There are few words that generate as much dread and frustration in an airport situation than the terms “delayed” and “canceled”. As wonderful as the travel experience can be, airplanes, just like any other machine can be prone to errors, malfunctions, and issues that are beyond your control. This means that the more often you fly, the more likely it is that you’ll end up dealing with the stress of a sudden delay.
Regardless of if your issue is with bad weather or a sudden technological fault at your local airport, there’s always a risk that something could go wrong and force you to spend more unwanted time at the departing terminal. When this happens, it’s important to make sure that you’re prepared for the worst.
While the following tips might not stop delays from happening entirely, they will help to ensure that you get through the experience with as much poise as possible.
1. Have the Right Items in Your Carry-On
When a flight is delayed, there’s no saying how long you might end up being stranded within your terminal. With that in mind, it’s important to make sure that you have the right items on hand. For instance, snacks, an empty water bottle, and a few toiletries like toothbrush and toothpaste can be a great way to keep your trip on track.
Additionally, it’s worth making sure that you have the extra resources you need to keep your devices topped up and full of charge too. For instance, you can always buy an extra battery for your phone and tablet in case you can’t fight through the crowds of other angry customers at your airport all trying to use the same outlets.
2. Know Your Rights
Depending on where you’re flying to, and where you’re traveling from, your rights for compensation might be different. It’s worth figuring out what you might be eligible for as early as possible, and which rules you need to follow to ensure that you don’t give up your chances for a refund by accident.
If you’re not sure what the guidelines are for your specific airport and airline, you can always do a quick search online to find out more about your route. Alternatively, try speaking to the airline itself and asking them what they’re going to do to make up for the trouble that they’ve caused you.
3. Stay in Touch
While it’s important to make sure that you can keep in touch with your loved ones, and the people who are expecting you on the other end of your delayed flight, it’s also crucial to keep talking to your airline too. A long queue at the counter will usually mean that it’s tough to speak to someone about your issues in person, but you can always make a phone call or talk to a brand on social media if you want to get a response fast.
The social media platform has become a powerful way for customers to reach out to businesses when they have a complaint because the things you post can have a negative impact on a company’s reputation if they go unanswered for too long.
4. Get Some Rest When You Can
Although sleeping might be the last thing on your mind when you’re dealing with the stress of a flight delay, it’s important to remember that the more rest you can get, the more your health will be protected as you struggle through the complications of waiting for your new flight. Sleeping in airports isn’t much fun, so it’s a good idea to see whether you can afford to spend a few hours in the VIP suite instead of simply snoozing at the gateway.
On the other hand, consider asking your airline if they’ll pay for you to freshen up at a hotel – particularly if your flight delay stretches out throughout the night and you have children to think about.
5. Be Patient and Polite
Finally, a flight delay or cancellation is unlikely to leave you in a good mood, but it’s important to stay as calm and collected as possible. Flight delays are a huge inconvenience for passengers, but they’re not the fault of the people that you’re going to be yelling at when you’re trying to find a new seat at the airport.
The airline workers are there to help, and they didn’t cause your situation, so be kind and patient with them while they struggle to sever you and all the other unhappy customers around you.