What You Should Do to Prepare for Flight Cancellations
Today we're talking about the not-so-fun part of travel: Flight cancellations. It's been all over the news ever since flights resumed post-COVID lockdown. Airlines are cancelling flights now more than ever, and nothing can disrupt your vacation more than uncertainty about how you are going to get there or back.
A cancellation can happen anytime before take-off, but the most disruptive are those that happen the day of your flight. And while we can't help you avoid a cancellation all together, or even make it pain free, we can share some tips that will help you be savvy and make it slightly less disruptive if and when it does happen.
Tip 1: Book morning flights.
Having an early morning flight is wonderful for so many reasons. Weather tends to be calmer in the morning (except in the case of winter weather). Any trickle-down effect from flight delays the day before should pretty much be cleared and haven't begun yet for the new day. If it's the first flight of the morning, your plane has likely been sitting at its gate for hours, meaning its accounted for. And the airline likely has time to check the plane for mechanical issues well before your flight, unlike quick turn-arounds at gates midday.
Added bonuses: Sunrises from planes are lovely. Also, being the first flight to take off at an airport (which I've been in that situation once) is amazing. You just roll right out to the runway and hit it. No waiting whatsoever. It's beautiful.
Tip 2: Sit close to the gate desk.
You're at the gate and the dreaded announcement is made that your flight is cancelled. The first thing that happens is everyone floods the podium at the gate, hoping that a gate agent can resolve it for them. If the gate agent has any ability to do that, you want to be one of the first people to speak to them, so sit close.
This tip comes with a huge caveat: Sometimes the gate agent can't help. Sometimes you will instead be directed to a customer service desk in a different part of the airport. Sometimes it's the same terminal and sometimes it's an entirely different terminal, or even the departures desk outside of the terminal. Listen closely to instructions, if any are given. There is no reason to talk to the gate agent if the gate agent is directing you somewhere else.
Tip 3: Download the airline's app.
If the gate agent is directing you to another location in the airport there will once again be a stampede to that location. This is where it is helpful to let your fingers do the walking by having the airline's app handy.
The first thing you should do on the app is see if you can contact customer service via phone.
While waiting for someone to answer the phone, you should also start looking at your other flight options with this airline. If you absolutely must reach your destination timely, you can even book the next best flight option on the app and ask for a refund of the canceled flight later, though it might not always be honored if you book before the airline rebooks you, and this is a very important risk to consider.
You can often do all this on the app and on the phone with customer service before you reach the front of the line at the desk at the airport. This is because the line at the airport moves very slowly as each and every customer seems to want to complain for several minutes before finding a solution. Don't waste time complaining. Find a solution now, and complain later.
Tip 4: Know your rights.
Most airlines will transfer the cost of your ticket for the canceled flight to whatever flight they rebook you on and not require you to pay extra for the new flight. The cancellation is, after all, the airlines fault and not yours. This is not true if you cancel your purchase but the flight is still scheduled.
Know that you are running a risk if you book a new flight before you can speak to a customer service agent. The risk is less if you rebook with the same airline and then speak with a customer service agent about the situation and ask nicely that your fee for the original ticket be applied to the flight you secured. The risk is far greater if you decide to book with a different airline.
If you secure a new flight before talking to an agent, you will have to pay for it. It's still worth talking to customer service to see if what you paid for the cancel flight can be refunded or applied to the new flight afterwards.
If the airline can't get you on another flight until the next day, you may be entitled to lodging (of the airline's choice) for the night, and meal vouchers. You will have to talk to a customer service agent to get vouchers for these things. Many airlines will also give you a 'survival kit' of sorts with commonly needed toiletries like a toothbrush, comb, deodorant, etc. The kit is small and bare bones but it can get you through a night if you have nothing else with you.
Which brings us to...
Tip 5: Try to travel "carry on only".
We realize this is not feasible for all travel situations, but if it can be feasible, seriously consider not checking a bag. The reason for this is that it's awfully nice to have all your essentials with you should you have to stay an extra night. The one time I had a flight canceled and did not have my bag with me was because I got overconfident and we were headed home, so I figured if my luggage got lost, no big deal because I had what I needed at home. The weather was lovely, the forecast for the flight was great, and it was pre-pandemic. But mechanical issues can still rear their ugly head, and they did. Our family of three found ourselves sleeping in a budget hotel with the t-shirts we wore all day and the toiletry kit the airline gave us. It's not a great situation.
Carry on travel is much easier than you might think, as long as you are mindful about your liquids. Most airlines (and again, check your airline's rules as these do vary) allow one carry on sized suitcase to be stowed in the overhead compartment, provided there is room, and one "personal item" that can fit under the seat in front of you. Many think of purses or jackets when they think of personal items, but if you plan to travel carry on only, you should be thinking of small backpacks or totes that close. Wear your jacket rather than count that as a personal item. Again, check your specific airline's policy.
I traveled to the UK from the States for 12 days traveling carry on only. I used a "capsule wardrobe" (meaning each piece went with the others, and could be worn in layers if needed), brought only essentials (it's tempting to bring a few books, but really you need only one), and followed the 3-1-1 rule for liquids, bringing only the most essential liquids that could multi-task. If you're worried about liquids, also consider that if people live wherever you are traveling to, then there will be stores where you can buy your essentials upon arrival.
A note about gate checking bags: One risk with traveling with the max amount of carry-ons is that planes almost never have enough overhead bin space for everyone to travel this way. If you see lots of larger luggage at the gate, it's likely the gate agent is going to start asking for volunteers willing to "gate check" their bags. Sometimes they are so desperate for this, they might offer incentives, sometimes not.
One advantage of gate checking is that because your luggage is at the gate already, it's going to be loaded directly onto your plane. If the flight gets canceled, it can be unloaded directly from your plane back to the gate, where you can pick it up. This is infinitely preferable to checking it at the check in desk where it could be held or even put on another plane to your destination without you.
Tip 6: At least bring your essentials aboard.
If you can't fly entirely carry-on only, make sure you have your essentials with you as carry-ons. That definitely means any medications or important identification. But it also means anything you need to feel comfortable overnight. If I can, I will include an entire outfit, but if I can't fit a whole outfit, I will at least include fresh underwear and socks. I also include any toiletries I think a hotel would not provide that I might need.
This is not only good advice in the case of flight cancellations, but it's also important advice in the case of lost luggage.
Tip 7: Plan buffer days around your travel.
I always try to take an additional day off of work after my planned return day. This has come in handy a few times. If you can do it, you should. It's helpful if your flight is delayed and comes in in the wee hours, and also helpful if your flight is canceled. It's so much less stressful if you don't have to be somewhere the next day. And even if your flights work beautifully, which they often do, it's nice to have a day to de-compress, unpack, and do your laundry.
Tip 8: Have an app for searching for hotels installed.
If your delay will be overnight, or more than a certain number of hours, airlines are likely to put you up in a hotel. However, to get assigned a hotel and get that voucher, you'll be standing in the customer service line at the airport. I've had this line last 3 hours or more.
Airlines work with certain hotels that hold rooms for them in case of flight cancelation. Those first in line get the best of these hotel options, and so on down until, like us one time, you're put up in a hotel that's actually still under construction.
If you're really worried about your lodging, you can take the financial risk for this and book your own hotel. You want a hotel that has a shuttle to and from the airport. If you do this, you'll likely pay out of pocket for this hotel (and your meals), but having a choice in the matter and choosing a nice place so you can at least enjoy yourselves can make a big difference in your mood, so weigh this option carefully. I did this once, and was very happy with how it turned out as we were comfortable and had as good a time as we could given the circumstances. The two times I let the airline assign us, the hotels were not great. For a place to sleep, though, they were better than the airport.
Tip 9: You can be assertive while also being polite.
The minute your flight got canceled, your day just got really bad. But so did the day of the gate agents and the customer service folks for that airline. They are looking at hours of dealing with hundreds of angry passengers, and there's often a trickle-down effect to other flights that you might not even see. Everyone in this situation is upset.
The airline will not be able to make a miracle happen for you. They can't "uncancel" your flight. They can't create a new flight because they have limited planes and limited staff. And it would be wrong to kick people off the next best flight if there aren't open seats, even if you really need to be in your destination by 5 PM. If you can get squeezed onto an existing flight, you may also have to take a downgrade in your seat because the airline has to honor the other passengers who booked that flight.
Read the terms when you book your flight and ask for what you are entitled to politely. If the terms are that you'll be paid the difference between your original expensive booking and the seat you got, ask for that. If that's not in the terms, don't belabor the point. Ask to be rebooked, and if it's more than x number of hours away or the next day, ask nicely for hotel assistance and meal vouchers, if those are included in the airline's booking terms.
If you're without your bags, next go to baggage claim. Speak to an agent and ask where your bags might be. It's entirely possible they might have gotten on a different flight to your destination (cargo doesn't follow the same rules as people). If that's the case, no matter how much you beg, your bags can't be retrieved for you from mid-air. Ask if there is any toiletry kit for those who had their flight canceled.
In all dealings, be polite. People who yell or are demanding do not get any preferential treatment - the airline doesn't have anything they can give these people. You don't have to be happy, but being polite makes a difference.
When our flight to Mexico was canceled due to weather one winter, we had received the news upon arriving at the airport. When we went to the ticket desk, I could see the agent gird herself for an argument, but we started by saying "We understand what's happening. What do we need to do?" The ticket agent we worked with was able to get us a round-about series of flights to get us there the next morning. It involved three layovers, but would arrive 12 hours earlier than the other flights people were being booked on. We were happy with anything that got us into Mexico sooner so we could start enjoying the sun. It meant we would be laid over at an in-between point in Houston, Texas, overnight, and we worked with the agent to find a hotel in Houston. We also told her we were glad our safety is considered when making cancelation decisions regarding weather. It's not convenient, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Several hours later, when we arrived for our new departure to Houston, we saw the same ticketing agent who greeted us by name and with a big smile. We commiserated with her about her day (We had arrived at the airport early, and after us, she'd had to deal with hundreds of angry people), and told her how much we appreciated her. She in turn was more sympathetic to our day (even though we were headed on vacation and she was not). Everybody in this situation is a human and although there was no special magic she could work for us, just being friendly to one another makes everyone feel better.
We hope you never have to deal with a canceled flight, but if you do, we hope these tips help. Did we miss any advice you would share? Let us know in the comments or over on our Facebook page where you can see new posts each week. Until next time...
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