Tips for contacting an airline when your flight is canceled or delayed

Andrew Astor did everything right when a FAA meltdown delayed his red-eye flight into the morning earlier this month, but he didn’t escape the dire situation.

Ten minutes before boarding, a gate agent announced what appeared to be a slight delay, he said.

“Oh, there’s another plane that hasn’t taken off, so I have to wait for that plane,” he recalled. “Then they said, ‘Oh, we need to fix the jet problem. There’s something wrong with the jet.'” …they kept pushing back like 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes . “

Meanwhile, he checked the American Airlines app, which also reflected increased delays. Eventually, he heard another passenger say the FAA was grounding all the planes.

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“As soon as they said the FAA was shutting down all flights, I knew what the lines were going to be like, so I went straight to customer service,” Astor said.

He said a friendly customer service representative had booked him on the next available flight in the morning, but other than cookies and water, nothing else was offered for the trouble.

According to American Airlines Customer Service Plan“In the event of delay or cancellation due to weather or other force majeure, you will be responsible for your own accommodation, meals and incidental expenses. American Airlines representatives may be able to assist you in finding a hotel.”

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What do travelers do wrong when their flight is cancelled?

According to Danny Rivers Mitchell, founder of Black Girls Travel TwoAstor, a global boutique tour operator curating immersive and cultural experiences for black women, has done all the right things.

“There’s a lot of it, but that’s where your multitasking skills need to come into play,” Rivers-Mitchell said. We advise people to get in the customer service line early at the airport, call the airline’s customer service line, and get in touch via social media and other available platforms. Via the carrier’s app while they waited.

“It’s silly to think that standing in line for help at the airport is enough,” she said. ) as much as possible.”

Rivers-Mitchell added that it’s important to know your options and be prepared to argue for alternatives if you’re not satisfied with the itinerary offered by the airline.

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How do you beat the crowds when your flight is cancelled?

“If we find that our flights continue to be significantly delayed or postponed, we are already looking at alternative flight options if we have time-sensitive locations,” Rivers-Mitchell said. What we have to do is help the airline think about other options.” For example, have the airline rebook with one of our partners if the schedule is better, or other Allows you to change your itinerary so that it passes through the airport of

She added that it’s important to treat all airline employees who help you with respect. more likely to do

During his own cancellation experience, Astor realized the importance of defending himself directly.

“Customer support could have been better, but they didn’t know what was going on,” he said.

If my flight is cancelled, will my flight be refunded?

If an airline cancels a flight for any reason, the Department of Transportation requires the airline to provide refunds to all affected passengers, even if they purchased non-refundable tickets.

However, delay policies are set by individual carriers.

See other USA TODAY articles for a complete explanation of policies by airline.

What should I do if my flight is at risk of being cancelled?

► Update your contact information. Rivers-Mitchell said he always advises clients to make sure the contact information they provide to airlines is up to date so they can be notified of any changes to itineraries.

► Don’t rely on just one app. She also said she uses a third party app to track flight updates.

► Have plans B and C. In the event of bad weather affecting short flights, Rivers-Mitchell recommends heading to the rental car counter early. If you can drive instead of flying, you should lock down before your rental car runs out.

► Prepare for the worst: Above all, she recommends getting travel insurance, no matter how short the trip. She also recommends that she leave schedule padding to fly to time-sensitive events and take the first flight of the day to minimize the chances of getting insurance. delay or cancellation.

“Managing your expectations is very important. There’s a level of patience you have to have,” she said. “It’s all about preparation. It’s risk management.”

How do I contact the airline? Which platform is best?

In any situation, Rivers-Mitchell’s multitasking advice applies. She said having as many touchpoints as possible with the airline is the best bet when things go wrong. Standing in the customer service line while reaching out.

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Tips for contacting an airline when your flight is canceled or delayed

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