I worked for airlines for 20 years – the two sneaky ways to avoid flight cancellation chaos
TRAVELLING during winter runs the risk of bad weather cancellations.
But one travel industry expert has shared his top two tips for preparing for cancellations which will help travellers get home sooner.
Scott Laird shared his tips with FodorsTravel, a US-based travel site that he writes for.
Laird was inspired to share the tips after his flight to Denver was grounded in Aspen due to snow.
Despite being a travel expert, his two tips are something any traveller can do.
Firstly, Laird suggests using your airline’s app to track your flight, not the airport.
He found his carrier, United Airlines, got information to him faster than the airport because of push notifications on his app.
He said: “I learned about each of my delays and cancellations via push notifications, and did all the rebooking on the app—even via chat with a live agent.”
If you find out your flight is cancelled before other people on the same flight do, you can rebook faster.
With all those flyers now looking for a new flight, it could mean the difference between being stuck for hours and getting your bum on a seat.
Secondly, Laird suggests tracking your flight before it arrives at the airport.
If the flight has been delayed from leaving the first airport or from landing at your airport, then your flight will also face a delay.
Laird said: “If the airline’s estimates for your departure time seem fishy, lookup where your aircraft is.
“I was able to figure out how many times my flight would continue to be delayed because I knew the aircraft was still sitting in Denver, an hour away.”
Laird used the FlightRadar24 app to see that his plane was stuck on the tarmac in Denver, so it wasn’t a surprise when his flight to Denver was delayed.
But, all this information is useless unless it is acted on.
Laird suggests flyers ensure they have multiple backup plans such as rebooking their cancelled or delayed flight and travelling to another airport.
There are also things flyers can do to increase their chances of catching an empty flight – an unexpected perk of travelling.
Instead of being cramped and sitting next to someone who smells, you can stretch out, have the toilet to yourself, and become best buddies with the cabin crew.
Here are three clever tips to increase your chances of booking an empty flight.
Meanwhile, a frequent flyer who notched up 22 flights in just two months has revealed her top tips to make flying economy more comfortable.
Due to her first-hand experience, she’s listed her top ten tips and hacks to make flying less stressful and more comfy.
