If the Cancellation Ever Happens Again
Your Flight Has Been Canceled or Delayed. What Should You Do?
Amid staff shortages, wild weather and the spreading Omicron variant, flights may be prone to terminal-minute changes. Here's what you need to know if yours is i of them.
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Flights can be delayed or canceled because of conditions, maintenance bug or staffing problems. If you find yourself stuck at an airport with a canceled or delayed flight, here'southward what you should know.
First things first: Set up before you go.
If possible, try to volume directly through the airline rather than through an online travel agency, which may make information technology more than difficult to change your itinerary in case of a cancellation or delay.
"Your rights nether the police are still the same," said Scott Keyes, the founder of Scott's Cheap Flights, a service that tracks and emails airfare deals to customers. But dealing with an airline, he said, is "going to be simpler and generally more efficient."
You should likewise make certain you have all the necessary documentation required for travel, such as a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination, which many countries require for entry. "A lot of people don't have the right information earlier they go to the airport, and then there'due south a lot of confusion," said Michael Holtz, the master executive of SmartFlyer, a New York Metropolis-based luxury travel agency.
Bank check in 24 hours in advance of your flying and, if possible, Mr. Holtz recommends traveling with only a carry-on so you tin can skip the check-in or baggage drop lines, which can frequently be very long.
You lot should too keep checking your flight status before heading out, in case there are any delays or changes to your flight. It may exist helpful to download the application for the airline you're flying with so you can more easily track your flight and any schedule changes.
What should I do if my flight is delayed?
Under federal police force, airlines are obliged to provide a full refund to customers if a flight is significantly delayed and the passenger chooses non to travel. What constitutes a pregnant delay is determined past the airline, but Mr. Keyes said that ii hours is usually a good rule of thumb. You lot should check your airline's website for its contract of carriage, which outlines the policies, for more than specific information.
If you choose to travel, yous should get in line to speak with a gate agent to discuss your options. You'll typically exist placed on the side by side flying with available seats. You can also telephone call the airline, but because the long expect times on a lot of U.S. customer service lines, Mr. Keyes recommends trying one of the airline'south international numbers, which are listed on their website's "contact u.s.a." pages and might accept a shorter wait.
"You want to brand sure you know what the cellphone rates are," he said, "merely if you're calling Canada, information technology'southward like two cents a infinitesimal. It'due south going to exist a 20-minute call versus a 3-hour wait if you're calling a U.S. hotline. I call up it'southward worth xl cents."
If you booked through an online travel agency, such equally Expedia or Orbitz, you lot will need to phone call it directly to resolve your issue. "The airline by and large won't desire to deal with you," Mr. Keyes said.
If you cull to keep traveling, you are non entitled to bounty under federal law, simply some airlines may offer information technology if the delay is their fault, such as if it'south caused by a mechanical or staffing issue.
American Airlines, for instance, volition arrange an overnight stay for customers whose flight is delayed and does non board earlier midnight on the scheduled inflow day, said Andrea Koos, a spokeswoman for American Airlines.
JetBlue offers compensation for flights delayed iii or more hours, from $50 to $200, depending on the length of the delay. If your flight was booked straight through the airline, information technology will e-mail y'all within vii days of the flight'southward scheduled departure to provide instructions for receiving compensation, co-ordinate to its Customer Bill of Rights. If you lot booked through a third party, such as Expedia or Orbitz, you lot'll need to telephone call that visitor'due south client service line to enquire for potential compensation.
If the delay is caused by an deed of God, such as bad weather, and you lot're stuck somewhere overnight, y'all're on your own when information technology comes to meals and lodging.
What should I exercise if my flight is canceled?
If your flying is canceled by the airline, you will either be accommodated on a subsequently flight or, if you determine not to travel, you are entitled to a total refund under federal police force. If the flight had multiple stops, y'all would be refunded for the unused portion of the flying.
Often, airlines will offer travel credits or vouchers in lieu of a total refund, usually valid within a year of use. "That's why it'due south so important to know your rights under the law," Mr. Keyes said. "If you decide not to accept a trip, try to push for getting a cash refund rather than a voucher. This may sound very obvious, but greenbacks is a lot more valuable than an airline voucher."
If you determine to take a afterward flight, yous should get in line to speak to the gate agent (or the client service desk, if directed at that place). But Mr. Keyes recommends doing your own research beforehand to see what flight works best for you, including looking at partner airlines for your carrier, and request the agent whether in that location's room on some other carrier's flight.
"When a flight gets canceled, the agents have tons to deal with, and they're just trying to figure out how to go the state of affairs resolved," he said. "They're not necessarily trying to figure out what's the best, simplest, most appropriate flight for your specific situation."
While you're in line, telephone call the airline or online travel bureau through which you booked your flight, in case you lot can get help before reaching the gate agent.
In contempo years, travelers have taken to social media to express travel frustrations or attain customer service, but Mr. Keyes said airlines are encouraging people to call their customer service lines.
Airlines may also offer compensation, only yous're non entitled to it nether federal constabulary. In JetBlue's case, if it cancels a flying within iv hours of its departure and cannot accommodate a traveler within an hr of the scheduled difference fourth dimension, information technology offers $50 in compensation. If the counterfoil happens later the scheduled deviation, the number goes up to $100.
Delta will put up passengers whose flights are canceled betwixt 10 p.m. and 6 a.one thousand. at one of its contracted hotels for the night, but, if no rooms are available, it provides a voucher for upward to $100 that tin be used toward future travel.
If you believe your experience warrants compensation, just ask. "Generally the airlines will be more cooperative as far as compensation if the flying is canceled," Mr. Holtz said.
And make sure to exist kind and courteous, Mr. Keyes said.
"If you lot're an airline agent, especially with these hourlong holds, your entire day is spent dealing with irate, frustrated, impatient customers who are frankly non treating you nearly likewise every bit you ought to be treated," he said. "If they have somebody who's actually treating them in a humane way, I think they're much more likely to actually become out of their way to attempt to help you."
Mr. Keyes also noted that airline agents accept a fair amount of discretion, so you shouldn't give upward if the person you speak with isn't receptive.
"Rather than trying to lobby or debate with this person, which is almost never going to work," he said, hang up and call once more. "You're going to get patched through to one of the thousands of other agents, each of which might say 'aye.'"
How do I redeem a travel credit?
If yous receive a travel credit for a canceled flight and you booked direct through the airline, you lot will typically be able to redeem information technology directly through the airline'due south app or website.
Later on you log into your account, there will exist an option to apply a travel credit to your buy at cheque out.
Airlines commonly ship an electronic mail with instructions for redeeming a travel credit, but information can likewise be establish on the airlines' websites. American Airlines, for example, offers detailed instructions on how to redeem the various types of credits it gives passengers.
But the type of ticket you purchased matters. If yous originally bought a basic economy ticket, which is technically nonrefundable, you may accept to call the airline direct to rebook.
If you booked through an online travel agency, the credit volition need to exist used on its site, Mr. Keyes said.
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/article/flights-cancelled-delayed.html
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