Gay Travel Blog
Flight Cancellations
How to handle things if a flight is cancelled
One of the worst experiences when traveling is a cancellation of a flight. Particularly if there is a tight connection, a meeting or a cruise that isn't going to wait until you arrive.
A few tips
If you are at the airport and at the Gate when a flight is cancelled, the best way of proceeding is to call the airlines reservation line (if you are a Frequent Flier the designated number that is on the back of your card) and speak with them to get you rebooked. Imagine at the Gate you are 1 of maybe 150 passengers that need to be rebooked and there are 1 or 3 agents to take care of all of those passengers. On the phone, you have a whole reservations department that can assist you much quicker.
If you are on the plane and you have a feeling it is going to get cancelled (this happened to me recently when the aircraft I was on was backed into a jet way and a 10 foot hole was torn in the fuselage) get on the cell phone and call the reservation line. A few things to be aware of if that happens:
- The agent you speak to on the phone will NOT necessarily know that your flight is cancelled as of yet (it could even show as departed in their system)
- They will not be able to change your reservation UNTIL the flight is cancelled in their system and no arguing or explaining on your part will change that it is an "official procedure" that has to go through certain steps
What to do
- On the first phone call simply find out what the next set of flights are on any carrier
- Call back and make a new reservation on that carrier (this at least guarantees you a space on that flight – remember everyone else that is on the flight you are on also will need seats and the earlier you can get one confirmed the more likely it is that you will get the earliest possible departure)
- When the flight is "officially cancelled" and the passengers are allowed off the aircraft there will be gate staff there to meet everyone – most likely they will try to gather everyone to tell them what is going to happen and what they are working on – stay in the back of the group rather than in the front and argue with the staff (there is NOTHING they can do about that particular aircraft flying the route it was scheduled for). Obscenities will not help, but may result in a trip to a different destination – the airport jail. Part of what they may tell you is that they are unloading the luggage and you have to collect it and then go get rebooked – if that happens DO NOT GO TO GET YOUR LUGGAGE FIRST. It will take a while before it shows up and in the meanwhile you can get your tickets issued.
- With your quick escape route planned – GO STRAIGHT TO THE TICKET COUNTER to get your ticket reissued with the reservation you have already set up on the phone THEN go get any checked luggage that you may have had.
