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| Navigating travel disruptions |
| by Brian Kelly |
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Choosing the right time to fly is critical — especially in the summer months. I’m an optimist, but the weather has been getting more unpredictable. I write this as much of the country is enveloped in smoke from Canadian wildfires, which luckily hasn’t caused too much drama with airline delays, but storms certainly have. And our air traffic control system is already stressed by staffing shortages. Mix in storms across the country and there’s chaos, like we have seen this whole past week with over 30,000 flight disruptions.
So, as much as I’m not an early morning person, taking the first flight of the day is usually the best way to ensure your flight departs on time. In many parts of the South, especially southern Florida, there are afternoon thunderstorms, and when there’s lightning, the ground staff can’t be out on the tarmac, so there’s a ground stop.
Also, sometimes the late-night flights to Europe — like 11 p.m. or 12 a.m. — can be smooth sailing and help you beat the rush hour in the airports. It’s also easier to sleep on an overnight flight (in my opinion).
To prepare for an upcoming trip, here are my tips:- Get the FlightAware app. It will give you updates as delays are happening — often before the airline tells you — and timing is critical. Also, always track where your plane is coming from.
- Turn on notifications from your airline. Texting is usually faster than email, so always make sure you enter your mobile phone number into your reservation. You can also enable notifications in the airline’s app for your flight.
If your flight starts getting delayed, here’s what you can do next:- Look at ExpertFlyer to see if there are any other flights on your route. Also look at any surrounding airports that might be options in that area. For example, if I’m flying to Miami, I start looking at options to Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and potentially even Orlando, because if you can get within driving distance of your intended airport, that can help make all the difference in reaching your destination.
- Book a backup flight on another airline using miles. I do this usually for later in the day, and when I use frequent flyer miles, I can cancel, free of charge, up until departure time. Even if I have to pay a small fee to redeposit the miles, it’s worth it to me if I really need to get somewhere. You can’t have two reservations on the same airline for the same day, so I’ll sometimes book a backup flight for the next morning — because what happens when a flight gets delayed or canceled? Everyone is moved to the next available flight, so if I already have a confirmed seat, I’m ahead of the game and protected in that situation.
Speaking of travel protection, if you have elite status with the airline, sometimes it will even protect you on a later flight in the day, you just have to request it.
Now, how do you get through to an airline? That’s a key problem.
Ways to reach the airline
If you have access to an airport lounge, I suggest going there, as those agents can assist in rebooking. You can also try using the chatbot feature for airlines. I’ve noticed they are getting better and better at accommodating, canceling or changing flights.
If you can’t get through on the phone or social media, I recommend you try calling the foreign phone lines for the airline. The United Airlines number in Mexico will have English-speaking agents, and often that’s a quicker way to reach someone.
Know your rights
At the end of the day, if your flight is delayed, understand your rights. If you are traveling to or from the European Union, you are owed compensation under EU261. While the U.S. doesn’t have the same protections, the Department of Transportation dashboard states passenger rights and what the airlines should be giving you in the form of meal or hotel vouchers. Unfortunately, for issues related to the weather, most compensation doesn’t apply, but if you’ve accrued additional costs due to a delay or cancellation, it doesn’t hurt to ask. You can ask your airline or your credit card company.
Cards that offer travel protection- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Provides a $300 annual travel credit, up to $20,000 in trip cancellation coverage, up to $75,000 in car rental coverage, trip delay benefits of up to $500 per person that kick in starting at a six-hour delay and more.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: This card offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, emergency assistance services and more.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: In addition to the extensive lounge benefits and up to $200 in annual airline fee credits (enrollment required), the Platinum card provides trip cancellation and interruption insurance for up to $20,000 of a covered trip and incident.*
Have a great weekend,
BK
* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
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