together it can actually work out, but not if you’re willing to give in the first time someone says, “no.” As Mavis said, know the current policies involved.
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Always have a carry-on. In said carry-on, always carry:
Toiletries – deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, shampoo, conditioner, makeup, etc.
A first aid kit – bandaids, antibiotic ointment, tylenol/advil/alieve/mydol, any other frequently used meds, needle, alcohol wipes, tweezers, small scissors, fingernail clippers.
Spare clothing – minimum: 1 pair socks, 1 shirt, 1 pair undies; recommended: 3 pair socks, 2 shirts, 3 undies, 1 pair pants.
1 notepad and 2 pens – extremely useful, you will be stressed and if you take notes on your phone, you may not be in a place to charge it, a dead battery makes that a paperweight.
Entertainment, battery-less options are best, examples to mix and match, choose more if traveling with children – 1 deck playing cards, 1-3 books, Madlibs, coloring book with 12 crayons, etc.
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You should also always fly with your essentials, these should be at hand all the time. You can always fly with both 1 carry-on AND 1 personal item (purse, briefcase, laptop bag, camera bag). Double, triple check before you fly, but that rule has not changed to my knowledge in decades. Keep your essentials in your purse/briefcase/etc in an easily accessible area.
Essentials include:
Your papers – tickets, destination (map, phone number, address), any necessary visas or other needed documents.
Your passport – if you are only flying with your driver’s license, then that instead, if flying with both, then both obviously. Please fill out your emergency contact in your passport in pencil before flying.
Money – always, always, always have cash on hand. Preferably, currency of the country you are currently in. Worst case scenario, have dollars (and KNOW the conversion rate, at least close enough to estimate). US dollars remain easier to change in foreign countries than many other options. Remember, you might not be able to change currencies when you first get to wherever you are. However, it is always better to have cash than to have a credit card/debit card that does not work at all (yep, still an issue with US cards in quite a few areas, and that’s not even counting the joy of translation). Also, always split your cash. Keep it in at least two separate areas, please. Stick part of it in your shoe, down your pants, in a bra, in a hidden pocket, whatever, keep it on you and not all in your purse, briefcase, other easily steal-able item.
Papers, passport, money, should be the mantra before leaving the house, using the bathroom, entering a vehicle, every time you blink. Everything else can be replaced. Papers, passport, money.
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Lastly are the not-quite essentials that still make life 1000 times easier and should still be packed in your personal item that never leaves you*.
This includes:
Phone – make sure it is charged before leaving. Take advantage of the available outlets at the airport (check the bathrooms if no dedicated public outlets are visible) and top-off there as well. Do not use battery frivolously. Emergencies take priority over leisure. Also, double check if your phone will work at your destination, or what needs to happen to make it so. If departing the country, use is not a given.
Phone charger cable – make sure it is compatible with socket and voltage of your location and destination. This may call for two different cables.
Back-up phone battery pack – these cost like 10-20 dollars and are lightweight, small, and incredibly useful. Make sure it is charged before leaving. Also, make sure it works with your phone, and make sure you have the connecting cable.
Keys – house and car keys. Yes, I do not have this up there with papers, passport, money, because while incredibly important they are at the end of the day not technically essential. Sad but true.
Knowledge of how to dial out of the country and to your home if traveling to another country. Look this up before you go. Print out a copy of the instructions. Also, write it down in your notepad. Your cell phone might not work, but payphones will.
Remember to check in with your contact back home as your journey progresses. (Hi, we made it to such and such an airport and are awaiting our next flight #xxxx at time and date; hi, we made it to such and such hotel, at blank city and country, room #xxx, phone #xxx; hi, we are changing locations/on our way home, etc).
If you are staying at a hotel, note the hotel location, name, and room number in your notepad. Feel free to also write it in your phone. Even if your phone cannot make calls at your current location they will still make notes and if you are more used to using a phone than a notepad, well, use your habits to your advantage.
Also note in your notepad your destination (map, phone number, address, names of people you are staying with). If traveling to a foreign country, note the conversion rate to the US dollar as well. As I mentioned earlier, flying can be long, hard, and stressful, and it is very useful to not have to think and just whip out a notepad with answers that are right there for you. No guessing involved.
Finally, if you are traveling to a foreign country and the main language is not English, please be aware of the fact that everything will be in another language. Recognizing certain words is incredibly useful; danger, caution, arrivals, departures, baggage claim, one way, stop, English (or another language you are comfortable with), America (or your country of origin), numbers (0-9 for phones, 1-60 for time, 10+ for money), help (both generic and if the language has an emergency Help! that is different), customer service, submit and cancel (if doing things on a computer), passport please, tickets please, papers please, etc.
*If you are traveling with more than one person, someone gets to play baggage monkey! That means every time the spokesperson goes up to talk to whomever, the baggage monkey keeps close and careful watch on any and all carry-ons and children. Know before you leave the house, who is going to pull what role. Do not set your carry-on down out of your sight or, if traveling alone, out of your grasp. If you are talking to someone and you place your carry-on on the ground, it is now out of your grasp. If you are alone in a foreign country and there is a counter between you and line of sight of your bag, good luck. If you are the baggage monkey all bags should be in easy view at all times. Baggage monkey is a very noble and needed profession. If you have three adults and at least one child, then fantastic! Now you have a spokesperson, a baggage monkey, and a dedicated child wrangler. Division of labor is key.
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Whew. That… kind of got away from me there. I wish to say that I do love traveling. I have done so for work and pleasure, and I highly recommend it. It may sound overwhelming, but that checklist is basically just all of my experiences rolled together. It’s how I fly, how I handle delays and cancellations, how I get from Point A to Point B.
I hope it helps!
theenglishrider says
First and foremost, do not book any connection that is less than two hours. Yes, you do have a choice. When I travel abroad I book a six hour connection, because I know that if I miss my connecting flight there will probably not be another flight until the next day. You can make those long layovers fun, with a nice meal or even a manicure.
Fly early in the day. The earlier you fly the more options you will have if your flight delays or cancels
If you are at the airport when a delay is first announced, immediately go directly to the nearest food stand and buy the agent a cup of coffee and a bag of M&Ms. Dont ask…just do it. Go up to the side if the line and just give it to the agent…not to break line but to just brighten that agent’s day. There is a good chance that when he/she is thanking you, he/she will also ask for your last name. Believe me, that agent will look after you even though you’re sitting comfortably in a seat.
Don’t try to lie to the agent. When you tell the agent you MUST get there for a funeral, the first thing they are going to do is look in the record to see when you bought the ticket. Most folks don’t buy a ticket three months in advance for a funeral. No one likes to be told lies.
Roll with it….airline travel is the safest form of transportation ever known in the history of mankind. Part of the reason is that planes do not fly if there is any hint of mechanical problems, or if the weather is dangerous, or if the pilot has been awaks for too many hours.
Speaking of weather…do not assume the agent is lying to you when the delay or cancellation is due to weather. It could be weather at the destination or en route, even though it’s clear where you are. Also remember, it’s what is going on at 30,000 feet that comes I to play as well.
theenglishrider says
Yikes! Sorry about all the typos!