Then get assistance from whoever is available first. Have Twitter? You can often make all necessary changes without ever talking to a human. Southwest in particular handles tweets really well. The more information you have, the better. Know what other flight options are available. Have a contingency plan. Know flight numbers for different flights. Me: Hi there. I understand you are swamped and I want to make this as easy as possible.
I am probably going to miss my connection due to the delay. Is there any availability on the United 5pm flight? Agent: Sure thing. Let me check. Worried the flight delay will mean that you miss your connection? Do not accept a flight change unless you are absolutely certain that you will not make your original connection. Most airlines have a voucher system that compensates passengers who are delayed past a certain threshold for example a flight delay of four hours or longer.
However, you have to know to ask for them. Alaska Airlines Contract of Carriage. Southwest Airlines Contract of Carriage Page United Airlines Contract of Carriage. American Airlines Contract of Carriage. JetBlue Contract of Carriage Page Delta Airlines Contract of Carriage Rule 2. Having an annual travel insurance plan may sound fancy or even expensive, but in reality it will be the best affordable travel investment you make.
Especially in ! Knowing that it covers emergency medical care and emergency medical evacuation gives me peace of mind. It also covers lost or delayed baggage and includes both a hour emergency hotline and concierge services to assist with reservations. Other plans cover trip interruption and trip cancellation as well. The TravelSmart app makes it super easy to submit claims. Payments can be deposited directly into your bank account.
We talk about our first-hand experience here at TravelingMom. The Allianz annual plan is the travel insurance we buy for ourselves and our families. Other times, how you react to airline delays and cancellations will greatly influence how and when you get where you are going. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
You can see general flight trends across the country on FlightAware , which gives you a good overview of how a day in the sky looks. Here are some details on that process with American and United.
Alternatively, you can get flight status updates sent directly from FlightAware. This can be a tricky question to answer. Remember that bad weather will sometimes cause a temporary ground stop at the airport. As soon as the weather gets better, the stop is lifted and airlines try to get their flights off the ground ASAP. Related: 3 things to do if your flight is delayed. Bad weather is the bane of all travelers. Monitor weather patterns starting a few days before your flight.
If you know bad weather is coming later in the day, ask for an earlier flight if you can. More and more airlines are allowing travelers to change plans with no fare difference in advance of severe weather problems, like an impending blizzard, ice storm or even a heavy thunderstorm. Some will even proactively change your flight for you.
If an airline gets ahead of weather issues, you may be able to reschedule your flight by a few days in either direction with no change fees. Related: How the weather affects your flight — the atmosphere and winds. If the airline has advance notice of the strike, it may be able to rebook or refund your travel, but the airline is not necessarily required to do that.
You should also see if your credit card offers any extra trip protections. You do not have to stand in line to talk to a real person in many cases, as you can self-service the rebooking with many major airlines.
In fact, it may be faster to do it online or at a kiosk in the airport — and speed matters. There are times when the automated rebooking systems are not your best option.
Facing hours of delay and potential cancellation on a recent flight, my only automated option for a Thursday evening flight to from Orlando to Houston was a flight that got me home Sunday morning at a. You need an airline employee who knows how to work the ticketing desk.
Look at the uniforms and name tags so you can get a ticket agent and not a baggage handler or similar. If you have airline club access at a United Club , Delta Sky Club or similar, you can head there for help with potentially shorter lines.
Also, consider calling the airline or utilizing social media such as messaging the airline on Twitter if lines at the airport are long. If the U. If there are no reasonable booking options left with your carrier, ask if there are options on another airline. If the delay is weather-related, and you are on a basic economy ticket or on a low-cost carrier, there might not be other airline options at your fingertips. Still, it is worth asking and — if possible — presenting available options you have researched yourself.
In my case, an airline employee got me on the standby list for another flight to Houston. You have to claim from the airline to get compensation. Search their website or call their customer services department. It might have been your airline's fault if there was a technical problem, or they overbooked.
Ask for a refund or replacement at the airport if you can. If not, you can claim from the airline later. If you have to wait long enough for your replacement flight, the airline legally has to help you with things you need. This includes:. You can claim from the airline to get compensation. You might be able to claim from your travel insurance — check if your insurance policy covers cancellations. Contact the airline — this needs to be the airline operating the flight, even if you booked it through another airline.
Be ready to give all your flight details and booking reference numbers. Write your claim — say what went wrong and what you want the airline to give you. The Civil Aviation Authority has information about how to write a good claim and you can download a template letter from the Which? Include copies not originals of your tickets and any receipts.
Keep records — keep copies of your claim and any response from the airline. Take notes if you speak to anyone from the airline - this could be useful if you decide to take your claim further.
First, check if the airline is a member of an approved alternative dispute resolution ADR body. If they are, complain to the ADR body. Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone. You can also use an online form. As a charity, we rely on your support to help millions of people solve their problems each year.
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