Source: Alamy
As thousands of weary travelers faced flight delays and cancellations following a massive electrical outage at Atlanta’s busy Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, many were left wondering “now what?”
It can be annoying and downright stressful when flights are delayed, or worse still cancelled. With this holiday season gearing up to be one of the busiest for airline travel there are a few things to bear in mind if you experience travel woes.
According to the TSA, if your flight is delayed follow these tips:
Stay Calm – losing your cool over something that is out of your control isn’t going to cope. Stay calm when dealing with airport personnel – they are there to help and getting angry isn’t going to get you anywhere faster.
Stay by the Departure Gate Kiosk – If the flight is delayed stay nearby the departure gate kiosk and don’t go wandering around the airport. Delays can be rectified quicker than expected.
Check your Contract of Carriage – If the flight delay is a morning flight the airline may be able to get you on a competitors flight. If the delay is a night flight your airline may be able to provide hotel accommodation.
Ask for Food Vouchers – If the delay is going to be longer than expected ask for food vouchers – most airlines will want to make sure delayed travelers aren’t hangry!
If you hear the dreaded “your flight is cancelled” the TSA offers this advice:
Normally the protocol for a cancelled flight is to get passengers on another later plane, or offer a full refund.
Get in Line Quickly As soon as you hear your flight is cancelled, get in line at the ticket desk as soon as possible. While standing in line call the airline immediately so they can also start working on a solution for you.
Harness the Power of Social Media – Contact your airline’s PR department over Twitter, or Facebook to try and get the problem solved quickly.
Ask About a Rental Car – If the city you are flying to is relatively close and no flight are available for the rest of the day ask the airline to compensate you the cost of a rental car.
Stay in a Hotel – If you won’t be going anywhere fast, ask the airline to put you up in a hotel for the night.
Ask to be Placed on Standby – If they book you on a much later flight because the next flight is full, ask to be placed on the standby list for the earlier flight and stay by that flight’s departure gate kiosk!
Stay Calm – Any traveler facing a cancelled flight can attest to how stressful it is, but try to remember to stay calm with airline staff. It’s not their fault! More often than not they are more than willing to go the extra step for a calm, rational customer.
