For my holiday travels, I transited seven airports in five states – and didn’t experience any hiccups with ticketing, security or the boarding process. All but one of my flights arrived on time or slightly ahead of schedule.
I was lucky.
We all know that tis the season for winter weather cancellations. If you paid attention to the news, you probably heard about the pair of blizzards – one in the New York/New England area and another in the Atlantic Southeast – that affected travel for more than 100,000 passengers over a three-day period last week. And a record-topping Boxing Day blizzard that shut down New York and Philadelphia cost the airline industry up to $150 million, according to industry analysts, and delayed for days post-holiday travel for tens of thousands of weary travelers.
With a couple months of winter left, storms will likely impact travelers in a large-scale way before we see Spring. You do not have to be traveling from or to one of the cities affected by weather to risk being impacted. So what’s the best insurance to protect you from being stuck at the airport? Information.
Many airlines offer flight status notification to your e-mail accounts or mobile phones at no charge (other than what the phone company charges for text messages). Regardless of what inside information you have, such as a meteorologist friend, a contact from air traffic control, or a premium-service travel agent, it is the airline that will offer the best information about the status of your flight.
Sure, other sources such as local media or a flight tracking website can give you some expectations of flight delays, but that’s only a macro look. You don’t know if the airplane that’s picking you up in Dallas and taking you to Los Angeles originated in New York and was delayed there, or if your commuter flight from Atlanta to Augusta was one of the flights the airline chose to cancel because of airplane availability.
So, sign up for automated flight status notification when you buy your ticket or when you do your online check-in (normally, you have to sign in to your account on the airline’s website to see that option). Also, enroll in the service for the person picking you up.
If your airline does not offer this feature, you may still get real-time flight status on the airline’s website. You would want to have the flight number available to ensure you are getting information about the correct flight.
Getting information about delays and cancelations before you leave for the airport may save you and your travel companions the adventure of camping out at the departures lounge, but it’s important to know if you’ve been rebooked on another flight, or if you’re still expected to show up at the ticket counter. When in doubt, get to the airport.
The recent travel disruptions stressed airline call centers tremendously, and many passengers looking to rebook instead found themselves unable to even reach a reservations agent. This insult to injury may be frustrating, but if you’re unfortunate to be in the situation, keep trying to reach that live person: The sooner you talk to an airline representative, the sooner you will know if you should bear the delay or scratch the trip altogether. (Many airlines will waive change fees during harsh weather situations.)
Well, we could put the busy travel season behind us now. For me, the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday represents the end to the winter holidays, and excuses associated with the “holiday slowdown” will no longer fly. A lot of people – including me – can’t wait. We survived, one way or another.
- Helpful Traveler Tony
Tags: Airline, Airports, Cancellations, Delays, Flight Information, passengers, Tony, Weather
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