No one likes flight cancellations. No matter who you are, stress levels immediately skyrocket when that cancellation notification comes in. As an avid traveler, I have become very accustomed to these headaches. I thought I would share my top 5 tips on how to handle flight cancellations.
1. BREATHE!
This is number one for a reason – It is the most important! I know you are thinking this is ridiculous and not helpful but hear me out. Your stress level peaked when you read that notification from your airline. More than likely it will continue to rise while you are trying to resolve the issue so start de-stressing immediately!
- Close Your Eyes
- Inhale Deeply
- Slowly Exhale
- Repeat Several Times
2. Wait
Typically, your airline will automatically rebook you when the cancellation happens. The rebook is normally the 1st option available after the cancelled flight. If you start trying to rebook on the app or on-line you could be looking at options further out than what the airline is booking you on. Learn from my experience!
My friend’s and my flight were cancelled due to weather conditions. When we received the text message that the flight was cancelled, I jumped online and rebooked my flight and my friend didn’t. She waited and was rebooked in the same amount of time it took me to rebook myself. In the time it took me to find a flight and book it, she was automatically booked a day earlier. We were now flying on different days and she got the better option because she waited. 🤦♀️
3. Worry about Money Later
I list this tip with a lot of caution. ⚠️ This option is only if your flight arrival time/day is very critical or if you are a frequent flyer.
- Buy a completely different ticket. If your flight cancellation isn’t due to weather or widespread issues at the departure airport, look at a different airline. Make sure and cancel your original ticket. You do not want to be marked as a “No-Show”.
- Consider renting a car and driving. You could possibly drive to your destination OR another airport within driving distance.
In my experience, I have called the original air carrier the next day or later that day and explained the situation. I received a credit for future flights with the change fee waived. Very rarely have I received a refund, and this is why I only recommend this to frequent fliers. Keep in mind you need to be calm and courteous when you call. If you are angry or disrespectful when you call, they will be less likely to be understanding and waive that fee.
Renting a car is a great option except the cars will book FAST 🏎. Jump on the rental car company website or app and make a reservation ASAP if this is a possible solution. One-way rentals have surcharges and are typically more expensive.
Again, the above tips for flight cancellations cost more money and I stress you should only use these options if you will be able to use the flight credit and afford these options. DO NOT do these if you are on a tight budget!
4. Already at the Airport
I will never forget being in the boarding line and looking out the window and noticing a lot of smoke in the air. There was a local fire 🔥 and the wind was blowing all of the smoke towards the airport. I quickly got on my app and saw that the flight I was lined up for flashed DELAYED. I immediately got out of line and found a gate agent who told me the air traffic controllers didn’t have a clear view of the runways and had to put the airport on standby. She helped me rebook on another flight several hours later.
- Find a gate agent for the same airline BUT not at the gate where your flight is cancelled. Everyone typically stays at the gate you were scheduled to take off from so go away from the crowd! All of the gate agents for that airline can help you. If they are in the middle of boarding another flight, I do not recommend that gate.
- Immediately grab your phone and call the airline’s customer service. There will be a long wait time so stand in line for a gate agent while you are also on hold. Double up on your efforts! Sometimes you will get through on the phone before you get to the front of the line.
- Try the App! The best solution could be at your fingertips. 📱
5. Repeat
I cannot stress enough to take deep Breathes and try to stay calm. The stress will be there no matter what but managing the stress will assist you in solving the problem. Stress prevents you from thinking straight. This problem solving requires a clear mind and multi-tasking. Read this article with some other stress relief techniques.
Last week I had 5 flights cancelled. Snow and ice in Texas are not common. 6 days below freezing are even more uncommon! Due to both of these rare occurrences, flights were canceled for 5 straight days.
No matter how much you travel you will experience flight cancellations. Remember, the trip memories don’t just start when you arrive at the destination. The cancellations will be part of those memories so make the experience something you can look back on and be proud of how you handled it. 😃
I hope my tips for flight cancellations come in handy in the future! Hang in there my flying friend. 💜
