I travel every week and fly over 100 flights a year. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes a flight cancels and I am stuck trying to get to my destination. This is especially tough when there is bad weather and a lot of flights cancel at the same time. Because the airline is not responsible (because of Air Traffic Control Delays = Weather), every traveler is really on their own.
Follow these exact steps to have the best chance to get to your destination with plenty of rest:
1. Book a hotel room. This can always be canceled by 6 PM if it is booked directly with the hotel. You never know when all the flights will be sold out and you will need to stay the night. You don’t want to sleep at the airport.
2. Go standby on future flights. If you are traveling on your preferred airline with frequent flyer status, go standby on the next flight. If you don’t get on that flight, you will be rolled over to the list for the next one.
3. Call the airline. Don’t stand in the customer service line. The people on the phone do the same thing as those at the airport and your wait time will be less.
4. Asked to be put on another airline. They typically do not volunteer this , so you need to ask.
5. Book a refundable fare on Southwest Airline. This is a great backup plan since you can get refunds up to 10 minutes before the flight. I use this many times as an insurance policy.
6. Keep doing your own research. When you call airline, they only look for available seats at that time. Flight inventory changes every minute. Keep looking on their website. If you find an available seat, put it on hold and then call the airline to confirm that reservation.
7. Check out flights to alternative cities that are within driving distance of your destination.
Never leave it in the hands of the airlines to get where you want to go.
