6 Ways to Cope with Delays and Cancellations of International Flights

Some of the most disheartening news for a passenger, travelling for vacation or business, are delays and cancellations. Arriving at the airport in a hurry just to find that the flight is delayed or cancelled can prove to be a bad start to the trip. These types of mishaps can happen any time, be it before international flights or domestic ones. While there is no way of controlling them, there are definitely methods to cope with these circumstances, six of which are given below.

The Causes

For any passenger, knowing the cause of delay or cancellation is considered necessary. As per International Air Transport Association (IATA), it is mandatory for all airlines to notify passengers about cancellations and delays of international flights. Along with this, letting them know the reason behind such actions has also been mandated under IATA policies. There are different reasons for delays and cancellations, ranging from bad weather, security issues, fuelling hassles, maintenance problems and late arrival of the aircraft to unavailability of runways. Knowledge of these causes is always helpful for travellers as this will prepare them psychologically to cope with the situation at hand.

The Rights

It is a good idea to know what all a passenger is entitled to, if there is a schedule-related mishap. Every airline has different ways or policies of compensation in these circumstances. They may provide full refunds or alternative flights, depending on their policies. Therefore, knowing the policies and procedures of the airline can be important during cancellations and delays.

Weather Forecast

Tornadoes, hurricanes, snowstorms and heavy showers can disrupt the flight operations on any route. If passengers are travelling on trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific international flights, then checking the condition of the sky 48 to 72 hours before departure will not be a bad idea. During winters, heavy snowfall in certain regions of Europe can also cause flight delays and cancellations, especially if the aircraft is crossing the Alps. So, checking the weather report a couple of days before the travel date could help a lot.

Customer Care

One of the best ways of knowing about delays or cancellations for international flights is checking the schedule and status. There are many passengers, who keep the airline customer care number on speed dial, to contact them promptly in the time of need. If the weather is bad, then the customer care staff can advise them on their plan of action.

Layover Time

In case of delays or cancellations, the layover time matters a lot. Airlines try to retain travellers by arranging for alternative flights. They can also provide the passenger, accommodation if the layover time stretches overnight. If the carrier does not provide any of these, then it is better to know ways of passing the layover time. In case people are holding a premium class ticket, they can always check-in at various lounges at airports.

Connections

Be it business or leisure, schedule-related situations can hamper plans abruptly. One of the first things that passengers can do at these times is checking if they will miss any connecting flight. If the connecting flights are with the same airline, then letting the ground staff know about them will only take the burden off the shoulders. However, if the carriers are different, then people can call the other airlines to arrange for alternative bookings.

Delays and cancellations can be handled in a better manner, if passengers take not of the six above-mentioned aspects at the right time.