TRAVEL TIPS: 7 easy ways for dealing with airline delays and cancellations

It’s important to remember that the haze (Harmattan) weather is as hard on airline staff as it is on airline customers. Achieving a good outcome during a storm means threading the gap between overtaxed automated systems and over-stressed personnel in a way that maximizes the limited capacity of both.

Keep in mind that airlines handle weather delays and cancellations differently, albeit in subtle ways. Generally, weather events are included under the definition of force majeure in an airline’s contract of carriage, which waives a carrier’s liability with respect to fare refunds and incremental costs. That being said, all major airlines have specific weather policies that provide passengers some relief in the event of unexpected hiccups. If an airline anticipates bad weather, it may issue a change and/or cancellation waiver, allowing passengers to change or cancel a flight without incurring the usual change fees, fare differences or other penalties. If bad weather is forecast early on, carriers may issue waivers several days in advance, while unexpected weather events or other mass delays may lead to last-minute waivers or cancellations. Here are several tips to help in the event of a bad-weather or operational cancellation or delay.

1. Be Forewarned

Weather in the area? Check your reservation early and sign up for alerts by text, email, phone or a combination of the three. The earlier you can act when a delay occurs, the better your chances for a favorable outcome. Did you book a reservation through a travel agent or a website other than your airline’s? Register for travel alerts as soon as you get the confirmation number, since travel agents and booking websites won’t necessarily share contact information with airlines, and you may miss out on waivers and cancellation notices that could save you a wasted trip to the airport.

2. Come Up With a Plan B

If you’re concerned about possible weather or delays, consider alternate transportation early on. If you’re on hold with a phone representative or have spare time before your departure, there’s not much of a downside to searching for last-minute flights on other airlines, Amtrak or even on bus lines if your trip is a short one. If delayed customers are lined up at the airport, the train or bus may actually get you to a relatively nearby destination quicker.

3. Consider Other Airports

If you live in a large metropolitan area, it may be worth it to check for flights at other, smaller airports or even those in nearby cities. Even including the cost of a bus or rail connection, the outcome can be cheaper in some cases.

4. Find Help in a Lounge

If you’re having trouble getting in touch with a particular airline during a chaotic delay, consider ducking into a lounge belonging to the one you’re flying with. While you might be charged a fee for one-time lounge entry (which will differ depending on the lounge), that investment gets you access to a highly skilled customer-service representative who has all the tools necessary to help you get to your destination, even ahead of those who are on hold or waiting in line. Having certain credit cards or elite status can also provide discounted or complimentary access to some airline lounges.

5. Utilize Social Media

Consider using social media to contact your airline, since the teams manning these accounts are sometimes quicker to offer assistance than overloaded phone line representatives and many airlines offer support via Twitter and/or Facebook.

6. Know That Your Credit Card May Reimburse You

In the event that you do incur additional expenses, such as an overnight stay, emergency clothing or meals, certain credit cards do offer travel delay reimbursement that’ll basically pay you back for some (or all) of these things you end up purchasing out-of-pocket.

7. Remember, Every Airline’s Policy Is Different

Keep in mind that each airline has its own unique policies — some have reservations systems that automatically rebook connecting flights in the event of a delay, while others do not. Knowing how and when your airline might change your flight can help you plan ahead.