You would think with my notorious bad luck on air travel, I would know how to handle a cancelled flight by now; evidently, even I have a few things to learn! Recently I spent a week in Cancun, and then flew straight to NYC for a weekend in the city. At least that was the plan. Here is what I learned from my back-to-back trips:
1. Fly Early. Thankfully, I took the first flight out of Cancun, giving me more time to reschedule when my flight to JFK was delayed and eventually cancelled in Atlanta. I already knew this trick, but sleeping in sometimes sounds so good. Don’t do it. Get the first flight to avoid delays, and to have recovery time!
2. Get Creative. New York City was having bad weather, which was the reason for all the delays that day. That meant all flights were delayed or cancelled, not just mine. That also meant hundreds of travelers rebooking to airports around NYC like JKF, LaGuardia and Newark. I tried to rebook on a budget airline, but even that was going to cost $500. Instead, I flew into White Plains, NY, and split the cab ride to the city with fellow travelers. Voila! A creative solution.
3. Be Nice. To everyone. I made friends with two people sitting in my row as we sat on the tarmac for 2 hours, and we ended up taking a cab together from White Plains to NYC. Actually, one of them paid for the whole thing. Not only did I save some major $$, I made some great friends, and had way more fun than I should have in an airport bar. (Shout out to Mary Lou from North Carolina!)
4. Take Advantage of Airline Employees. The line for the toll-free phones was winding around the airport. Instead of calling the 800 number to rebook, we walked up to a counter and had an air agent help us. Of course we showered her with compliments and cheered her on, but it was 100% worth it!
5. Choose the Right Airline. Everyone has opinions about their favorite airline. Mine happens to be Delta. They delivered my bags for free to my hotel the next day, and gave me unsolicited bonus miles for the whole incident. Did my frequent flier miles help? Probably. Sometimes loyalty pays off.
6. Pack Your Carry-On Wisely. I travel with a laptop, so my carry-on is heavy enough as it is. I make sure to have the bare essentials, which unfortunately means no books or otherwise heavy objects. (I am basically a black belt at crossword puzzles in the back of airline mags.) I do make sure to have a change of clothes (not heavy jeans!) in case my checked luggage is delayed.
