We’ve all been there and the stats support it: according to FlightStats online calculations, there were 8,749 cancelled flights and 136,498 delayed flights last month alone. As anybody can attest, this doesn’t just happen during the holiday season, but you can bet it gets worse, particularly in the wintertime.
While you probably won’t be able to avoid these issues altogether, there are a few things you can do to lessen the pain.
Book morning flights
While this won’t guarantee nothing will happen, it will give you all day to jump on another flight. Plus, due to their own nature delays tend to accumulate throughout the day, meaning afternoon and evening flights have a bigger chance of having issues than morning ones.
Don’t check a bag
By the way, the biggest nightmare is being stranded without your stuff, followed by arriving late at your destination without your stuff. Fly with your stuff, stuffed in the compartment above your head. If it’s a little too big, trust me, they’ll gate check it—so you know it will arrive when you do.
Anticipate the weather
If you can see a weather emergency coming, change your flight as soon as the airlines issue travel advisories. Airlines would rather you got out of the way of a storm, so they will more than likely allow you to change your plans without incurring a fee. Extra tip: sign up for your airline’s flight alerts. The sooner you know there’s an issue, the sooner you can move to find an alternative. Plus, if you know of an issue before you leave the house, you’ll be able to rebook from the comfort of your own house.
Try to avoid connecting flights
Especially during high season, especially during the winter and especially if it’s through smaller regional airports.
If all else fails…
Be flexible.
Check for alternative airports to whatever main city airport you are. New York is a good example: if you’re at JFK, ask about flights out of Newark or La Guardia.. Also consider flying into a neighboring town if your destination’s the one with the issue. Sure, you might have to travel a little bit more, but you’ll get to your destination sooner than later
Be flexible part 2
If the weather is absolutely hideous and you’re contemplating sleeping on the airport floor indefinitely, you might want to considering cancelling your plans altogether if they trip isn’t essential. Before you do that, however, know the only way you’ll get a full refund (even if the ticket is non-refundable) is if the flight is actually cancelled. If it’s just delayed (no matter how many hours) you probably won’t get your money back. Check the airline’s small print before you make a decision.
Use your technology
If you’re waiting in line to change a flight or talk to the agents about the delay, try dialing the airline’s call center to see if you can’t get help there first. It might be a good bet considering the gate agent might not be in the best frame of mind by the time you get to him or her. (Hint: it always pays to be polite, whether they can help you or not.) You might even consider tweeting the airline—some, like @AmericanAir, have excellent customer service via Twitter.
If you’re stuck at the airport and it’s late, book a room
There are much better places to spend the night than an airport floor or stiff gate seat. If your airline isn’t handing out hotel vouchers (always good to find that out first) check out last-minute hotel apps like HotelTonight, Hipmunk or Booking.com to find a cheap room and rest up: you never know what the next day might bring!
Don’t let the issue go unresolved
If you didn’t get any help at the airport with a meal or hotel voucher (yes, they still hand those out) it might be worth it to file a (polite) complaint with the airline. All you might get are drink vouchers, but it’s not unheard of to receive $500 or more in travel credits.
