5 Hacks You Need to Know About Dealing with Cancelled Flights
“Because of circumstances beyond our control, flight # has been cancelled.” This is one announcement that you would never ever want to hear when you are at the airport. It can ruin your supposedly fun getaway, be a nuisance to your business meetings and worse, cost you lots of money.
Instead of boarding the plane and enjoying the in-flight meals, you are at the airport, not knowing how when you can get to your destination, how you can catch the next flight or where you can get the money to finance this unexpected expense.
Yes, no one wants to have their plans derailed. But flight cancellations have now become a way of life, especially during the holidays and stormy seasons. If you are one of the victims of these “circumstances that are beyond our control”, what can you do? How should you deal with cancelled flights? Well, here are some tips:
1. Make use of your phone (and other available resources).
Once you hear the announcement, your first instinct would be to talk with the airline staff at the airport and get much detail as you can about the cancellation. But your efforts will just make you more frustrated because you would have to deal with the long lines of angry passengers (just like you).
If you wish to gather much-needed information and have your flight re-booked in the easiest way possible, call the airline’s customer service. You can also use the airline’s affiliated app (if they have one) for those purposes. You can also use social media (Twitter, Facebook or Instagram) to catch the attention of the airline company.
2. Seek help from the airline lounge’s staff.
Another trick to prevent long lines and angry people is to seek refuge from the airline lounge. Even if you are not a member or a frequent flyer, you can still gain access to the lounge using a credit card. It may cost you a bit, but you can get faster and more efficient help from their staff as compared to the airline staff.
3. Know your passenger rights.
One thing you should understand is that you have one important weapon against flight cancellations and that is your passenger right. Keep in mind, though, that your rights may vary depending on the situation, cause of cancellation and airline that you are flying with so doing your research is a must. Many people think that getting compensation is a complicated process, but you would be surprised to discover that claiming compensation for cancelled flight is easy and that would be most especially true if you are well aware of your rights.
4. Keep important documents.
In addition to knowing your rights, it is also best that you secure a copy of all your travel documents, including your boarding pass, travel itinerary and other important as your request for compensation will only be valid if you have all these documents.
5. Ask the staff (nicely) for alternative flights or itinerary.
It is true that it is not the staff’s obligation to find you another route but it would not hurt for you to ask. And when you ask nicely, most staff would be more inclined to help you because you will be a breath of fresh air from all the other grouchy passengers that they are dealing with.
Things won’t work out the way you want it to be all the time and it’s true that most causes of flight cancellations are beyond our control. Instead of getting angry and losing temper, it is best that you try to maintain your cool and find the best way on how you can get on the next flight and minimize your unwanted expenses. The tips that we have mentioned above can help you do that!
