Travel

Bounce Back from Flight Delays and Cancellations with 8 Travel Hacks from the Pros

by/October 11, 2024
An image of a flight departure board at an airport showing cancelled flights. Flight delay or flight cancellation? That can be a frustrating experience. Here's our step-by-step guide to getting back on track. What To Do When Your Flight Gets Canceled

Note: This story was updated on October 11, 2024 to introduce new information from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard and update recent airline on-time and cancellation stats.

Air travel can be unpredictable, even for the most seasoned traveler. Flight delays and cancellations can disrupt your plans, cause stress, and even lead to unexpected expenses. But don’t despair! With a little knowledge and preparation, you can navigate these disruptions like a pro and arrive at your destination with your sanity intact.

Why Do Flights Get Delayed or Canceled?

The airline industry is a complex system with many moving parts. A single disruption, such as bad weather, air traffic control issues, or mechanical problems, can have a ripple effect, leading to delays and cancellations across the network.

Here are some common causes of flight disruptions:

  • Weather: Storms, fog, and other weather conditions can significantly impact flight schedules.
  • Air Traffic Control: Congestion, staffing shortages, and equipment issues can cause delays.
  • Mechanical Problems: Aircraft maintenance and repairs can lead to unexpected delays or cancellations.
  • Crew Availability: Pilots and flight attendants have strict duty time limitations and rest requirements. If a crew member is unavailable, it can impact a flight’s schedule.

How to Minimize the Inconvenience of Flight Disruptions

While you can’t control the weather or prevent mechanical issues, there are steps you can take to minimize the impact of flight delays and cancellations:

  • Stay Calm

    It’s easy to get frustrated when your travel plans are disrupted, but staying calm and composed will help you make better decisions and communicate more effectively with airline staff.

  • Understand Airline Policies

    What is your airlines commitment to fee-free family seating or complimentary hotel accommodations for passengers affected by an overnight delay? Airlines have varying policies regarding compensation for controllable delays or cancellations. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a new Airline Customer Service Dashboard that outlines airline policies and passenger rights in case of delays or cancellations.

  • Contact the Airline

    The first step is to contact the airline. Ok, that may be a little easier said than done, especially if your flight is part of a larger group of delayed or canceled flights.

    Find out why your flight was canceled and what options are available to you. Depending on the reason for the cancellation, the airline may be able to rebook you on another flight or provide a refund. Reference the U.S. DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard to explore the options available to you through your airline. 

    Here are some contact options:

    • Airline App: As airlines streamline their customer service headcount, they’ve moved to technology to provide information and options to passengers. Many airline apps will automatically book you on the next available flight if a cancellation occurs or provide you with alternative options in cases of a flight delay. The auto-generated options provided by the app may not work for you. Some airlines with advanced technology will allow you to search for other flights, new dates, or even different city options. 
    • Online Chat: Like many other businesses experimenting with online chat features, airlines have realized the benefits of online chat to assist their customers. Most times, you may first be interacting with artificial intelligence bots that have been programmed to assist you with commonly asked questions, like, “is my flight delayed” or, “can I change my seat.” For questions or issues that cannot be resolved by a ‘bot,’ customers will be connected with an agent via chat eventually, but it can be difficult to navigate your way through the prompted questions to a human agent.
    • Airport Customer Service: This may be an option, if you are already at the airport, but with airlines streamlining and outsourcing staff, you may experience long lines.
    • 800 Customer Service Line : if your flight is a part of a larger network disruption, the 800 number may have long hold times. If you decide to wait or utilize the call back feature, use the wait time to explore options for an agent to explore with you. Note that both Frontier and Breeze have opted to do away with their phone lines entirely, opting instead to focus solely on online chat options.

  • Be Ready with Information and Backup Plans

    Airlines are operating with record passenger loads, leaving very little room for error when massive delays or cancellations occur. 

    Consider alternative routes: If your flight was canceled due to a schedule change, you may be able to find an alternative route to your destination. If you are affected by a delay or cancellation, get creative. Look at other airlines, nearby cities, available rental cars, and even, the train.

    During the holiday rush last year, my flight from Tampa to Philadelphia canceled last minute and there weren’t any available seats open on flights for the next few days. While other passengers waited in line at the counter for a customer service agent, I went online and found the last two seats on a carrier out of nearby St. Petersburg Airport, FL (PIE) to Allentown, PA (ABE) and booked a rental a car for the 45 minute ride back to Philadelphia. 

    • Alternative Routes: If your flight is canceled, consider alternative routes or nearby airports.
    • Rental Cars and Ground Transportation: Explore rental car availability or other ground transportation options.
    • Accommodation: If you’re stranded overnight, be prepared to find a hotel or other accommodation.

    Stay cool and calm and start thinking outside the box.

  • Pro Tools

    Use flight tracking apps like Flight Aware and Flight Radar 24 to monitor your flight status and the inbound aircraft. The sites provide real-time worldwide flight traffic, allowing you to review the current status for not only your flight, but also the aircraft that is scheduled to operate your upcoming flight. This can help you anticipate potential delays and make informed decisions.

The system simply can’t handle the volume today, much less the anticipated growth. There are a number of airlines who cannot fly their schedules.

– Scott Kirby, United Airlines CEO

How do the carriers stack up?

The U.S. Department of Transportation produces a monthly report to assist consumers with information on the quality of service provided by airlines. This includes on-time arrivals, flight cancellations, mishandled baggage, oversales, official consumer complaints, and much more. A flight is counted as “on-time” if it arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of the published scheduled time.

  • On-Time Arrivals

    As of July 2024

    1. Delta Air Lines – 83.61%*
    2. Hawaiian Airlines – 79.68%*
    3. United Airlines – 79.1%
    4. Southwest Airlines – 77.67%
    5. Allegiant Air – 77.64%
    6. American Airlines – 77.26%
    7. Alaska Airlines – 74.34%*
    8. Spirit Airlines – 73.13%
    9. Frontier Airlines – 72.03%
    10. JetBlue Airways – 70.61%

    *Includes branded codeshare partners

  • Canceled Flights

    As of May 2024

    1. Allegiant Air – 0.4%
    2. Delta Air Lines – 0.4%*
    3. Alaska Airlines – 0.4%*
    4. JetBlue Airways – 0.5%
    5. Southwest Airlines – 0.7%
    6. Spirit Airlines – 1.1%
    7. United Airlines – 2.0%*
    8. Hawaiian Airlines – 2.5%*
    9. Frontier Airlines – 2.6%
    10. American Airlines – 2.7%*

    *Includes branded codeshare partners.

A jet sits at the gate at the airport

  • Is the airline required to give me a hotel room or other compensation?

    Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched an Airline Customer Service Dashboard to provide easy access to information about services available to consumers from the big 10 carriers. The dashboard displays commitments from carriers for controllable cancellations and delays in addition to a link to the airlines’ customer service plans. A controllable delay for an airline would include a mechanical issue or late arriving crew; whereas, delays or cancellations related to weather or air traffic issues would be labeled as non-controllable and would not be eligible for hotel compensation.

  • The Airline Offered Me a Refund. Now What?

    A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel. This includes ancillary fees like seats and baggage.

    • If your flight is delayed or canceled and you are eligible for a refund, make sure you have secured an alternative means of transportation to your destination before you accept the refund. Once you have accepted the refund, you are no longer the airline’s “problem.”

    The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds, when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

    Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

    • Canceled or significantly changed flights
    • Significantly delayed baggage return (12+ hours for domestic and 15-30 hours for an international flight)
    • Extra services not provided

    Refunds must be automatics, prompt, in the original form of payment, and in the full amount.

    As displayed on the DOT’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard, there is very little recourse for passengers flying on ULCC’s. If they decide to cancel your flight, for instance, your options may be to accept an open seat on a flight in three days or even two weeks or take a refund and find your own way.

    Want more details? View the US DOT’s Consumer Protection dashboard.

  • How do I avoid this in the future?

    • Book early morning flights
    • Get travel insurance: Travel insurance may add some cost to your trip, but you will have peace of mind knowing you have a leg up on the competition to get where you need to be plus certain additional expenses, such as meals, lodging, lost baggage, etc.

      This is especially true in the following scenarios:

      • Flying during the busy holiday season when flights are typically full
      • Traveling internationally 
      • When you have booked an expensive non-refundable travel options, like a hotel and rental car
      • Taking a cruise
      • Flying an ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC’s)* 

    *ULCC’s often have less than daily service between city pairs, few connection options, and minimal service levels for delays or cancellations. Use the USDOT’s customer service dashboard to better determine risk during irregular operations on your airline.

Where does your airline stack up in its customer service commitment?

The U.S. Department of Transportation has created a dashboard to ensure the traveling public has easy access to information about services that U.S. airlines provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences when the cause of a cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control.

What To Do When Your Flight Gets Canceled

Have an issue? Voice your complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation

Want to make a formal complaint regarding service you received? The U.S. Department of Transportation tracks formal consumer complaints in its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR). You can make a formal complaint regarding flight delays or cancelations, overbookings, disability, tarmac delays, baggage, discrimination, refunds, ticketing practices, family seating, etc.

U.S. DOT Consumer Form

Remember, the most important thing is to stay calm and communicate effectively with the airline staff. Following these steps can help you minimize the inconvenience of a canceled flight and get to your destination as quickly as possible.

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Tags:#consumerprotection, #consumerrights, #travel