Up In The Air

With flight delays and cancellations a real possibility on any day of air travel, its especially poignant today as the midwest and northeast get hammered with another major snowstorm this week. If you are on a time constraint, there are some strategies that will put you ahead of the pack when competing for–what are very few–rebooked seats that might available.

Your’s truly was stranded at JFK last weekend as 22 inches of snow fell on my beloved Pittsburgh. New York was hit with nary a dusting, and while planes were happily flying here and there and everywhere, I sat in the terminal like Tom Hanks in a good movie scraping my quarters together for a Happy Meal. While I waited, cancellation after cancellation and delay after delay prevented me from getting home.

If you are flying in the next few days, or anytime for that matter, keep these pointers handy for increasing your chances of getting where you need to go:

– Consider booking your flight to arrive a day early in order to allow you a safe zone for delays. If a storm is iminent, consider changing your flight to an earlier day before the cancellations start rolling in.

–Check in online as soon as you are able (usually 24 hours in advance). A confirmed check-in helps to ensure that you don’t get bumped. Remember that even if your flight isn’t cancelled, those who were on flights that were cancelled need to be re-booked somewhere. If you’re not checked in, the airlines can bump you.

–Go to the airport at your scheduled departure time. If you find your flight is delayed or cancelled, work directly with the airport agents of your airline as well as all other airlines who fly to your destination. Just being there enhances your chances of getting on a flight.

-In addition to working with the agents at the airport, call the airline’s 800 number while you are in line to speak with an agent. This way you’ll double your chances of getting an available seat. The more irons in the fire, the better your chances of getting on a flight. (This strategy helped me get home to Pittsburgh last weekend as I was able to get a seat on what ended up being the first flight to land in Pittsburgh once the airport opened after being shut down for 10 hours).

-It’s important to know that your travel insurance company will have a role in this situation too. If you purchased a good plan (we endorse Travelex!), “Travel Assistance” will be included with your plan. You should contact your insurance company as soon as you determine a delay in imminent and allow an advocate team to work with you to get you where you need to be.

Just a short moment of appreciation here. As mentioned, I was stranded in New York when my original airline (Delta) and all other airlines were outright cancelling flights into Pittsburgh. JetBlue persisted in finding a way to get passengers into the city. Miraculously there were some seats avaiilable on a later flight and I bought one on the spot….but when the Pittsburgh airport wasn’t able to open as planned, JetBlue didn’t cancel. They delayed and delayed, granted for 6 hours, but in the end, they got me home on the day I needed to be home and for that I was grateful. Kudos to JetBlue.

I encourage you to be proactive in your thought process when it comes to flying. The early bird gets the worm..and the squeaky wheel gets the oil. If you need to get up in the air, be an early bird and squeaky wheel.

For more information on other experiences you can be a part of on an Amazing Journey, visit https://amazingjourneys.net/