![]() ![]() ![]() Vouchers can sound like a great deal and probably make the gate attendants feel like Oprah (you get a voucher, and you get a voucher!). Say no to vouchers-you're entitled to cold, hard cash Go ahead-shoot for the moon (or maybe just some extra legroom). If you choose to fly after experiencing a delay or rebook after a cancellation, you won’t get a refund, but you can definitely ask for upgrades. If the plane that you have a ticket on still flies, then you’re not entitled to a refund.” “Let’s say you’ve booked a flight to Switzerland, and now the CDC says with their strongest advisory, do not travel to Switzerland. “What is frustrating is that it does not apply to things that many people might assume they ought to be able to get a refund for,” says Keyes. Note: This only applies if the airline cancels the flight. Check the airline’s website for specific details. What constitutes a significant delay is determined on a case by case basis, but a good rule of thumb is two hours or more. You’re also entitled to a refund for significant changes or delays to your original schedule. If there were multiple stops involved, you would qualify for a refund for the legs you didn’t fly. The DOT also proposed a rule to strengthen protections for consumers seeking refunds for flights, but until that passes, here’s where it stands: If your airline cancels your original flight and you choose not to travel on your rebooked flight, you’re entitled to a full cash refund under federal law. And if it turns out it’s just lip service on their part, tell Pete about it. Use it to compare airlines before you book-a first glance tells you that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and JetBlue all load up on the promises-and brush up on what they say they’ll compensate should something go awry. Just plug in your airline carrier and see all the amenities they’ll provide in the event of a preventable delay or cancellation. What to do if your flight gets delayed or canceledįirst things first: This summer, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg along with the US Department of Transportation did us a solid by setting up an interactive, easily navigable Airline Customer Service Dashboard to answer any questions you may have about your rights when flying. Oh, and be kind-the airline workers are doing their best during a strange year in the skies. Make sure you have your vaccine card or any Covid-19 test results within reach, depending on the requirements of your destination. Travel light with just a carry-on, avoiding checking bags (and don’t forget to pack some patience). (We recently switched from a middle seat to a previously-unavailable window seat on the subway on the way to the airport. In some apps, you can also do things like switch seats on the day of flight without having to get on the website or talk to an agent. If you booked through a third-party site, download the airline’s app to make checking in and switching flights a breeze. If you’re a money-bags, buy a fully refundable flight (nobody does this) or purchase it with a credit card that offers trip cancellation insurance (more feasible). General tips and advice for flying in our current state of travelįirst, some basic rules of travel: Book through the airline if you can that will make it easier to adjust plans to your liking should your flight be delayed or canceled. Here’s what the airlines aren’t telling you, and what actions you can take to turn those lemons into lemonade. In fact, you can now get much more than a $10 voucher for a sad airport salad whenever cancellations, overbooked legs, and excessive delays screw up your travel plans. It might feel like we’re staring down a holiday season full of navigating flights-and crowds-that could easily again resemble the Wild West, but know that you're not entirely powerless. It’s predicted that things won’t get back to normal until 2023-at least. Despite booming demand, major carriers are still slashing flights, and a glance at FlightAware's MiseryMap shows that daily delays and cancellations, while not hitting the thousands like they were earlier this year, are still frequent enough. A never-ending string of contagious variants, for one the as yet unknown results of abolishing mask mandates in airports and planes and the possibility that, after all that waiting and planning and dreaming, our flights might be canceled due to-among other things- airline staff shortages. Delta’s CEO said that March 2022 was the company’s best month for sales ever.īut now, we have new hurdles to jump. ![]() Not just that, in some cases, like Labor Day this year, the number of flights have even exceeded pre-pandemic numbers. “The interest in travel right now is much closer to pre-pandemic,” says Scott Keyes of Scott’s Cheap Flights. We're vaxxed, travel restrictions are all but gone, and those long-coveted trips are finally within our grasp-and boy, are we more than ready. ![]()
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